Automotive Sensor Overcomes Placement Issues And Lowers Design Costs

A new magneto-resistive angle sensor semiconductor claims to overcome the issue of sensor placement in cars by working in conjunction with smaller magnets. In addition, design costs are reduced due to the fact that magneto-resistive angle sensors can be used with ferrite magnets rather than expensive, rare earth magnets. The KMZ43T angle sensor is suited to high-precision angle measurement applications under low field conditions and is said to have the lowest field strength saturation on the market—30 kA/m. A sensitive magnetic field sensor, the device employs the magneto-resistive effect of thin-film permalloy and contains two galvanically separated Wheatstone bridges with a relative angular displacement of 45°. It can be operated at any frequency between DC and 1 MHz. Performance is independent of both magnetic drift and mechanical assembly tolerances and shifts, and the company claims the device can achieve an accuracy better than 0.1°. Price is about $0.50 per piece. PHILIPS SEMICONDUCTORS, San Jose, CA. (800) 447-1500.