New IC range for safe and stray field robust magnetic sensors

Melexis expands its innovative Triaxis magnetic sensing IC range with stacked dual-die variants of the MLX90425 and MLX90426. Featuring a 5mT SFI and 360° rotary detection of the magnet, these ICs support safety requirements for steering wheel and accelerator pedal position sensing, enabling a higher level of autonomous driving.

The push for higher vehicle autonomy creates a demand for increased electrification and 'by-wire' systems capable of replacing traditional mechanically linked systems. By-wire designs require reliable sensing with built-in redundancy, particularly for steering, throttle, and braking purposes. This redundancy is essential to ensure the functional safety and availability of these critical systems. Furthermore, for the expanding EV market, it is vital to have immunity to stray field effects to guarantee accurate measurements.

To support this push for increased autonomy, safety and electrification, the company has added two variants of its already successful 360° rotary stray field robust MLX90425 and MLX90426. These features include a novel dual-die design, which combines two ICs in a single TSSOP-16 (SMD) or SMP-4 (PCB-less) package. These innovations are ASIL C and enable up to ISO 26262 ASIL D system-level integration, ensuring the automotive sector's growing safety demands are met head-on. In comparison to a discrete dual solution, the devices provide improved integrations. Both ICs provide highly accurate operation and feature a 5mT stray field immunity, providing exceptional reliability and a tailored specification designed to contribute to creating cost-effective end solutions.

At the core of these ICs is the company's magnetic technology, capable of exceptionally robustly measuring the magnetic flux in a single IC. The products feature a programmable linear transfer characteristic with up to 17 points and a wide operating temperature of -40C to 160C, which is ideal for automotive applications. Where the devices differ is in their output protocol. The MLX90425 features an analogue ratiometric or PWM output, while the MLX90426 is equipped with a digital SENT output.

"With the introduction of these two new products, we are broadening our Triaxis range to ensure that we have a comprehensive selection of solutions that cater to the latest functional and cost requirements of our customers," said Lorenzo Lugani, product line director at Melexis. "These new dual-die variants support growing by-wire, autonomous and ADAS functionality in vehicles."