Inertial Combo Sensors for Consumer & Automotive Market Report to 2016

IN 2016, 40% OF THE VALUE OF CONSUMER MARKET WILL COME FROM COMBOS IN 2016. The inertial sensor market for consumer and automotive will see healthy 15% growth this year to surpass $2.6 billion, thanks to the increasing penetration of more motion sensing into more mobile devices, and more automotive safety systems in more cars across the globe. Though unit growth will continue at double digit rates, maturing markets and continued price erosion means sales revenues from discrete inertial sensors will level off and start to decline over the next several years. Growth will then come largely from combination sensors, which we project will jump from very tiny volumes currently to penetrate some 40% of the $2.7 billion consumer inertial market and more than 12% of the $1.1 billion automotive inertial market by 2016. This report is focused on the analysis of the opportunities and the challenges for inertial combo sensors in those high-volume market areas.

One clear motivation for combo sensors is the possibility to reduce both cost and footprint by combining the two sensors into one package with a single ASIC. However this cost benefit is not yet obvious with the dynamism of the evolution of each individual sensor. Such benefit will be very application dependent. Lower cost units combining multiple MEMS sensors are poised for healthy growth, starting with ESCs, bringing opportunity for new players and demands for sensor management solutions. This trend is showing up first in the more mature automotive MEMS sector, where the price of the sensor unit for the electronic stability control system (ESC) can now be significantly reduced, by combining the accelerometer and the gyroscope in one package with one ASIC. Adoption is a little slower on the consumer side, where the fast changing technology means discrete device prices are still falling rapidly, so products from even six months before have less of a cost advantage. But the consumer market’s fast model turnover and short replacement cycles means that once the economics become compelling and adoption starts in 2012 – 2013, market penetration will be faster and deeper than on the automotive side.

We expect big changes as well in the supply chain, as prices will continue to drop, and a host of players along the complex new value chain all scramble to figure out how best to compete and cooperate for the much bigger business of integrating the silicon sensors into useful functions. Despite the complexities of designing and fabricating MEMS devices, most of the value in these functions is not actually in the fabrication of the MEMS die. ASIC, packaging, test & calibration and software production costs make up a significant part of the cost, and this will gain importance with the trend for multi-sensor packages.

The second key motivation from combo sensors relies on sensor fusion. New functionality can now be offered using multiple sensing elements. We see a strong evolution from sensors to solutions. This is an opportunity for players in the MEMS industry to compensate for the drastic decrease in price by selling high value solutions that include more software content. Who will capture the added value of these smart sensor systems? There is likely room for multiple alternatives, with the sensor makers supplying the algorithms to combine and cross-calibrate the sensor data and do some standard applications, while the software and chipset makers supply the higher level, specialty functions. Combo sensors require more complex software for the sensor fusion calculations, and those will likely need to be done on an MCU, not just the usual ASIC. This is driving changes in the supply chain, as makers of microcontrollers, software, and subsystems start to take over more of the sensor management.

MEMS accelerometers, MEMS gyroscopes, Magnetometers
Worldwide market metrics:
- 2009 – 2016 market ($M, M units, ASP)
2010 market shares, 2011 trends
12+ key groups of application for motion sensors are described in consumer: Mobile phones, Gaming, Personal Media Players, Mobile Internet Devices (Tablets & E-books), TV remote controls, Cameras, Camcorders, Laptop – HDD, PC Peripherals , Sport, Handheld GPS, Others (Toys, Model helicopter…)
6+ key groups of application for motion sensors are described in automotive: ESC, Airbag, Rollover, Navigation, TPMS, Active suspension…
Market dynamics, Technical trends, Key players, Market forecasts for each application
150+ companies included in the report
Report is a 290 slides PowerPoint presentation
Detailed Excel datasheet included

To provide a complete overview of the market data for consumer and automotive motion sensors: key market metrics & dynamics:
- Unit shipments and revenues by type of sensor
- Average selling price analysis and expected evolution
- Market shares with detailed breakdown for each player and major OEM contracts
To provide an analysis on the potential for combo sensors for each category of application:
- Functions that are used, new features and specification requirements linked to combo sensors
- Which driver for combo sensors, when will it start?
- Penetration of combos and market forecasts for each type of use
To provide a deep analysis on the challenges and opportunities for combo sensors in consumer electronics and in automotive:
- Description of the different types of combo sensors
- Motivation for sensor fusion: from a sensor to a solution. Key software providers
- Different levels of processing and strategies for integration in the system (MCU…)
- Insight about future technology trends & manufacturing challenges linked to the emergence of combos: evolution of front-end MEMS manufacturing, new packaging technologies …
To provide a clear understanding of motion sensor value chain, infrastructure & players for consumer and automotive business:
- Exhaustive list of players for each device under consideration, status of development
- Analysis on the new players and potential new entrants with MEMS technology
- Analysis on the position and strategy of the main players related to combo sensors (16 key players: ST, InvenSense, Bosch, VTI…) according to 7 criteria
- Description of the value chain, evolution of the value for each step: design, front-end, assembly, test, software impact of the technical evolutions

Introduction, Definitions & Methodology
Executive Summary
2009-2016 combo market overview
2009-2016 global market for accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers

Penetration of combo sensors: 2009-2016 market forecasts Competitive landscape