The new offering includes the AMD89106 and AMD89186 gate drivers, the A17810 inductive torque sensor, and the A81481 power management integrated circuit, specifically designed for 48V systems. These components enable the development of an integrated power, control, and sensing chain for critical applications such as electric power steering, electronic steering, and electromechanical braking.
Compatible BLDC drivers for 12V and 48V platforms
The new AMD89106, for 12V systems, and AMD89186, for 48V architectures, are gate drivers designed to control three-phase brushless DC (BLDC) motors. Both devices share the same printed circuit board footprint and register map, allowing for the reuse of the board design and much of the software when migrating between electrical platforms. This compatibility reduces the need to redesign electronic control units and facilitates the development of software-defined vehicles (SDVs).
The two components integrate in-phase current measurement and digital current reading, with the aim of improving the accuracy of motor control compared to conventional low-voltage side measurement configurations.
Its applications include steer-by-wire systems, electromechanical braking (EMB), active suspension, and low-voltage onboard charging.
A17810 inductive sensor without magnets for steering systems
The A17810 is a dual-angle inductive sensor designed to measure steering torque without the use of magnets, flux concentrators, or magnetic shielding. This architecture avoids the influence of stray magnetic fields generated by other vehicle electrical systems and simplifies the mechanical design. The device measures two conductive targets to internally calculate torque and absolute angle using the Vernier principle.
This capability can eliminate the need to use a satellite gear and separate angle sensors in certain steering columns.
The A17810 has an AEC-Q100 Grade 0 rating and is geared towards electric power steering (EPS) and electronic steering systems applications.
PMIC A81481 for 48 V control units
The A81481 completes the range as a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) for 48V electronic control units with functional safety requirements. According to Allegro, it is the industry's first monolithic PMIC specifically designed for 48V, intended to replace architectures that use multiple integrated circuits.
The device integrates two buck regulators, five low-dropout linear regulators (LDO), and ASIL D safety diagnostic functions. This integration allows for a reduction in the number of components and simplifies the design of control units for steering, braking, active suspension, onboard cargo, and DC/DC conversion.
Allegro notes that the A81481 can achieve up to a 50% reduction in the bill of materials (BOM) cost compared to certain conventional multi-chip solutions.
A common platform for the evolution of ADAS systems
According to Ram Sathappan, Vice President of Global Marketing and Applications at Allegro MicroSystems, the transition to 48V zonal architectures presents challenges for manufacturers who must maintain separate designs for 12V and 48V vehicles. Driver compatibility, inductive torque measurement, and power supply integration into a single PMIC aim to reduce this complexity.
