Integrated Current Sensors

Blog

Beyond the Datasheet: Mastering Current Sensing Selection​ New

Master current sensor selection with expert guidance on technology trade-offs to design safer, more efficient, dependable solutions.

Application Note

Benefits of Dynamic Threshold Feature in ATS16351, GMR Back-Biased Speed Sensor IC

AN296257 - The Allegro ATS16351PSM [1] is a True-Power-On-State (TPOS) sensor providing the speed and position of a rotational ferromagnetic target.

Technical Article

Breaking the Density Barrier: A Technical Deep Dive into Simplified SiC Gate Drive

Learn how Power-Thru™ isolated SiC gate drivers eliminate the need for bulky external bias supplies, drastically reducing BOM count and PCB size by up to 50%. Solve EMI and power density challenges in your next high-voltage design.

Technical Article

New 400 kHz Current Sensors Enable More Sustainable Designs in Switch-Mode Power Designs

Really Cool. Really Efficient. New 400 kHz current sensors enable more sustainable designs in switch-mode power designs.

Technical Article

Solar Energy Systems – New Market Trends in Current Sensing

P0103 - As solar installations grow larger and more ambitious by the day, new trends in current sensing are emerging for this expanding energy market.

Application Note

An Effective Method for Characterizing System Bandwidth in Complex Current Sensor Applications

This application note describes multiple methods for measuring and characterizing system bandwidth, with a focus on the impulse response method. Allegro’s ACS720 is the perfect device to validate the test methods outlined here.

Application Note

Achieving Closed-Loop Accuracy in Open-Loop Current Sensors

Closed-loop current sensing technology is employed in many industrial and automotive applications for accurate current sensing. Allegro MicroSystems has developed magnetic-based current sensor IC solutions that achieve near closed-loop accuracy using an open-loop topology.

Technical Article

Magnetic Current Sensing Drives Vehicle Electrification

Modern cars have become increasingly power hungry. Even the “least electrified” vehicles include advanced electronics for infotainment, safety, and engine control. Fully electric vehicles further add high-voltage power domains to charge and drive. Each of these systems shares the need for power monitoring and control, and this is where current sensors are used.

Application Note

New Approaches to High-Efficiency Current Sensing: Integrated Hall Sensor ICs Save Power and Space

AN296100: Allegro current sensor ICs allow design engineers to use Hall-effect based current sensor ICs in new applications where increased energy efficiency or new operating features are required. Wherever current sensing is needed, an integrated Hall-effect IC can provide a solution.

Application Note

Differential Hall-Effect Sensors: Safer and More Reliable for Two-Wheelers of the Future

AN296173 - The use of electronic controls for engine, transmission, and wheel speed in two- and three-wheeled vehicles is growing, particularly in developing nations. This trend is largely driven by mandates to improve air quality, fuel efficiency, and vehicle safety worldwide.

Whitepaper

Whitepaper: Allegro ICs Based on Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR)

This whitepaper provides a basic understanding of the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect and how Allegro uses this technology in market-leading ICs to meet today’s application requirements.

Application Note

Increased Electric Motor Content in HEV Subsystems Require Current Sensing

To control the drive train in HEV and full EV vehicles, it is well-known that current sensing is required particularly in starter generator and main electric drive motor generator applications.

Application Note

Improving Efficiency in Smart Grid Applications With Fully Integrated Current Sensing ICs

With increasing concerns about the global demand for energy and environmental awareness, power electronics applications are under pressure to improve efficiency.

Technical Article

Hall Effect Current Sensing in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Applications 

This note provides an understanding of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) power systems and the contribution Hall-effect sensing technology can provide to improving the performance and cost-effectiveness of these systems.

Application Note

DC and Transient Current Capability/Fuse Characteristics of Surface Mount Current Sensor ICs

AN269122 - Allegro Microsystems offers a broad product family of current sensor IC solutions with integrated conductors. For applications with normal operating currents up to 50 A, Allegro offers current sensor ICs in a number of standard surface-mount packages, such as SOIC-8, SOICW-16, QSOP-24, and QFN1.

