ROHM introduce optical high-precision 4-direction sensor – silent operation in the industry’s thinnest package

ROHM has developed the RPI-1040, an optical surface-mount 4-direction sensor with a profile 67% thinner than current models. The new sensor detects up, down, left, and right movement in 90° intervals using in-house made infrared LED, 2 phototransistors, and light blocking mechanism. Simple and instantaneous gravity direction detection is enabled, linked to the movement of the device. In addition, a novel architecture is utilized to ensure silent operation, eliminating the need for soundproofing, thus increasing the design flexibility.

The RPI-1040 sets a milestone in SMD Tilt sensor thickness by achieving a profile of just 0.8 mm – the world’s thinnest – making it not only ideally compatible with digital cameras, digital photo frames, and portable TVs, but mobile phones and increasingly compact next-generation devices as well.

RPI-1040 super small SMD tilt sensor is the perfect cost-efficient alternative vs. costly MEMS accelerometers, if there is a need to detect the direction of gravity in a device, but not the magnitude of this force.

Optical sensors are not susceptible to either vibration or magnetic fields, making them superior to mechanical and magnetic 4-way sensors and the preferred choice in portable devices.

Application example: Automatic picture format adjustment on the display, if a portable device is rotated between the portrait and landscape orientations. E.g. Photo Frames, Projectors, PNAs, PDAs, Digital Cameras, Mobile Phones and more.

For more information, or details on the full range of ROHM products available from Anglia, please call +44 (0)1945 474747 or email info@anglia.com

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This news article was originally published in October 2008.