Infineon Introduces New Family of Hall Sensors to Enhance Safety and Comfort Functions in Cars

May 13, 2003 | Market News

Munich, Nuremberg, Germany – May 13, 2003 – Infineon Technologies (FSE/NYSE: IFX) has introduced a new family of Hall sensors for a diverse range of safety and comfort applications in cars. The Hall ICs, which feature high-precision unipolar or bipolar magnetic switching behavior, are characterized by their high precision and resistance to electrical interference and mechanical stress. The use of active error compensation (“chopped” Hall system) to suppress the effect of offset components, coupled with outstanding resistance to electrostatic and electromagnetic interference, make systems designed with the new Hall sensors very cost-efficient and reliable.

The TLE49x6 family ICs were developed for use as position and proximity switches in wide variety of automotive subsystems, such as seat adjusters, seat-belt buckles, and electric windows and sunroofs. As an example of safety enhancement in seat adjustment, the position of a seat can be sensed and the information sent to the air bag control mechanism to automatically tailor the deployment force to the size of the person, thus reducing the chance of injury being caused by the air bag.

The first members of the TLE49x6 Hall sensor family include a 2-wire sensor with a current interface (TLE4976), a unipolar switch (TLE4906), a bipolar switch (TLE4946) and a double-Hall switch (TLE4966) with output pins for pulse speed and directional signals. The TLE4966 double-Hall switch replaces two conventional Hall sensors, reducing the costs involved in mounting, signal guidance and signal processing.

“ In launching the new Hall sensor family, Infineon is once again underscoring its leading position in the field of car electronics,” said Dr. Reinhard Ploss, Chief Executive Officer of the Automotive & Industrial Business Group at Infineon Technologies AG. “Our innovative and reliable sensor, microcontroller and power electronics products make a significant contribution towards enhancing the comfort and safety in modern-day cars.”

The Hall switches incorporate the Hall sensor cell, bias generator, compensating circuit, comparator, oscillator and output transistor. The compensating circuits of the Hall switches balance out possible manufacturing process technology-related influences. At the same time, the sensor’s active error compensation capability suppresses the effects of other voltage-generating mechanisms, such as mechanical stress, that may generate an offset to the Hall voltage and impair the measuring accuracy of the sensors. Mechanical stress can be caused, for instance, by thermal influences, which occur as a result of further processing when soldering into the system or during the overmoulding process. This chopper technology, in conjunction with the integral comparator, ensures high-precision magnetic switching. All the new Hall sensors of the TLE49x6 family are characterized by their outstanding jitter performance, which in turn permits high precision (typically 1 µs).

Availability and Packaging



All the members of the new TLE49x6 family of Hall sensors are now available in sample quantities, with series production scheduled to commence in the 3rd quarter 2003. Infineon offers these new Hall sensors in space-saving packages – both in wired and surface-mounted technology. For example, the double-Hall switch is available in what is the industry’s flattest wired housing (P-SSO-4-1, with a thickness of just 1.0 mm), and the most compact SMT housing for this type of IC (P-TSOP6-6-3, measuring 1.5 mm x 2.9 mm x 1.1 mm).
Information on Infineon’s sensors is available at: http://www.infineon.com/products/sensors

About Infineon



Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions for the automotive and industrial sectors, for applications in the wired communications markets, secure mobile solutions as well as memory products. With a global presence, Infineon operates in the US from San Jose, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore and in Japan from Tokyo. In fiscal year 2002 (ending September), the company achieved sales of Euro 5.21 billion with about 30,400 employees worldwide. Infineon is listed on the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX). Further information is available at www.infineon.com.

Information Number

INFAI200305.074

Press Photos

  • Infineons neue Hall-Sensoren der neuen TLE49x6-Famile kommen im Auto als Positions- bzw. Näherungsschalter beispielsweise in der Sitzeinstellung, im Gurtschloss, Fensterheber oder Schiebedach zum Einsatz.
    Infineons neue Hall-Sensoren der neuen TLE49x6-Famile kommen im Auto als Positions- bzw. Näherungsschalter beispielsweise in der Sitzeinstellung, im Gurtschloss, Fensterheber oder Schiebedach zum Einsatz.
    Hall-Sensoren TLE49x6-Familie

    JPG | 221 kb | 1535 x 1063 px

    Hall-Sensoren TLE49x6-Familie

    JPG | 17 kb | 160 x 111 px

  • Infineon's new Hall sensors of the new TLE49x6 family are used as position and proximity switches in applications such as the seat adjusters, seat-belt  buckles, electric windows and sunroofs of cars
    Infineon's new Hall sensors of the new TLE49x6 family are used as position and proximity switches in applications such as the seat adjusters, seat-belt buckles, electric windows and sunroofs of cars
    Hall Sensors TLE49x6 family

    JPG | 220 kb | 1535 x 1063 px

    Hall Sensors TLE49x6 family

    JPG | 16 kb | 160 x 111 px