MLX90316 Absolute Rotary Position Sensor IC An EDN Hot 100 Products of 2007; Analog IC Category

January 14, 2008 - Ieper, Belgium - Melexis is honored that EDN Magazine's editors included our MLX90316 in their list of 2007’s 100 most significant, new electronic products. Chosen within the analog IC category, EDN’s technical editor Paul Rako originally reported on the MLX90316 in October of 2007 in an article entitled Automotive Hall-effect rotary-position sensor uses novel flux-concentrator technology.

The MLX90316 is a monolithic sensor IC featuring the Triaxis™ Hall technology. While conventional planar Hall technology is only sensitive to the flux density applied orthogonally to the IC surface, the Triaxis™ Hall sensor is only sensitive to the flux density coplanar with the IC surface. With the correct magnetic circuit, this allows the MLX90316 to decode an absolute rotary (angular) position from 0 to 360°, enabling the design of a novel generation of non-contacting rotary position sensors for both automotive and industrial applications. Rako writes: “Although the chip’s designers had automotive applications in mind, it suits use in industrial and medical applications requiring reliability and temperature range of –40 to +150°C…”

MLX90316 Features

• Absolute Rotary Position Sensor IC
• Simple & Robust Magnetic Design
• Triaxis™ Hall Technology
• Programmable Angular Range up to 360 Degrees
• Programmable Linear Transfer Characteristic
• Selectable Analog (Ratiometric), PWM, Serial Protocol
• 12 bit Angular Resolution - 10 bit Angular Thermal Accuracy
• 40 bit ID Number
• Single Die – SO8 Package RoHS Compliant
• Dual Die (Full Redundant) – TSSOP16 Package RoHS Compliant

MLX90316 Applications

• Absolute Rotary Position Sensor
• Steering Wheel Position Sensor
• Pedal Position Sensor
• Motor-shaft Position Sensor
• Throttle Position Sensor
• Float-Level Sensor
• Ride Height Position Sensor
• Non-Contacting Potentiometer