Allegro Microsystems, LLC

Commissariat a L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives

Shaun D Milano

Michael C Doogue

William P Taylor

Paul A David

Alexander Latham

Shixi Louis Liu

Georges El Bacha

Harianto Wong

Wade Bussing

Bryan Cadugan

Michael J Gaboury

Sundar Chetlur

David Jamie Haas

John B Sauber

Christian Feucht

Raguvir Kanda

Bruce Hemenway

Alejandro Gabriel Milesi

Nevenka Kozomora

Natasha Healey

Rishikesh Nikam

Gregory Delmain

Ravi Vig

Claude Fermon

Loïc André Messier

Simon Rock

Maxwell McNally

Weihua Chen

Noémie Belin

Thomas Kerdraon

Dominik Geisler

Peter Cisar

Hitoshi Yabusaki

Stefan Kranz

Stephan Schurt

A current sensor IC includes a lead frame having a die attach pad and elongated leads extending in a single direction with respect to the die attach pad, a semiconductor die having a first surface attached to the die attach pad and a second, opposing surface supporting magnetic field sensing elements, and a non-conductive mold material. A first portion of the mold material encloses the semiconductor die and the die attach pad, a second portion of the mold material encloses a portion of the elongated leads, and the mold material further includes a wing structure between the first portion and the second portion. In assembly, the first portion of the mold material extends into a cutout through a current conductor and the wing structure abuts a surface of the conductor. The current sensor can implement differential sensing based on signals from at least two magnetic field sensing elements.

Sensor package and system

Systems and methods described herein are directed towards integrating a shield layer into a current sensor to shield a magnetic field sensing element and associated circuitry in the current sensor from electrical, voltage, or electrical transient noise. In an embodiment, a shield layer may be disposed along at least one surface of a die supporting a magnetic field sensing element. The shield layer may be disposed in various arrangements to shunt noise caused by a parasitic coupling between the magnetic field sensing element and the current carrying conductor away from the magnetic field sensing element.

Systems and methods for integrated shielding in a current sensor

A current sensor integrated circuit (IC) includes a unitary lead frame having at least one first lead having a terminal end, at least one second lead having a terminal end, and a paddle having a first surface and a second opposing surface. A semiconductor die is supported by the first surface of the paddle, wherein the at least one first lead is electrically coupled to the semiconductor die and the at least one second lead is electrically isolated from the semiconductor die. The current sensor IC further includes a first mold material configured to enclose the semiconductor die and the paddle and a second mold material configured to enclose at least a portion of the first mold material, wherein the terminal end of the at least one first lead and the terminal end of the at least one second lead are external to the second mold material.

Current sensor integrated circuits

Methods and apparatus for providing an integrated circuit having a drive current source, a magnetic sensing element coupled to the drive current source, the magnetic sensing element having first and second differential outputs, and first and second current elements to provide respective currents in relation to the drive current source, wherein the first current element is coupled to the first differential output and the second current element is coupled to the second differential output. In illustrative embodiments, an IC output can output a voltage corresponding to the currents of the first and second current elements.

Methods and apparatus for sensor diagnostics

Systems and methods described herein provide a current sensor based on magnetic field detection having multiple sensor arrangements with multiple, different sensitivity ranges. The outputs of the multiple sensor arrangements can be combined to generate a single output signal. The current sensor can include two or more sensor arrangements, each having one or more magnetic field sensing elements, and configured to sense a magnetic field in different first measurement ranges corresponding to different ranges of currents through the conductor and further configured to generate different magnetic field signals indicative of the sensed magnetic field in the respective measurement range. The current sensor can include a circuit configured to generate an output signal indicative of a combination of the different magnetic field signals that corresponds to the current through the conductor.

Current sensor having multiple sensitivity ranges

Systems and methods described herein are directed towards differential current sensing a current sensor having two or more magnetic field sensing elements that are oriented to sense a magnetic field generated by a current through an external conductor in the same direction. The current sensor can be positioned such that at least one first magnetic field sensing element is vertically aligned with the external conductor and at least one second magnetic field sensing element is not vertically aligned with the external conductor. The magnetic field sensing elements may be spaced from each to measure a gradient field and can generate a magnetic field signal indicative of a distance between the respective magnetic field sensing element and the current carrying external conductor. A difference between the magnetic field signals can be determined that is indicative of the current through the external conductor.

Systems and methods for current sensing

Systems and methods are described herein for reducing the effects of magnetic field cross-coupling in a multi-conductor current sensor system. A current sensor system includes one or more current sensors, each positioned proximate to at least one conductor and spaced from at least one other conductor. Each conductor carries a current intended to be measured by a respective current sensor. The current sensors include one or more magnetic field sensing elements to generate a magnetic field signal indicative of a detected magnetic field. A characterization measurement is performed to determine the coupling between each current sensor and the respective current conductor and to determine the coupling between the current sensor and the other ones of the current conductors, by providing a reference current to each of the conductors and measuring the outputs at each of the current sensors. The characterization measurement can be used to generate a coupling matrix.

Current sensor system

A current sensor integrated circuit includes a lead frame having a primary conductor and at least one secondary lead, a semiconductor die disposed adjacent to the primary conductor, an insulation structure disposed between the primary conductor and the semiconductor die, and a non-conductive insulative material enclosing the semiconductor die, the insulation structure, a first portion of the primary conductor, and a first portion of the at least one secondary lead to form a package. The first portion of the at least one secondary lead (between a first end proximal to the primary conductor and a second end proximal to the second, exposed portion of the at least one secondary lead) has a thickness that is less than a thickness of the second, exposed portion of the least one secondary lead. A distance between the second, exposed portion of the primary conductor and the second, exposed portion of the at least one secondary lead is at least 7.2 mm.

Current sensor isolation

Methods and apparatus for magnetic field sensor having a sensing element, an analog circuit path coupled to the sensing element for generating an output voltage in response to a magnetic field applied to the sensing element, and a coil in proximity to the sensing element, the coil having a first terminal that is accessible external to the magnetic field sensor.

Methods and apparatus for magnetic sensor having an externally accessible coil

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Dunbarton, NH, United States of America

Shaun D Milano