Date: 24/05/2010

Micronas ships half a billion HAL 8xy family linear Hall-effect sensor

Micronas has said it has shipped half a billion linear Hall-effect sensor from its HAL 8xy family. Micronas says its ability to program these sensors using a chip-integrated EEPROM and use in an extended temperature range from -40 to 170°C is the reason behind the success of these linear Hall sensors.

"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.

These sensors are 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. 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 are:
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

For more information visit: www.micronas.com.