Recent advances in micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) sensor technology and manufacturing have enabled high-performance, small, low-cost sensors. These attributes encourage integration into handheld devices, including smart phones and tablets. Features such as interrupts and first-in/first-out (FIFO) functions have been integrated into MEMS sensors. The new trend is to integrate multiple sensors and a microcontroller in a tiny single package with embedded algorithms. Some of the smart features built into digital MEMS inertial sensors available on the market today are explained here, with an overview of future trends of sensor integration.
