The continuous advancements in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving systems present new performance and functional safety challenges for system integrators. The A31315 sensor addresses these challenges by providing the measurement accuracy and performance required to meet the stringent requirements of safety-critical automotive applications, such as steering, braking, transmission, and acceleration systems.
The sensors' flexible 3D Hall front and configurable signal processing architecture enable highly accurate, absolute linear and rotary position measurements up to 360°, while also easing system integration challenges by providing greater freedom in sensor placement. Existing 3DMAG devices, such as the ALS31300 and ALS31313 sensors, also support 3D magnetometer applications where all three magnetic components (BX, BY, BZ) are required to track complex magnetic movements.
“Building on decades of innovation in magnetic sensing for the automotive industry at Allegro, the 3DMAG family expands our portfolio of industry-leading position sensing solutions to include virtually any moving magnet system, while delivering the performance and functional safety capabilities needed to enable the next generation of ADAS solutions,” said Scott Milne, Director of the Magnetic Position Sensors Business Unit at Allegro MicroSystems. “ADAS is a key growth segment for the automotive industry, and our early positioning in this market—combined with robust new product development—provides our customers with the sensing solutions they need to accelerate the adoption of ADAS features in intelligent and autonomous vehicles.”
Main advantages of 3DMAG position sensors:
- Superior accuracy and on-chip diagnostics help improve driver, passenger, and public safety for autonomous and driver-assisted vehicles.
- High performance and flexibility across design locations and use cases simplify bills of materials.
- Low power consumption and robust power management options help extend and optimize battery life.
The high-precision A31315 position sensor addresses the critical safety needs of autonomous driving systems and ADAS applications, incorporating advanced on-chip diagnostics to ensure reliable and safe operation. It supports both rotary and linear position sensing in a robust design with excellent native angular error over temperature in any plane (<1.2° across the entire sensor operating range: -40°C to +150°C). Adhering to the SEooC (Safety Element out of Context) functional safety guidelines, the A31315 sensor supports ASIL-B (single array) and ASIL-D (dual array) system-level integration according to ISO 26262 and is qualified for the automotive industry according to AEC-Q100 Grade 0.
The A31315 sensor is available as a single chip in a compact SOIC-8 package and as a fully redundant, stacked dual-chip in a TSSOP-14 package for applications requiring redundancy or higher measurement levels. Unlike traditional dual-array configurations, Allegro's stacked-array construction closely aligns the sensing elements of both arrays, ensuring the measurement of nearly identical magnetic fields. This innovative design allows the dual-array A31315 sensor to deliver superior channel matching performance and tighter channel comparison thresholds, typical of fully redundant safety systems.
Emerging trends, such as autonomous driving, vehicle electrification, and Industry 4.0, are creating new envelope, performance, and power constraints in many systems. Highly versatile 3DMAG sensors, including the new A31315, address these constraints by simplifying system integration and enabling customers to meet stringent accuracy requirements. The sensors' wide range of linearization options and programmable channel tuning can be easily adjusted to the magnetic circuit to optimize both accuracy and manufacturing efficiency in end-of-line programming for specific applications. 3DMAG sensors also offer low power consumption and flexible power management options, allowing for optimized battery life in portable applications.
3DMAG sensors support flexible, low-voltage programming via their sensor outputs, regardless of the interface (e.g., analog, SAE J2716 SENT, PWM, I2C). This enables direct microcontroller programming in embedded designs and simplifies end-of-line system calibration. This low-voltage programming option also opens up new system architectures with field-replaceable remote sensor module designs that can be programmed by the electronic control unit (ECU).
