Magnetic gear tooth sensor IC designed for traction motors

Features include:

• High speed switching up to 40kHz (30k RPM operation).
• Advanced algorithms to suppress undesired output pulses at startup and running mode.
• Patented integrated magnet package reduces design complexity and enables smaller motors.
• Operating temperature up to 160°C.
• ASIL-B compliance (pending assessment).

Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly prevalent as original equipment manufacturers OEMs are required to comply with air quality, fuel efficiency, and vehicle safety standards. With the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle market forecasted to explode within the next few years, the use of traction motors to address these requirements presents new challenges to engineers designing electric motor control systems. The ATS17501 is at the forefront of addressing these challenges.

The ATS17501 provides high speed switching up to 40kHz. The device directly measures rotating ferrous gears up to 30k RPM and provides an incremental encoded output with speed and direction information on a dual channel interface.

The ATS17501 incorporates the most advanced digital signal processing for vibration robustness and is built on Allegro’s SolidSpeed Digital Architecture to provide electric motor commutation information. The ATS17501 also offers highly adaptive performance that performs through environmental and mechanical shifts and perturbations.

“The digital architecture is flexible, intelligent and provides high-resolution quadrature speed outputs with the stray field immunity provided by differential hall sensing architectures,” said Karl Scheller, Design Director for Allegro Speed Sensors.

The over molded four-pin SIP SG package fully integrates a magnet to optimise performance over air gap and temperature. This integrated package provides the highest levels of reliability and predictability required for space-constrained traction motor applications.

Using a certified ISO 26262:2011 safety design process, the ATS17501 incorporates real-time diagnostics to achieve an ASIL-B(D) rating as a safety element out of context (pending assessment).

“Traction motors used in vehicles have great potential to address air quality and fuel efficiency mandates and contribute to a healthier environment,” explained Scheller. “Addressing these challenges aligns well with Allegro’s vision of offering more sustainability through technology.”