3D position Hall sensor equipped with an SPI interface and active stray-field compensation

TDK Corporation has expanded its Micronas position sensor portfolio with a new member of the masterHAL sensor family HAL 39xy. The new HAL 3900 offers real 3D magnetic-field measurement capability and 2D stray-field robust position detection. Measurement data is provided via a high-speed SPI interface. The sensors satisfy today's and tomorrow's automotive and industrial market demands and provide four different measurement modes in a single device: Linear position detection, rotary 360-degree angle detection and rotary 180-degree angle detection with stray field compensation including gradient fields as well as the capability for real 3D magnetic field measurement (BX, BY, BZ).

The heart of the sensor is the patented 3D HAL pixel cell technology. It not only assists in measuring magnetic fields very accurately, but also facilitates the measurement of all three magnetic-field components at one single spot. By measuring the BX, BY and BZ components, the sensor can detect the direction of the magnetic field. At the same time, the unique concept of an array of Hall plates provides a 2D stray-field compensation. This highly flexible sensor array of the device assists design engineers to select the most suitable operation mode for any particular measurement task. The device is the only solution obtainable on the market that combines all four modes in a single device.

The combination of SPI interface and the 3D ability makes the device an excellent solution for applications like gear shifters or steering column switches. The unique stray-field concept makes the sensor fit for applications needing a stray-field robust off-axis measurement. The angular error due to stray fields can be reduced to less than 0.3-degree in the presence of a stray field of 4000A/m. The device also offers a sleep mode helping customers to decrease the average current consumption that is increasingly important for electric cars. The device is developed as an ASIL B ready SEooC (Safety Element out of Context) according to ISO 26262.