Allegro MicroSystems Launches Innovative New Position Sensors for ADAS Applications

     Allegro introduced magnetic position sensors A33110 and A33115. These two latest sensors are specially designed for Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) applications that require high-precision and heterogeneous signal redundancy. They integrate Allegro's vertical Hall technology (VHT) and leading tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) technology into a sensor package. These groundbreaking angle sensors are the first to realize the combination of VHT+TMR technologies in a single package among similar products. They are excellent heterogeneous redundant sensor solutions, and have taken an important step towards achieving the reliability required for advanced automatic driving of vehicles.

     Scott Milne, Director of Allegro's Position Sensor Business Unit, said: "As the automobile industry is getting closer to the realization of fully automatic driving, automobile manufacturers and first tier suppliers are looking for position sensors that can provide the highest accuracy and security, while reducing the space and cost of the system. By integrating vertical Hall elements and TMR elements in one package, Allegro's new sensors can provide high-resolution, heterogeneous redundancy and integrated diagnostic functions, which can fully satisfy customers The above market demand. The A33110 and A33115 have unique advantages among similar products in the market. We believe that these products can change the game rules of the industry. "

     Future vehicle automation and autonomous vehicle need advanced electric power steering (EPS) systems with precise motor control functions, as well as wire controlled braking or electromechanical braking systems that can respond quickly. Today's such systems usually use giant magnetoresistance (GMR) or Hall effect sensors. Compared with GMR and other similar products, Allegro's innovative silicon tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR on silicon) technology can provide higher resolution and accuracy, while the sensitivity is increased by eight times. Compared with traditional Hall effect sensors, this new technology has more obvious improvement in resolution.

     The safe operation of vehicle requires its safety critical system to have the highest level of diagnostic coverage. The A33110 and A33115 devices use Allegro's latest VHT technology to achieve accurate safety inspection, including low magnetic field and magnet loss detection. These high-resolution sensors comply with ASIL D standard and have heterogeneous redundancy. By taking full advantage of TMR technology and VHT, the possibility of related failures can be reduced.

     A33110 and A33115 provide magnetic angle sensing through primary (TMR) and secondary (vertical Hall) sensing elements. Each sensing element includes two independent processing channels, and each channel has an independent regulator and temperature sensor. This unique configuration can achieve the high level of safety and diagnostic coverage required by autopilot, including angle comparison between on-chip channels and independent processing in digital signal path, without sharing digital resources. The advanced algorithms integrated in the A33110 and A33115 provide fast response time, independent gain/offset correction, angle calculation and linearization functions required for safety critical ADAS applications. The A33115 also includes a 90 degree incremental tracking motion revolution counter and a user programmable duty cycle low power consumption mode to reduce power consumption when the IC is in the off position.

     Allegro ships more than 200 million semiconductor devices to ADAS applications every year, serving a diversified customer base around the world. The A33110 and A33115 are the latest devices in Allegro's innovative product portfolio for ADAS applications, developed through close cooperation with key market leading OEMs and first-class customers.