Tablets, smartphones drive surge in MEMS combo sensors

Dylan McGrath

10/8/2012 2:25 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO—The market for combo motion sensors is projected to surge by more than 700 in 2012, thanks to rapid adoption in cell phones and media tablets, according to market research firm IHS iSuppli.

Revenue for combo motion sensors such as inertial measurement units (IMUs) is expected to rise to $189.1 million in 2012, up from just $23 million in 2011, according to an IHS report on the MEMS market. The firm projects the market to grow by an additional 236 percent to $635.6 in 2013 and to cross the $1 billion sales mark in 2014.

Though combo sensors first appeared four years ago, revenue was negligible for the first few years because of a shortage of product offerings, IHS said.

By 2016, IHS forecasts that combo sensor revenue will amount to $1.4 billion, accounting for 71 percent of the total motion sensor market in consumer and mobile applications. Discrete accelerometers, gyroscopes and compasses will make up the remainder of the market, or 29 percent, based on steadily shrinking usage, IHS said.

“Motion sensors—including gyroscopes, accelerometers and compasses—have become ubiquitous in smartphones and tablets,” said Jérémie Bouchaud, director and principal analyst for MEMS and sensors at IHS. “Since these sensors work together and their signal must be fused, combo sensors not only save space, they are also easing implementation by offering a convenient plug-and-play integrated solution."

Teardowns find combos in mobiles

Dissections conducted by the IHS iSuppli Teardown Analysis Service confirm that combo sensors are present in recently released mobile devices includijng the Asus Nexus 7 tablet; the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet and the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone. Apple's iPhone, by contrast, uses a discrete motion sensor solution in order to retain flexibility and implement custom parts if needed, IHS said.

Various configurations of combo sensors exist, including 6-axis IMUs and 9DOF (degree of freedom) units made up of a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis electronic compass. According to IHS, the 6-axis IMU is expected to be the dominant configuration. The majority of its handset and tablet customers have converted—or are in the process of converting—to a 6-axis solution, which offers superior functionalities over a 3-axis design, according to California-based InvenSense, a MEMS maker and pioneer in combo sensors.

According to IHS, STMicroelectronics and InvenSense enjoy a considerable head start over rivals in 6-axis IMUs. But Germany's Bosch and New York-based Kionix are expected to join the fray soon, with production of 6-axis IMUs set to begin before the end of the year, IHS said. The market research firm said it also expects Fairchild Semiconductor and Maxim Integrated Products to enter this market.