Flexible multi-hall-array sensor for high-precision current sensing

TDK Corporation has expanded its Micronas Hall-effect sensor portfolio with the CUR 4000 sensor. The sensor, created for highly accurate current measurements in automotive and industrial applications, provides non-intrusive, galvanic isolated contactless current sensing. These features will add to the future of high-voltage systems of hybrid and electric vehicles (xEV). The product is ideal for DC and AC measurements and overcurrent detection in high-power battery monitoring applications and is able to measure dynamic current ranges up to ≥2000A. For these type of measurement tasks, the sensor has different configurable modes for linear core-based and differential coreless application setups.

In the linear modes of the device, a configurable array of Hall elements facilitates highly accurate measurements for core-based stray-field robust sensor-module designs. The differential mode allows minimal coreless and stray-field robust system designs with no shields. Read-out of the complete Hall array offers an output-offset temperature-drift below ±0.05% full scale. Moreover, the sensor provides a hysteresis-free output signal. A non-linearity error of ±0.2% and a noise performance of ±0.005% full scale enables precise current measurements with a signal bandwidth of up to 8kHz.

The company used proven Hall sensor technology to structure the device. Primary characteristics, such as temperature-dependent gain and offset, can be altered to the magnetic circuitry by programming the non-volatile memory. It is defined as SEooC ASIL-B ready, according to ISO 26262, with many onboard diagnostic functions, which creates a basis for current sensor modules with a higher ASIL level utilising redundancy techniques or a combination with other current sensing technologies.

The sensor is offered in a small eight-pin SOIC8 SMD package for less complex assembly than through-hole packages.