Press Release
September 26, 2007
Leading GPS Chipset Manufacturer u-blox,
Chooses Epson Toyocom Gyro Sensor
Epson Toyocom Corporation ("Epson Toyocom"), a leader in the design and manufacture of crystal-based electronic products, today announced that u-blox, a leading developer of GPS chipsets, has chosen Epson Toyocom's XV-8000CB gyro for their dead reckoning ("DR") *1 evaluation kit and reference design AEK-4R. Ideal for DR, a method used in car navigation to determine position, the XV-8000CB enables high-performance systems, and is u-blox first choice gyro sensor.
The XV-8000CB leverages the excellent stability of crystal-based gyro elements in addition to QMEMS*2 technology, low-power analog circuit technology, and packaging technology to achieve a gyro sensor that is both highly accurate and the world's smallest*3 at just 5.0 x 3.2 x 1.3 mm. In addition, its unique device structure gives superior resistance to shock and vibration.
Consumers are demanding more features and better accuracy for car navigation systems and other GPS applications. One way to provide this is through the use of DR, which improves the accuracy with which a vehicle's position is sensed in tunnels, indoor parking facilities, and other environments where it may be difficult to obtain a GPS satellite signal. The outstanding features of the XV-8000CB make it ideal for DR, and its ultra-compact and thin structure provides greater design freedom and makes it possible to squeeze more features into a compact space.
Epson Toyocom is committed to the continued development of gyro sensors that offer outstanding performance in the smallest form factors, and to providing solutions that better meet the needs of customers.
XV-8000CB and other crystal devices will be on display at the Epson Toyocom booth (No. 6E116) at CEATEC JAPAN 2007, to be held at Makuhari Messe from October 2-6.
- Ultra-compact and thin size (5.0 × 3.2 × 1.3 mm)
- Stable output (through outstanding Zero-Point Drift) with built-in crystal gyro elements and temperature compensation circuit
- Superior resistance to shock and vibration; ideal for automobile applications
- Thermal sensor output terminal enables use for correcting system temperature
- Airtight structure gives excellent environmental resistance
- Lead-free*4
| Item | Specification | Unit |
| Supply voltage | 4.75 to 5.25 | V |
| Operating temperature range | -40 to +85 | °C |
| Sensitivity | 25.0 | mV/deg/sec |
| Zero-point voltage | 2.5 | V |
| Zero-point voltage temperature variation | ±3.5 | % |
| Detection range | ±60 | deg/sec |
| Dimensions | 5.0 × 3.2 × 1.3 | mm |
*1 Accuracy of DR processing in estimating vehicle location in a car navigation system can be improved by adding angle calculations based on speed pulse and gyro sensors to the GPS positioning calculations.
*2 QMEMS is a combination of "Quartz," a crystalline material with excellent characteristics such as high stability and high precision, and "MEMS" (micro electro mechanical system). QMEMS quartz devices are created using quartz material instead of the semiconductors used by MEMS. We perform precision microfabrication on the quartz material to offer high performance in a compact package.
*3 Among gyro sensors for car navigation systems (according to Epson Toyocom research as of September 26th, 2007)
*4 No lead is used on the terminals or inside of this product. EU RoHS Directive compliant.
u-blox is an international company headquartered in Switzerland, with sales organizations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Founded in 1997, u-blox develops leading positioning technology, products and services based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), including GPS and Galileo, for the automotive and mobile communications markets.
