austriamicrosystems' EasyPoint™ mini joystick module is on Google's new Android Accessory Development Kit reference design

Unterpremstaetten, Austria (July 7, 2011) – austriamicrosystems (SIX: AMS), a leading global designer and manufacturer of high-performance analog ICs, has announced that its EasyPoint™ mini joystick module has been selected by Google for their new Android Open Accessory Development Kit (ADK) (http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/usb/adk.html). The new reference design platform uses the N50P111 EasyPoint™ joystick module with the AS5013 linear Hall sensor IC to support a new user interface for developers.

Google’s new Android Open Accessory Development Kit is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for developers, engineers, designers, hobbyists, artists and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments. The Arduino board using the EasyPoint™ module operates with the Android OS (2.3.4 or later) and allows you to interact with your Android Phone -- or any other Android-based device -- and the entire environment. It controls Servos and LEDs and can fetch information from various sensors or Human Machine Interfaces (HMI). austriamicrosystems’ EasyPoint™ module was selected and designed in as one of the main HMI devices on an Arduino accessory board of the official Google Android Open Accessory Development Kit. EasyPoint™ replaces older, less reliable HMIs such as analog sticks and circle pads.

An open system such as Android is very attractive to developers. There are no NDAs, no fees, no approval process, and it is completely open for fast and easy development. According to ABI Research, a total of 302 million smartphones were shipped in 2010, representing a 71 % growth over 2009′s shipment levels. ABI also said that of all platforms, Android will be the biggest winner of the smartphone race, growing from 69 million smartphones shipped last year to a prime position in 2016 when it is set to capture 45 % of the market.

“Our EasyPoint™ module is based on our unique AS5013 magnetic encoder IC and provides a robust and accurate user interface for a variety of position sensing applications,” stated Alfred Binder, Marketing Manager for HMI at austriamicrosystems. He continued, “Being designed in as the key user interface on the Google Android Open Accessory Development Kit compatible board will speed development time for designers and proliferate our success in the Android space.”

EasyPoint™ boasts low power consumption, perfect for battery driven portable devices, but also offers many other features that simplify and speed design time. Such features include: full 360 degree navigation; low power mode, down to 3 µA; I2C interface; progressive speed control, and highly reliable contactless sensing (>1 million Cycles). These features and capabilities make EasyPoint™ very well suited for gaming phones, remote controls, gaming consoles, keyboards (additional mouse control on keyboards), and MIDs (Multimedia Internet Devices).

Find pictures of Google's Arduino-based ADK hands-on with austriamicrosystems EasyPoint™ module at http://www.engadget.com/photos/googles-arduino-based-adk-hands-on-at-google-i-o-2011/#4124112 .

About EasyPoint™:

The AS5013 linear Hall sensor is a contactless magnetic encoder IC that monitors the displacement of a magnet incorporated in a knob relative to its center position and provides x and y position information via an I²C interface. austriamicrosystems’ AS5013 Hall sensor IC is used in the EasyPoint™ mini joystick module, which consists of a mechanical stack incorporating a navigation knob, a magnet and the AS5013 magnetic encoder IC. Its simple construction and contactless sensing technology give the module very high reliability and is designed for any kind of 360° navigation input device.

Price and availability:

The AS5013 Hall sensor is available now and is priced at $2.92 in 1000 piece quantities. The EasyPoint™ mini joystick module is available in many types with pricing starting at $4.58 in 1000s. For more information or to order, please visit http://www.ams.com/EasyPoint .

Technical Support:

Learn more about the AS5013 Hall sensor IC at www.ams.com/AS5013/Hall-sensor-IC

Take advantage of the EasyPoint™ blog which provides insights on using module solutions for miniature human interface applications and visit http://blog.easypoint.com/