Page 46 - EngineerIT July 2022

NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Microchip family of inductive position sensors

now includes solution for ISO 26262-compliant

EV motor control

evelopers of motor control noisy environment of an automobile’s DC motors, high currents and solenoids,” said Fanie
systems are rapidly replacing Duvenhage, vice president of Microchip’s mixed signal and linear analog business unit.
DHall Effect position sensors and “Designers can use the LX34070 to further streamline EV motor control designs by pairing
older magnetic resolver solutions, with it with other functional-safety-ready Microchip devices including the 8-bit AVR® and PIC®
inductive alternatives that eliminate microcontrollers, 32-bit microcontrollers, and dsPIC® digital signal controllers.”
expensive magnets and other heavy The LX34070 inductive position sensor solution offers numerous advantages
transformer-based structures so they compared to magnetic resolvers and Linear Voltage Differential Transducers (LVDTs),
can be integrated onto simple, compact at a fraction of the cost. By using PCB traces rather than transformer-based magnetic
printed circuit boards (PCBs). Extending windings and coil structures, the LX34070 device has negligible size and mass compared
the world’s broadest line of inductive to alternatives that weigh as much as 455 grams. Accuracy is improved, since the LX34070
position sensors into the EV motor does not depend on magnet strength, and the device improves robustness by actively
control market, Microchip Technology rejecting stray magnetic fields. These and other features give designers greater flexibility
announced the LX34070 IC that has over where they can place the thin, lightweight PCB-based LX34070 solution in their EV
been purpose-built for EV motor control motor control designs.
applications. It includes differential PCB-based inductive position sensors use a primary coil to generate an AC magnetic
outputs, fast sample rates and features field that couples with two secondary coils. A small metal target object disturbs the
that make it functional-safety-ready for magnetic field so that each secondary coil receives a different voltage whose ratio is used
ISO 26262 compliance in the Automotive to calculate absolute position.
Safety Integrity Level–C (ASIL–C) Using these techniques, Microchip introduced its first high-volume inductive sensor
classification. for automotive and industrial applications over a decade ago and has many programs in
“The LX34070 inductive position volume production. The LX34070 now brings the same proven PCB materials, approaches
sensor enables lighter, smaller, more and simplified, low-cost packaging to EV motor control and other applications that need
reliable motor control solutions that its high-speed and low-latency benefits.
meet stringent safety requirements, Microchip is represented in South Africa by Altron Arrow.
reduce overall system costs, and can
operate seamlessly and precisely in the For more information email Andrew at aathanasiou@arrow.altech.co.za.

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