Melexis introduces third-generation Triaxis Hall position sensors for automotive applications

     Melexis announced the MLX90373, a new member of the Triaxis family of rotating and linear Hall effect position sensors, which is also the first Triaxis Angle sensor to support the PSI5 interface. PSI5(Peripheral Sensor Interface 5-www.psi5.org) is an open standard based on technology used in millions of airbags. This highly responsive technology achieves a data bit rate of 125kbit/s via unshielded twisted pair and is suitable for a wide range of automotive sensing applications related to safety and comfort, such as steering wheel and chassis ride height measurement. The 2-wire system is easier to deploy and less costly than other forms of serial interfaces that require 3-wire or 4-wire wiring.

     The Triaxis Hall Effect sensor MLX90373 features a rugged design solution that provides rotary and linear position sensing to simplify manufacturers' magnetic circuit designs. The product's design incorporates a wider range of applicable ambient temperatures (-40°C - +125°C), on-chip diagnostics and external sensor gateway inputs to bring all the benefits of the PSI5 interface, including the flexibility of four available time slots and support for adding additional external sensor data to the payload.

     Nick Czarnecki, global Marketing Manager for Position and Speed Sensors at Melexis, said: "The MLX90373 is a major step forward for the third generation of the Triaxis® family, bringing all the benefits of our industry-leading 3D sensing technology into a new implementation paradigm that will help more automakers reduce implementation costs and deliver benefits to end customers."

     Like all Triaxis sensors, the MLX90373 supports PCB-free installation, providing excellent EMC performance. The product also complies with ISO 26262 ASIL C (SEOoC) and is available in a fully redundant dual bare chip TSSOP-16 package. The user can select the PSI5 interface option, meaning that the Triaxis range of rotary and linear Hall effect sensors now includes PSI5, PWM, Analog and SENT interfaces.

     The third generation of Melexis Triaxis technology combines the latest industry standard interfaces with high integration and further optimised performance to provide the flexibility and robustness required by automotive manufacturers to bring the latest safety and comfort features to consumers.