Analysts at IHS have confirmed that Atmel was the number one supplier of sensor hubs in 2013 – clinching an impressive 32 percent of total industry shipments.
In 2014, worldwide shipments of sensor hubs are expected to reach a projected 658.4 million units, up 154 percent from 259.6 million units last year.
As senior IHS analyst Marwan Boustany notes, the market has been “on a tear” since 2011, when shipments first started from a low initial base.
Indeed, the 2012 growth rate exceeded a staggering 2,000 percent, with the market pegged to increase 1,300 percent to shipments of 1.3 billion units by 2017.
“The centralized processing in a sensor hub is typically achieved via three different approaches, each with its own advantages along with specific tradeoffs in cost or performance,” Boustany explained.
“One approach employs an external hub, typically a dedicated microcontroller (MCU), as offered by the likes of chip makers such as Atmel.”
According to senior IHS analyst Tom Hackenberg, the MCU approach will be the best-performing, most flexible solution for high-end handsets and tablets for several development generations to come.
“In whatever format, low-power sensor hubs are absolutely critical to supporting the expansion of sensors and other low-power capabilities in mobile and other applications, such as wearable electronics,” Hackenberg added.
Atmel | Bits & Pieces 