Honeywell Introduces New Miniature Digital Compass

Compass on a Chip Offers Unrivaled Advantages in Size, Cost and Performance

PHOENIX.- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today the introduction of the HMC6343 Digital Compass Solution, a miniature, tilt compensated, chip-scale electronic compass designed to deliver performance advantages for commercial and industrial applications.

The HMC6343 provides a new level of chip-scale integration and the ease-of-use required by circuit designers for drop-in circuit board solutions. The sensors, application specific integrated circuits and a microprocessor are fully integrated and housed in a miniature package. With a better than three degrees heading accuracy, the HMC6343 offers precision compass capability at a very low cost.

“Honeywell’s Anisotropic Magnetoresistive (AMR) technology and innovative packaging techniques combine to deliver a precision tilt-compensated compassing solution,” said Tamara Bratland, Director, Magnetic Sensors, Honeywell Defense and Space. “The HMC6343 offers the simplest compass solution available today in a complete, ready-to-use, 9 x 9 x 1.9 mm LCC package. It provides designers a smaller, lower cost product that enables a wider variety of pointing and compassing scenarios from previous Honeywell designs.”

The HMC6343 operates from a 2.7 to 3.6 volt supply range that is ideal for battery portable products. The I2C digital data interface used allows for simple two-wire transfer of compass heading and tilt information.

Under typical conditions, the HMC6343 can produce better than +/-3 degree heading accuracy readings and +/- 1 degree accuracy pitch and roll angle readings. This integrated circuit combines 3-axis magnetoresistive sensors and 3-axis MEMS accelerometers with the required analog and digital support circuits, plus complete compassing

firmware for an electronic compass solution.

The HMC6343 Digital Compass Solution is an addition to Honeywell’s line of electronic compassing solutions and standard product offerings. The new product was developed at the Honeywell Aerospace Plymouth, Minnesota facility.

More information on Honeywell’s electronic compassing solutions along with other products in the Magnetic Sensor line is available at www.honeywell.com/magneticsensors or call 1-800-323-8295.