Melexis introduces linear Hall effect sensors with high linearity and low drift

     Melexis has announced the introduction of the ASIL compliant Hall Effect sensor IC MLX91377 for safety-critical automotive systems such as electric power steering (EPAS). High linearity and excellent thermal stability, including low offset and low sensitivity drift, at ambient temperatures up to 160 ° C, the MLX91377 enables accurate and reliable torque sensing in EPAS systems for safe control during both conventional and unmanned driving.

     The MLX91377 is developed as an Independent Safety Unit (SEooC) and is ISO 26262 compliant and AEC Q-100 level certified. The MLX91377 complies with the functional safety levels ASIL-C (digital output mode (SENT or SPC)) and ASIL-B (analog output mode), and each strip provides a high level of functional safety to detect internal faults and enter a safe state to prevent unexpected vehicle behavior. The TSOP-16 package extends this capability further by providing fully redundant dual bare metal to support safety-critical applications such as steering and braking systems.

     The MLX91377 features a 48-bit programmable identification number and offers dual bare chip full redundancy TSSOP-16 package. In addition to functional safety requirements, the MLX91377 meets the requirements of a range of automotive and industrial non-contact position sensor applications, including steering torque sensors, accelerator pedal, brake pedal or clutch pedal sensors, absolute linear position sensors, float level sensors, non-contact potentiometers, small Angle position sensors and small stroke position sensors.

     Programmable measurement ranges and multi-point calibration give engineers greater flexibility, and a variety of output protocols enable a single IC to be used for multiple applications, reducing duplicate certification efforts and development costs. The Short PWM Code (SPC) protocol allows measurement and transmission when a trigger pulse is detected. As a result, up to four MLX91377 sensor ics can be synchronized to up to 2 kHz for synchronous magnetic measurements with deterministic delay to ensure high accuracy. In addition, low noise and high refresh rates support high control loop speeds, enabling the system to achieve fast response times while minimizing filtering.