Micropower switch extends battery runtime for IoT

Melexis has announced the MLX92216 and MLX92217 ultra-low-power Hall effect switches. The one-microwatt power consumption and narrower tolerances lead to a predictable power budget, assisting in extending battery runtime. These magnetic devices detect open or closed positions, ideal for replacing traditional reed switches in IoT, industrial and white goods applications.

The growing demand for smart devices to be battery-powered and last as long as possible is a challenge for IoT. Therefore, ultra-low-power, reliable and accurate components are paramount to the continued development of embedded and connected devices.

Its microwatt switches address this requirement head-on. The three-wire monolithic magnetic switches provide industry-leading accuracy, consistency and reliability throughout the application's lifetime. Unipolar, omnipolar and latch variants are available, making the device suitable for applications such as lid close/open detection, wearables, industrial machines, appliances, tablet cases, valves, energy and flow meters while replacing traditional proximity and reed switches.

The devices feature state-of-the-art power design, with an integrated logic for automatic sleep/awake sequencing enabling 0.9μA average current consumption with no action necessary from the user (depending on the model variant). Next, the MLX92217 has an 'Enable' pin that lets users activate or deactivate the automatic sleep logic, driving the standby current consumption down to 200nA while still ready to be woken up by the system. Paired with industry-leading min/max tolerance variation (<50%), these devices supply a stable power budget and longevity you can rely on (i.e. with peak current consumptions of less than 1.5μA).

The devices provide a wide choice of magnetic thresholds and options such as update rates or operating voltage range (1.6V to 5.5V). The switch ICs are available in two small packages: UTDFN-4L and TSOT-3L. The devices are suitable for ambient temperatures from -40C to 85C.

"With the MLX92216 and MLX92217, we have created a one-microwatt switch which is more reliable than the market's existing offerings," states Minko Daskalov, product manager Latch and Switch at Melexis. "It is the ideal go-to switch solution for industry 4.0 applications."