Magnetic position sensor for vehicle electrification

The new MLX90376 from Melexis is an absolute magnetic position sensor IC, handling 360° rotary automotive applications with strong stray field immunity (SFI). Its dual-stacked die PCB-less version is unique to the market. The device supports system integration up to ASIL D level functional safety, offering state-of-the-art sensing for steering and valve applications. The blend of robustness and performance it offers will be of value for vehicle electrification.

Based on proprietary technology, the MLX90376 belongs to the Triaxis high-end family. Especially designed for demanding steering wheel angle, throttle valve and thermal management valve applications, this IC has a unique combination of features. These include:

Option for dual stacked die in a PCB-less solution

ASIL C Safety Element out of Context (SEooC), supporting up to ASIL D system integration (ISO 26262)

SFI of up to 5mT (4000A/m) for 360° rotary applications (ISO 11452-8)

This position sensor can be housed in either SMP-4 PCB-less or surface-mount device (SMD) packaging. Use of the SMP-4 version makes mechanical integration easier, speeding up development and design. The dual stacked die is a major benefit versus off-axis tolerances, which is critical for applications such as electric power steering (EPS). The SMD versions are supplied in SOIC-8 (for single-die) and TSSOP-16 (for dual-die) package formats. The MLX90376 is ASIL compliant and has been developed as an ASIL C S SEooC as per ISO 26262. Specifying a dual-die MLX90376 provides redundancy for safety-critical applications, allowing the device to support system integration up to ASIL D. The MLX90376 IC exhibits SFI up to 5mT (4000A/m) for 360° rotary applications (ISO 11452-8). This mitigates the sources of electromagnetic noise regularly found within electric cars. 

The MLX90376 offers output options to suit various applications: Analogue, PWM, SENT, or the specific SENT Short PWM Code (SPC). The SPC protocol is SENT compatible with bi-directional commands via a bus interface. This modern protocol simplifies in-vehicle networking infrastructure (limiting wires to save cost and weight) and facilitates system architecture for safety concepts up to ASIL D. It typically benefits applications involving multiple critical valves. 

Support for high operating temperatures up to 160°C enables position sensing in extremely hot environments such as within engine compartments.

To ensure first-time-right electromagnetic compatibility testing, the MLX90376 requires only one test cycle. This shortens design times and lowers costs. It is similar to the performance of the established MLX9037x high-end family.