Coreless current sensor reduces size, weight and cost

Allegro MicroSystems has launched what is claimed to be the world’s first standalone Hall-based coreless current sensor, the ACS37612. This new device measures currents from 200A to >1000A flowing through a PCB or a busbar with a typical accuracy of 1% — and without needing a magnetic concentrator core or a shield. The differential Hall-elements employed to measure the magnetic field gives great immunity to stray magnetic fields with no requirement for a laminated shield needed by competing solutions, which decreases the design size and BOM.

The device is ideal for demanding electric vehicle applications, such as high voltage traction inverter phase current measurement, 48V starter generators, and battery disconnect.

“We created the ACS37612 in direct response to trends in the xEV market,” explains Georges El Bacha, product line manager at Allegro. “It is the first solution that provides a truly coreless method of accurately measuring hundreds of amps in a very small form factor, solving a key challenge for automotive engineers.”