Allegro Microsystems has introduced new magnetic sensing products covering a range of applications for design engineers. New inductive position sensors and a series of micropower magnetic switches and latches were introduced by Allegro at Electronica 2024 held in November in Munich. In September, it launched two new current sensors utilizing its recently acquired XtremeSense tunnel magneto resistance (TMR) technology –representing the first TMR products launched since the company’s acquisition of Crocus Technologies.
Two inductive position sensors push the boundaries of position sensing, offering a compact and economical alternative to traditional resolvers and encoders used for motor position sensing. The A17802 and A17803 high-resolution sensors with integrated diagnostics perform consistently across a wide temperature range, making them ideal for traction motors in electric vehicles and servo motors in industrial automation and robotics.
The new micropower magnetic switches and latches can accomplish position sensing with higher sensitivity options for enhanced air gap tolerance, and ultra-low power consumption using 50% less power than the company’s existing micropower products. They particularly address challenging battery-powered applications in medical, consumer and industrial markets.
“We are excited to announce our latest inductive position sensors as we continue to drive innovation in sensing technology,” said Ram Sathappan, Sr. Director, Global Marketing & Applications at Allegro. “Our inductive sensors deliver high accuracy, advanced diagnostics and connectivity options essential for safety-critical traction motors in electric vehicles, while the magnetic switches and latches enable designers to achieve reliable and energy-efficient position sensing in a variety of applications.”
The inductive position sensors are designed to optimize precise contactless angle and motor position sensing. They enable dynamic speed and torque control for smoother motion and can accommodate a wide temperature range.
Design flexibility is a key feature of the magnetic switches and latches. There is a wide offering of magnetic sensitivity options ranging from stray field rejection to high sensitivity low magnetic field use cases. The greater magnetic sensitivity options compensate for mechanical misalignments and variations in magnetic field strength allowing for wider airgap variation and total cost savings
Two new Xtreme TMR sensors can streamline high power density designs, provide space and cost savings while improving energy efficiency. The CT455 and CT456 feature high-bandwidth and low noise that enable precise current measurements for AI data center and automotive powertrain applications.
Today’s prevalent market applications use current sensor modules that can be bulky, intrusive and inefficient, often lacking the accuracy and resolution that design engineers desire, and prone to potential system failures, says Allegro. The issues can create major design complexities for engineers, leading to increased cost and longer production time.
By providing superior magnetic sensitivity, low power consumption and a compact size, the new sensos address many of the challenges engineers face. The CT455 sensor supports two standard field ranges, allowing it to sense and translate magnetic fields into a linear analog output voltage, while the CT456 supports a preprogrammed 6 mT field range. They are designed to enable smaller, more efficient, high-accuracy current measurements on PCB or busbar applications from 80 A up to above 800 A, depending on the configuration, with the best performance advantages in the 80-200 A range.
“The release of the CT455 and CT456 sensors marks an important milestone for Allegro as the first TMR products launched since the acquisition of Crocus,” said Sathappan. “Our newest current sensors utilizing Allegro’s XtremeSense TMR technology represent a huge leap forward for high bandwidth current sensing and monitoring, reinforcing our ongoing commitment towards driving broader adoption of TMR technology. As a smaller, more efficient solution, our new TMR current sensors provide significant benefits over existing market solutions and technologies that our customers have been looking for.”
They offer a contactless, non-intrusive solution that delivers 1 MHz bandwidth and a 300 ns response time to enable faster power conversion, important features for design engineers seeking to maximize power while minimizing footprint. A preset magnetic field range of ±6 mT supports high current measurements. For more info, see www.allegromicro.com.
