Abstract: An integrated circuit package and method of fabrication are described. The integrated circuit package includes a lead frame having a first surface and a second opposing surface and a semiconductor die having a first, active surface in which circuitry is disposed and a second opposing surface attached to the first surface of the lead frame. A magnet attached to the second surface of the lead frame has a non-contiguous central region and at least one channel extending laterally from the central region. An overmold material forms an enclosure surrounding the magnet, semiconductor die, and a portion of the lead frame.

Abstract: Current sensor packages are described including a leadframe configured to carry a current to be sensed and a current sensor that is electrically isolated from the leadframe. The current sensor is disposed adjacent to a first portion of the leadframe that includes a plurality of notches. An encapsulating material is configured to encapsulate the current sensor and at least a part of the first portion of the leadframe that is adjacent to the current sensor and includes the plurality of notches. The current sensor includes a substrate, a first magnetic field sensing element that is formed on the substrate, and a second magnetic field sensing element that is formed on the substrate. The first magnetic field sensing element and the second magnetic field sensing element are disposed on opposite sides of a central axis of the first portion of the leadframe.

Abstract: Auto-calibrating current sensor integrated circuits (ICs) are configured for mounting at a position relative to a conductor. The auto-calibrating current sensor ICs can include a plurality of magnetic field sensing elements disposed at different locations within the integrated circuit, respectively, and can be configured to measure a magnetic field produced by a current carried by the conductor. The auto-calibrating sensors can include an electromagnetic model of the IC and the conductor. The model can be operative to determine a magnetic field at points in space due to a given current in the conductor at a known location of the conductor from the IC, and also the inverse situation of determining an unknown current and/or location of the conductor based on measurements of a magnetic field at known locations in space due to an unknown current in the conductor. Related auto-calibration methods are also described.

Abstract: Auto-calibrating current sensor integrated circuits (ICs) are configured for mounting at a position relative to a conductor. The auto-calibrating current sensor ICs can include a plurality of magnetic field sensing elements disposed at different locations within the integrated circuit, respectively, and can be configured to measure a magnetic field produced by a current carried by the conductor. The auto-calibrating sensors can include an electromagnetic model of the IC and the conductor. The model can be operative to determine a magnetic field at points in space due to a given current in the conductor at a known location of the conductor from the IC, and also the inverse situation of determining an unknown current and/or location of the conductor based on measurements of a magnetic field at known locations in space due to an unknown current in the conductor. Related auto-calibration methods are also described.

Abstract: Auto-calibrating current sensor integrated circuits (ICs) are configured for mounting at a position relative to a conductor. The auto-calibrating current sensor ICs can include a plurality of magnetic field sensing elements disposed at different locations within the integrated circuit, respectively, and can be configured to measure a magnetic field produced by a current carried by the conductor. The auto-calibrating sensors can include an electromagnetic model of the IC and the conductor. The model can be operative to determine a magnetic field at points in space due to a given current in the conductor at a known location of the conductor from the IC, and also the inverse situation of determining an unknown current and/or location of the conductor based on measurements of a magnetic field at known locations in space due to an unknown current in the conductor. Related auto-calibration methods are also described.

Abstract: Electronic circuits and methods sense an electromagnetic property of a target, and transmit data packets that encode the property along with diagnostic messages while avoiding data loss due to truncation at high sensing speeds. Data address bits may be used to split messages across multiple data packets. Data bits may be combined into a unified header that takes less time to transmit than in prior communication protocols. The transmission duration of each data bit may be lowered, thereby increasing throughput. The receiving system may synchronize its own operation against these shortened data bits, increasing its speed. Error packets may be sent between data packets, thereby reducing time to respond to faults in safety-critical systems. And additional current levels may be used to increase the data information rate.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor includes a lead frame, a passive component, semiconductor die supporting a magnetic field sensing element and attached to the lead frame, a non-conductive mold material enclosing the die and at least a portion of the lead frame, and a ferromagnetic mold material secured to a portion of the non-conductive mold material. The lead frame has a recessed region and the passive component is positioned in the recessed region. The ferromagnetic mold material may comprise a soft ferromagnetic material to form a concentrator or a hard ferromagnetic material to form a bias magnet.

Abstract: A method is provided for transmitting a message concurrently with a pulse-encoded signal, the method comprising: assigning an identifier to the message; transmitting an identifier of the message between every two consecutive pulses of the pulse-encoded signal until the whole message is transmitted; transmitting a first portion of a payload of the message between every two consecutive pulses of the pulse-encoded signal until the whole message is transmitted; and transmitting a different part of a second portion of the payload of the message between every two consecutive pulses of the pulse-encoded signal until the whole message is transmitted, wherein the pulse-encoded signal encodes information by varying a frequency of pulses of the pulse-encoded signal, and the message is transmitted over a plurality of transmission periods that are delimited by respective consecutive pulses of the pulse-encoded signal.

