The differential Hall elements used to measure magnetic fields provide excellent immunity to stray magnetic fields without the need for a laminated shield required by competing solutions, thus reducing design size and bill of materials (BOM).
The ACS37612 is ideal for demanding electric vehicle applications, such as:
• High-voltage traction inverter phase current measurement
• 48V starter generators
• Battery disconnection
“We created the ACS37612 in direct response to trends in the xEV market,” explains Georges El Bacha, Product Line Manager at Allegro. “It’s the first solution to provide a truly coreless method for accurately measuring hundreds of amps in a very small form factor, solving a key challenge for automotive engineers.”
Creating a more energy-efficient and economical electric vehicle
: During acceleration, hundreds of amps flow through an electric vehicle’s traction motor inverter. Accurate measurement of such high currents is vital for safe performance. Engineers have traditionally relied on a low-hysteresis laminated core for such measurements, using three to six cores, depending on the number of phases in the motor.
Eliminating the cores with the ACS37612 allows manufacturers to reduce the size and weight of inverters, thereby increasing the efficiency of the electric vehicle. This non-invasive, contactless current sensor is designed to improve thermal efficiency compared to bypass solutions and is therefore ideal for reducing system power consumption on 48V electronic motor platforms.
"The beauty of the ACS37612 is that it improves efficiency while reducing the overall system cost, which benefits both manufacturers and consumers," says El Bacha.
Simplifying Automotive Solutions:
The ACS37612's ability to be used in busbar or PCB designs provides engineers with mechanical flexibility and simplifies the system-level solution. The system coupling factor is determined by the ACS37612's sensitivity level, as well as the busbar's shape and location, making it easy to increase the current sensing range at any stage of the design process.
The sensor is available in a very small TSSOP8 (LU-8) package with a total PCB footprint of 3 mm x 6.4 mm. Combined with the coreless design, the ACS37612 enables a very small and lightweight current sensing solution.
Allegro offers nearly 20 years of experience creating reliable Hall effect current sensors that meet the evolving needs of automotive customers. For datasheets and more details on Allegro's innovative family of current sensors, including the ACS37612, please visit [website address missing].
