MCU-based sol'n combines touch, sensor hub

Atmel Corp. has introduced a line of microcontroller-based solutions that claim to integrate touch and sensor hub functionality to enable superior user experience. The company added that the products are geared for various mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, ultrabooks and convertible PCs.

The solutions build on Atmel's maXTouch controllers and incorporate its patented maXFusion sensor fusion technology to address the growing motion sensor market. Atmel maXFusion combines inputs from multiple sensors that detect motion, including accelerometers, magnetometers and gyroscopes, to provide real-time direction, orientation and inclination data bringing visibly superior performance to a range of applications including gaming, navigation and virtual reality.

Atmel's solutions include advanced sensing algorithms that claim to result in 3x the performance compared to managing sensors on the applications processor. They also offer up to 50 per cent lower power consumption than competing solutions, achieving even greater savings when compared to architectures where sensor management is implemented on the applications processor.

The complete human interface solutions with maXFusion technology include the mXF0100 sensor hub solutions, mXF1664S/mXF1188S maXTouch controllers for up to 17in displays, and programmable solutions based on Atmel's AVR MCUs for customers and partners implementing their proprietary code

The UC3L sensor hub solutions with customisable firmware are available. Production quantities for Atmel's mXF0100 devices are available in December 2012, with the mXF1664S and mXF1188S devices available in January next year.