Application Note

Common Mode Field Rejection in Coreless Hall-Effect Current Sensor ICs

Allegro current sensor ICs use the Hall-effect to measure the magnetic field produced by an integrated, current-carrying loop, translating the magnetic field to a voltage which is proportional to the current flow.

Application Note

Techniques to Minimize Common-Mode Field Interference When Using Allegro Current Sensor ICs (ACS724 and ACS780)

This application note will discuss the mechanism of CMR and focus on how to best use this mechanism through optimized circuit board design and layout for sensors that need an external magnetic core, sensors that have a core built into the package, and sensors that have an integrated current-carrying loop but no core.

Application Note

Shifting the Offset Voltage of Current Sensors

Most of the Allegro™ unidirectional current sensor ICs are trimmed such that the zero ampere output is at 0.1 × VCC . The advantage of having the output voltage at 0.1 × VCC  is that the output can swing slightly lower than this value before saturating.

Application Note

Recent Trends in Hall-Effect Current Sensing

This paper presents recent advances in integrated Hall-effect–based current sensor ICs. It covers the various packaging concepts for integrating the primary current path into the system, the major improvements in IC parameters.

Application Note

Differential Current Sensing with the 1 MHz Bandwidth ACS733

AN296154 - This application note describes the use of the new highly isolated, high bandwidth ACS733 Hall-effect current sensor integrated circuit (IC) from Allegro MicroSystems and gives an overview of its features and advantages over a highspeed current transformer (CT) current sensing solution.

Application Note

Allegro MicroSystems - Managing External Magnetic Field Interference When Using ACS71x Current Sensor ICs

The highly compact Hall effect current sensor ICs without concentrators that are now available make it possible to enhance performance of small-current differentiation by simple layout steps and shielding the device from extraneous magnetic flux along its primary sensing axis.

Application Note

A Micro-Packaged Linear Current Sensor IC

Traditionally, current sensing has been accomplished with sense resistors or current transformers that can take up a large PCB area. Sense resistor values from 10 to 50 mΩ can burn a significant amount of power at higher currents.

Application Note

Improved Performance and Features of Allegro’s Next Generation, High Power Density CB Package Current Sensors

This application note will describe the use of the new high current ACS772 Hall-effect current sensor integrated circuit (IC) from Allegro MicroSystems and will give an overview of its features and improvements from previous Allegro high-current sensors.

Technical Article

Current Sensing For Renewable Energy

In grid-tied photovoltaic systems, designers must focus on minimizing cost per watt to deliver the best possible return on investment.

Application Note

Hall Effect Current Sensing in Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

Improved energy efficiency in HEVs and EVs can be attained by using electrically-driven actuators instead of belt-driven and hydraulic actuators. For instance, in traditional internal combustion engines a fan belt drives the cooling fan, which operates continuously while the engine is running.

Application Note

Using Allegro Current Sensor ICs in Current Divider Configurations for Extended Measurement Range

This application note describes simple methods for increasing the measurable current range. These methods involve splitting the path of the current being sensed. Various options of devices and circuits are described.

Brochure

Brochure: Solar Energy Harvesting

Allegro’s current sensor ICs are ideal for use with solar applications, which include electronic subsystems like solar combiner boxes, DC/DC converters for maximum power point tracking (MPPT), and DC-AC inverters.

Application Note

Convenient and Isolated Power Measurements via SPI or I2C using ACS71020 or ACS37800 Power Monitoring ICs

AN296180 - This application note describes the I2C and SPI interfaces on the ACS71020/ACS37800 Power Monitoring ICs from Allegro MicroSystems.

Application Note

Method for Mechanical Mounting Tolerance Compensation on Allegro Speed Sensors

AN296175 - Accuracy requirements for absolute mechanical edge detection on cam sensors and more generally on engine management speed sensors have noticeably increased with the need for power optimization and emissions control in car engines being sold today.

Brochure

Brochure: Innovative Current Sensor ICs

Allegro MicroSystems has been driving innovation in the current sensor industry for more than 17 years, with a history of first-to-market products that give our customers a competitive edge. Our advanced ICs help you achieve higher efficiency and power density in your designs.