Freescale just released a triple axis accelerometer, the MMA7260Q. It has a selectable g range from 1.5-6g and is in a QFN 16 package. Budget pricing is $5.67 / 1000
Here’s a link: http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/sit … act_Sheets
Yeah, that’s a pretty interesting design, especially since you can vary the sensitvity just via manipulating the IO on the fly. I don’t see any notes on calibration procedures, however, so you’d have to flip your design around a few ways to get the centers programmed accurately (no self calibration). It also has a 350 and 150Hz bandwidths. Good for some applications, but I can think of a few vibration tracking situations where the 2.5 to 6KHz max bandwidth of the various Analog parts would be better.
I ordered samples of the freescale triple axis on Saturday, got an e-mail this am that the samples are backordered and won’t ship 'till the end of July! Must not be very many around yet.
Another Paper Product Launch!
jrcfg:
I ordered samples of the freescale triple axis on Saturday, got an e-mail this am that the samples are backordered and won’t ship 'till the end of July! Must not be very many around yet.
Same happened with me. I also ordered the eval. kit and that is on back-order as well.
Leon
Bummer for you guys…I got my single chip sample via FedEx today, after ordering the day of the announcement. I’m waiting for my friend ‘the board guy’ to get me a PCB for it, and for the hot air station to get fixed at the office so I can solder it. More after it gets hooked up…
-dave
It looks like the backlogging is diminishing. I ordered a sample on 23 May and got a mail yesterday saying that its on its way.
It looks like the backlogging is diminishing…got a mail yesterday saying that its on its way.
Ditto 8)
leon_heller:
jrcfg:
I ordered samples of the freescale triple axis on Saturday, got an e-mail this am that the samples are backordered and won’t ship 'till the end of July! Must not be very many around yet.Same happened with me. I also ordered the eval. kit and that is on back-order as well.
Leon
I Just got my sample. I’ll be designing a PCB for it using an MSP430.
Leon
Sorry it took us so long!
The breakout board is here : http://www.sparkfun.com/shop/index.php? … itemid=439
Somebody went and bought up the entire stock (~850pcs) from Arrow a day before we could place our production order. We’re strapped to only 25pcs at the moment. Should have more in a week.
The SerAccel v5 is also almost finished. More details soon.
Oh, by the way - this is a really cool chip! I love it! This is going to simplify so many of our designs. And with selectable ranges and sleep mode, you can’t go wrong…
-Nathan
Sparky,
Are you going to offer a “bag 'o parts” without the accelerometer for those who already have samples?
Probably not. The leadless package is not condusive to any kind of soldering except with a stencil and reflow tools.
Besides, you’ll need the breakout board for tinkering, but you’ll need your sample for your custom PCB 
-Nathan
is it possible to level some solder on the pads and then reflow this chip with hot air?
Possible? Sure. Practical? I don’t know. This kind of package is usually built kinda like that in industrial processes, but the solder used, like Nathan said, is stenciled onto the board and has flux mixed in, where your pre-leveled solder would be lacking that flux, making the soldering process harder. 63/37 eutectic solder that’s been HASL’d over a tight soldermask might work if you flooded the area with a light flux beforehand, and then spent some time cleaning up when it was done. I wouldn’t try it if I only had one sample tho.
Lucky for me I have 3. 8)
-dave
If anyone has sensors for sale, we need em! Freescale just bumped the delivery date to August 1st with another bump possible because of ‘wafer fabrication problems’. That’s a big uh-oh.
We’re almost out of sensors. I knew I should have bought a bigger inital batch! But I thought the 800 would be around for atleast a couple days… Damn.
-Nathan
I have one 
Is it worth it to you to buy one?
Sorry Nathan, mine are already spoken for, including the one on the pre-assembled breakout board I ordered. One guy here at the office told me I’d better lock them up, 'cause he’d swipe one or two if I left them out!
I’ll see if I can’t talk to my friend at Freescale (from back when I worked for the big M) about helping you out. It’s not likely, but who knows.
-dave
Hello Guys
Do any of you have the MMA7260Q part as Eagle CAD library?
Thanks
Jay
I do, but it’s at home.
It only took me about 10 minutes to build the part. It might be a good learning experience if you haven’t built a library before. I love the editor, but end up creating a whole lot of parts for myself, due to the rather skimpy library support. It’s really quite easy, and a skill I strongly suggest for anyone using Eagle regularly.
-dave
Hello Dave
I usually create the parts myself when its not available, usually for the footprints I copy from standard library and just create the symbol. Even then I try to print the pads onto a paper and align it with the SMT component just to make sure it fits alright. With QFN, I dont think I can verify it this way. I am gonna attempt to make the pads and such, but I would appriciate if you could share yours so that I can fall back onto something working in case mine fails.
You could mail it to hc08jb8 at yahoo dot com
Thank you
Jay