Melexis targets the MLX90392 three-axis magnetic field sensor for white goods, consumer electronics, and smart metering applications. The sensor can operate on a 1.8V power rail shared with other components such as logic devices.
No need for a dedicated LDO or regulator, this competitively priced device simplifies design, reduces BOM cost and saves PCB space. The size of the sensor is only 2mm x 2.5mm x 0.4mm, using UTDFN-8 ultra-thin lead-free eight-pin package, which can help designers cope with space-constrained applications. In addition, the 1.5µA shutdown mode helps save energy, thereby maximizing the runtime of battery-powered applications.
With the help of an integrated thermal sensor and the use of the I2C communication protocol, the sensor can place 16-bit position measurements of X, Y, Z axis and temperature on an I2C bus with an operating frequency of up to 1MHz. Two versions are available, offering ±50mT and ±5mT full-scale range options, using the company's patented Triaxis Hall technology to achieve low noise and first-class accuracy.
The ±50mT range is most suitable for position measurement in HMI applications, door closing detection in white goods and access control systems, tamper-proof smart meters, and non-contact joysticks, which can save the power consumption of traditional potentiometer position sensing. For position sensing where a small magnetic range is required and noise is a key design parameter for precise position measurement, the sensitivity of the ±5mT variant is 0.15µT/LSB, and the typical RMS noise is as low as 0.3µT.
Both devices support single measurement and continuous measurement modes, providing excellent design flexibility, while self-check status, data readiness, and magnetic sensor overflow indication provide comprehensive diagnostics.
