Micronas supplying the 500 millionth linear Hall-effect sensor (PR1010)

The programmable HAL 8xy family has been a resounding success in the automobile industry and in general industrial use.

Freiburg, May 17, 2010 – Micronas (SIX Swiss Exchange: MASN), a leading supplier of innovative application-specific sensor and IC system solutions for automotive electronics, today announced the supply of the 500 millionth Hall sensor from the HAL 8xy family.

The success story of these programmable linear Hall sensors is based on the groundbreaking new function of making the sensors programmable via a chip-integrated EEPROM and their use in an extended temperature range of TJ=-40 to 170°C. In 2001, Micronas won the PACE Award (Premier Automotive Suppliers’ Contributions to Excellence) for its innovative HAL 8xy family.

“The programming option allows our customers for the first time to match their sensor modules at the end of production with the mechanical production tolerances of their systems, resulting in a clear reduction in system and production costs. We have also integrated additional functions such as offset and temperature compensation which have substantially enhanced the reliability of these non-contacting sensors, especially in the automotive sector“, says Matthias Bopp, CEO of Micronas.

Linear Hall sensors are fundamentally suitable for the non-contacting and non-wearing detection of positional or angular distances. The HAL 8xy family is used primarily in automobiles for throttle valves, headlight leveling control, power steering systems, right through to fuel tank level measurements. Leading car manufacturers worldwide are among the end customers. The sensors are also increasingly used in industrial electronics, in domestic appliances and in medical engineering.

The most important members of the HAL 8xy family:
HAL 805, HAL 815: linear Hall sensors with analog output
HAL 810: linear Hall sensor with PWM output
HAL 825: high-end linear sensor with optimized sensitivity
HAL 855: linear Hall sensor with PWM output and adjustable characteristics
HAL 856: as HAL 855, but designed for two-wire operation
HAL 880: value-optimized linear Hall sensor with analog output

Micronas will present the HAL 8xy family at the Sensor+Test trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany, (booth 12-302) from May 18 to 20, 2010, and at the Sensors Expo & Conference in Chicago, USA, (booth 715) from June 7 to 9, 2010.