Sensor+Test 2006: Micronas introduces New Low-Cost Hall Sensor Family (0612)

Micronas offers alternative to micro-switches with low-cost Hall sensor family

Freiburg, Germany, May 24, 2006 - Micronas (SWX Swiss Exchange: MASN), a leading supplier of innovative application-specific IC system solutions for consumer and automotive electronics, presents the new Hall sensor family HAL^® 2xy. The new sensors are designed for accurate contactless detection of positions and speed in automotive, industrial and consumer applications.

"The HAL 2xy family is low-priced, robust and highly accurate and has the potential to replace the micro-switch“, says Peter Zimmermann, Market Manager Automotive at Micronas. “Hall-effect sensors are immune to mechanical abrasion. They have a longer life-time because they are not prone to environmental contaminants such as vibration, shock, dirt, humidity and high temperatures. We have integrated protection features to allow these Hall sensors to function with unstable voltage supplies. Furthermore, they are extremely resistant to high-frequency electromagnetic fields and guarantee a high ESD resistance. The HAL 2xy offers reverse polarity and overvoltage protection for all pins.”

The new Hall sensor family is designed for applications in which position detection is required. In the automotive sector, the HAL 2xy is used for position detection of power windows, sliding roofs, hatchback, foot pedal, fan control and many more applications. Industrial application examples include flow measurement, end-position detection and rotational speed measurement. In white goods, the Hal 2xy is ideal for position detection tasks, for example in washing machines and the new induction cookers.

With its integrated active “chopper-offset compensation” Micronas avoids offset errors in the measurement signal. Changes in temperature, for example, can cause mechanical stress on the chip, which in turn will influence future measurement results. Similarly, further assembly steps at the client’s manufacturing site can cause such stress. The “chopper-offset compensation” process developed by Micronas compensates for these effects, thus the Hall sensors are able to perform accurate measurements with long-term stability over a wide temperature range.

The HAL 2xy is available in TO 92UA and SOT 89B packages, both suitable for overmolding, and operates at temperatures between -40°C and +125° C.

Depending on product type, the HAL 2xy is available at a price between 0.2 € and 0.4 € (for 500 K/year). Samples will be available in third quarter 2006.

Micronas will introduce the HAL 2xy in Hall 4, booth 4-121 at Sensor+Test in Nuremburg, Germany, from May 30 - June 1, 2006.