Allegro Microsystems, LLC

Emanuele Andrea Casu

Andreas P Friedrich

Andrea Foletto

Yannick Vuillermet

Cédric Gillet

Nicolás Rigoni

Ross Eisenbeis

Nevenka Kozomora

Solène Bastien

Florencia Ferrer

Emil Pavlov

Cristian Trinidad

A system including: a target having a first track and a second track, a first receiving coil that is aligned with the first track, the first receiving coil having a first period length; a second receiving coil that is aligned with the first track the second receiving coil having a second period length; a third receiving coil that is aligned with the second track the third receiving coil having a third period length; and a fourth receiving coil that is aligned with the second track, the fourth receiving coil having a first period length; and a magnetic field sensor that is configured to generate an output signal that is indicative of a position of the target, wherein the respective target length is less than any of the first period length, the second period length, the third period length, and the fourth period length.

Inductive linear stroke sensor using dual tracks with different periodicity

A heterogeneous sensor system includes a magnetic field sensor and an inductive sensor. A checker is configured to receive the magnetic field sensor output signal and the inductive sensor output signal and determine whether an error has occurred based on a comparison of the magnetic field sensor output signal and the inductive sensor output signal. Targets include at least a portion that is conductive and may include a ferromagnetic portion for back biased magnetic sensing. Additional features include on axis and off axis positioning of the sensors with respect to the target, multi-track targets for absolute position sensing, angle sensing and torque sensing configurations.

Heterogeneous magnetic and inductive sensors

A sensor integrated circuit (IC) includes a sensing element configured to sense a parameter associated with a target, a processor coupled to the sensing element and configured to generate a sensed signal indicative of the parameter associated with the target, and an output module coupled to receive the sensed signal. The output module is configured to transmit absolute data on a message line at a first rate and transmit incremental data on one or more index lines at a second rate, wherein the second rate is faster than the first rate, wherein the incremental data comprises data associated with changes in the absolute data and wherein an edge or a pulse is used to indicate an incremental change has occurred in the absolute data.

Sensor signaling of absolute and incremental data

Methods and apparatus receiving data at a first time from at least one sensor, determining a parameter from the received data for the first time, estimating the parameter for a future time based on the data for first time, and outputting the estimated parameter for the future time to a receiving device. In some embodiments, an IC package can process the received data to generate the estimated parameter for the future time. The IC package may transmit the estimated parameter using a particular protocol. In some embodiments, the receiving device can treat the estimated parameter as real-time data.

Sensor with estimated real-time parameter data

Methods and apparatus for determining a mechanical angle of a target from sine and cosine signals generated by inductive sensing elements by applying harmonic compensation on the sine and cosine signals using possible mechanical angles and analyzing results of the applied harmonic compensation. One of the mechanical angles can be selected based on the results of the applied harmonic compensation. In embodiments, a cost function can be used to select the mechanical angle.

Position sensor having harmonic distortion compensation

A magnetic field sensor configured to sense a parameter associated with a rotatable target that affects a magnetic field includes at least one magnetic field sensing element that is arranged to generate a signal that is indicative of the magnetic field, a magnitude calculator responsive to the signal and configured to generate a magnitude signal indicative of a magnitude of the magnetic field, and a harmonic compensator responsive to the magnitude signal and configured to generate an estimate of a harmonic error of the signal and apply the estimate of the harmonic error of the signal to the signal to generate a corrected signal.

Harmonic compensation with magnitude feedback for magnetic field sensors

A system, comprising: a processing circuitry configured to: receive a first signal that is indicative of a flux density of a magnetic field, the magnetic field being generated by a rotating target; identify a level of a predetermined type of peak in the first signal, the predetermined type of peak occurring once during each revolution of the target; and output a reference signal when an instant level of the first signal matches the level of the predetermined type of peak.

Rotary inductive sensor

In one aspect, a system includes an electronic control unit (ECU) and an integrated circuit (IC). The IC is configured to transmit, to the ECU, absolute data on a message line at a first rate; and transmit, to the ECU, incremental data on an index line at a second rate. The second rate is faster than the first rate and the incremental data includes data associated with changes in the absolute data.

Signaling between master and one or more slave components to share absolute and incremental data

An apparatus, comprising: a transmitting coil; a first receiving coil having a first receiving coil portion and a second receiving coil portion, the first receiving coil portion and the second receiving coil portion being coupled to one another, and the first receiving coil portion and the second receiving coil portion each including N lobes, where N is an integer and N&#x2265;1; a second receiving coil having a third receiving coil portion and a fourth receiving coil portion, the third receiving coil portion and the fourth receiving coil portion being coupled to one another, and the third receiving coil portion and the fourth receiving coil portion each including N lobes; wherein the first receiving coil is disposed over the second receiving coil.

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Annecy, France

Emanuele Andrea Casu