Alps Alpine’s HGAR series of Sin/Cos surface-mount magnetic angle sensors offers a high-accuracy, compact solution for use in automotive and industrial applications, robotics and drones, virtual/augmented reality gaming HMIs, healthcare equipment, home/office appliances, and building automation.
An operating magnetic field from 10 to 120 mT (200 mT absolute max.) and an operating temperature from -40°C to +150°C indicates robust operation of these devices in all but the most extreme environments; these specifications are dependent on the model. When multiple sensors are used to cancel the effects of stray fields, the HGAR devices are able to remotely measure angular changes at up to 0.1° accuracy in, for example the position of a stepper motor. These sensors can also be used for other applications such as remote current monitoring.
The high measurement accuracy of Alps Alpine’s sensors enables many space-saving configurations for magnetic sensor placement, so check out this handy application note for more information on some of the possible orientations for making angular measurements using their devices.
The HGAR series devices operate using a 5.5 V drive voltage and are available in a number of package options to suit your application. The specifications above are taken from the HGARPS011A and HGARS001A devices. The former is available in a 3.0 x 4.9 x 1.1 mm TSSOP8-type package with a single Sin/Cos differential output and a typical current consumption of 5 mA. The latter is a dual-output version of this device with twice the current consumption and a TSSOP16-type 5.0 x 6.4 x 1.1 mm package. The sin/cos differential outputs of these devices are typically 2850 mV on each side. For more technical information on the single-output HGARPS011A, please consult this datasheet.
The HGAR series also features some more compact options with narrower temperature and magnetic measurement ranges for less-demanding applications. While there is no mention of evaluation boards on the official documentation for Alps Alpine’s HGAR series, ipXchange met up with their team at PCIM Europe 2023 and were shown a demonstration of their latest HGARPS021A device (specifications to be confirmed). There, we were told that an evaluation board was currently in development for the HGARPS021A.
The minimum order quantities of these components are clearly stated on the Alps Alpine website as 2500-3000 units, so it would appear that Alps Alpine is mostly interested in larger-scale deployments of their technology. That said, ipXchange are happy to put you in touch with Alps Alpine if you are interested in learning more about their sensors for commercial applications of any size. As usual, this can be done by filling out the form below.
