This Compass Module made exclusively by Parallax is a dual-axis magnetic field sensor built around the Hitachi HM55B IC. Parallax has made this compass IC accessible by providing Hitachi’s surface mount sensor chip with a 3 V onboard voltage regulator and resistor protection, all in a 0.3 inch wide 6-pin DIP module. Acquiring measurements from the module is made easy with a synchronous serial interface, and even easier with the BASIC Stamp 2 commands SHIFTIN and SHIFTOUT.
Features of the Hitachi HM55B Compass Module include:
• Sensitive to microtesla (μT) variations in magnetic field strength
• Simplifies direction by resolving magnetic field measurements into two components axes
• 6-bit (64-direction) resolution after calibration
• Only 30 to 40 ms between start measurement and data-ready with simple synchronous serial interface
• Built-in resistor protection for data pins eliminates bus conflict risks
• Compact and breadboard-friendly 0.3 inch, 6-pin DIP package
• Compatible with all Parallax microcontrollers
• 3.3 or 5 V operation
• Operating temperature range: 32 to 158 ºF (0 to 70 ºC)
