Integrated current sensor with Sigma Delta bitstream output

LEM announces the HMSR DA, the first Integrated Current Sensor to offer a Sigma Delta bitstream output.

Proof that as a specialist in solutions for measuring electrical parameters LEM is a global leader in current sensors technology, the HMSR DA provides significant benefits when used in applications that are prone to noise, distortion and interference. LEM’s new product has been designed to provide a solution to industries requiring clean signals and facing significant problems in case of vibrations, electric noise and electromagnetic noise, for example.

Specific advantages of an Integrated Current Sensor with digital output include superior signal share and reduced noise as well as lower cost and a smaller mechanical footprint. HMSR DA will replace much more complex and costly alternative systems that would traditionally include a shunt resistor, a digital insulator and a power supply circuit. Having all these features incorporated into a single unit makes the HMSR DA a far more attractive option for applications where space is at a premium and minimal cost is essential.

Typical applications for the digital output unit include standalone servo drives, robotics, sewing machines, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), CNC machine tools and a range of other applications that demand high resolution output. The new HMSR DA sensor, which offers resolution of 11 to 13 bits and features a 10MHz clock, is LEM’s first step toward building a digital Integrated Current Sensor roadmap. The forward-thinking company is already working on the next generation of digital Integrated Circuit Sensors which will offer a resolution of 14 to 16 bits and a clock operating above 20MHz.

Analogue versions of LEM’s HMSR range of high insulated Integrated Current Sensors have been in use for many years and have offered power electronics engineers a host of advantages that the new digital model builds on. These include the availability of a small and compact current sensor, strong immunity to stray fields, reinforced isolation and a 300kHz bandwidth. The HMSR family provides a robust, compact and very accurate solution for measuring DC and AC currents in highly demanding switching power applications for the commercial and industrial sectors.