High precision coreless current sensor for automotive applications

Infineon Technologies AG has launched its first automotive current sensor: the new XENSIV TLE4972. The coreless current sensor employs the company's Hall technology for precise and stable current measurements. With its compact design and diagnosis modes, it is ideal for xEV applications such as traction inverters employed in hybrid and battery-driven vehicles, as well as for battery main switches.

Due to proprietary temperature and stress compensation, it provides state-of-the-art sensing with no negative effects created by magnetic cores. Due to its differential sensing structure, neither core nor shield is needed to protect the sensor against stray fields. The integrated EEPROM enables users to customise the sensor for various applications and supports measurement ranges up to 2kA.

To preserve the system, the sensor has two separate output pins for overcurrent detection with a typical response time of lower than 1µs. Customers may program the sensitivity and the overcurrent limits and adapt the sensor to the system demands. In addition, the drift of sensitivity and offset over temperature is below 1.6%.

The sensor produces very low-power losses due to the magnetic sensing principle. Consequently, it can be employed as a versatile and redundant solution in 400V or 800V battery main switches. The small PG-VSON-6 package facilitates a compact design, making the device excellent for traction inverters. Moreover, a second product variant in a PG-TDSO-16 is available. Both devices have been developed according to ISO 26262 as Safety Element out of Context for safety requirements up to ASIL B.