The HMC5843 three-axis compass IC from Honeywell adds expanded direction awareness in consumer electronics by providing compass pointing and location features to be overlaid on GPS-enabled maps. Its small size suits it well for even the smallest mobile phones, personal navigation systems, and portable auto navigation systems.

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Unlike older two-axis compass-based handheld GPS units, the three-axis HMC5843 lets users hold the phone or other device in a more natural vertical or tilted position, according to Honeywell. The magnetic sensors compensate for the pitch and roll of the handheld device.

Besides the three-axis Honeywell magnetoresistive sensors, the IC incorporates a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter and an I²C serial bus interface in a 4- by 4- by 1.3-mm surface-mount chip-scale package that uses Honeywell’s patented manufacturing IP for the Z-axis sensor. The new interface allows for easy integration with the personal navigation system’s or cell phone’s on-board microprocessor.

Honeywell
www.honeywell.com