Abstract: A current sensor assembly can include: a coil structure having a first coil and a second coil connected in series, the coil structure configured to generate a differential magnetic field responsive to an electrical current passing through the first and second coils; a first magnetic field sensing element disposed proximate to the first coil and operable to generate a first signal responsive to the differential magnetic field passing through the first magnetic field sensing element in a first direction; a second magnetic field sensing element disposed proximate to the second coil and operable to generate a second signal responsive to the differential magnetic field passing through the second magnetic field sensing element in a second direction; and a circuit operable to subtract the first and second signals to generate a differential signal proportional to the electrical current.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A system, comprising a bus bar having a first through-hole formed therein and a first current sensor that is disposed adjacent to the first branch. The first through-hole is arranged to define, at least in part, a first branch of the bus bar and a second branch of the bus bar. The first branch has different length and/or thickness than the second branch. The first current sensor is arranged to measure an electrical current through the bus bar.

Abstract: An integrated circuit package and method of fabrication are described. The integrated circuit package includes a lead frame having a first surface and a second opposing surface and a semiconductor die having a first, active surface in which circuitry is disposed and a second opposing surface attached to the first surface of the lead frame. A magnet attached to the second surface of the lead frame has a non-contiguous central region and at least one channel extending laterally from the central region. An overmold material forms an enclosure surrounding the magnet, semiconductor die, and a portion of the lead frame.

Abstract: Current sensor packages are described including a leadframe configured to carry a current to be sensed and a current sensor that is electrically isolated from the leadframe. The current sensor is disposed adjacent to a first portion of the leadframe that includes a plurality of notches. An encapsulating material is configured to encapsulate the current sensor and at least a part of the first portion of the leadframe that is adjacent to the current sensor and includes the plurality of notches. The current sensor includes a substrate, a first magnetic field sensing element that is formed on the substrate, and a second magnetic field sensing element that is formed on the substrate. The first magnetic field sensing element and the second magnetic field sensing element are disposed on opposite sides of a central axis of the first portion of the leadframe.

Abstract: A sensor includes a lead frame having a first surface, a second opposing surface, and a plurality of leads and a semiconductor die having a first surface attached to the first surface of the lead frame and a second, opposing surface. The sensor further includes a non-conductive mold material enclosing the die and at least a portion of the lead frame, a conductive coil secured to the non-conductive mold material, a mold material secured to the non-conductive mold material and enclosing the conductive coil, wherein the mold material has a central region and an element disposed in the central region of the mold material.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor includes a lead frame, a passive component, semiconductor die supporting a magnetic field sensing element and attached to the lead frame, a non-conductive mold material enclosing the die and at least a portion of the lead frame, and a ferromagnetic mold material secured to a portion of the non-conductive mold material. The lead frame has a recessed region and the passive component is positioned in the recessed region. The ferromagnetic mold material may comprise a soft ferromagnetic material to form a concentrator or a hard ferromagnetic material to form a bias magnet.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a signal that is generated at least in part by one or more magnetic field sensing elements in response to a magnetic field associated with a rotating target, the rotating target a changing feature that changes with target rotation angle, the one or more magnetic field sensing elements being part of a sensor; detecting a current value of the signal; and identifying a current angular position of the rotating target relative to the sensor based on: (i) the current value of the signal and (ii) a map that maps each of a plurality of values of the signal to a different respective angular position of the rotating target.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a device includes: a magnetic field current sensor magnetically coupled to a conductor and configured to generate a magnetic field signal having a magnitude responsive to a current flowing through the conductor; a shunt interface having first and second input terminals electrically coupled to ends of a shunt disposed along the conductor, the shunt interface configured to generate a shunt signal having a magnitude responsive to the current flowing through the conductor; and a diagnostic circuit configured to receive the magnetic field signal and the shunt signal and to generate a fault signal based on a comparison between the magnitude of the magnetic field signal and the magnitude of the shunt signal.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for prosing a sensor IC package having first and second sets of magnetic field sensing elements and a third set of magnetic field sensing elements located between the first and second positions, wherein the first, second, and third sets of magnetic field sensing elements have a first axis of sensitivity and a second axis of sensitivity, wherein the first and second axes of sensitivity are orthogonal. The sensor IC package is positioned in relation to a target comprising a two-pole magnet and the first and second axes of sensitivity are perpendicular to an axis about which the target rotates. Differential signals are processed to determine an absolute position of the target. A first secondary angle position is generated from the first and third sets of magnetic field sensing elements.

Abstract: A method including: calculating a value of an average phase offset between a first signal and a second signal, wherein: (i) the first signal is generated by one or more first magnetic field sensing elements in response to the magnetic field, (ii) the second signal is generated by one or more second magnetic field sensing elements in response to the magnetic field, and (iii) the magnetic field is associated with a rotating target; storing the value of the average phase offset between the first signal and the second signal at an address in a non-volatile memory of the sensor; when the sensor is restarted, copying the value of the average phase offset from the address in the non-volatile memory to a working memory of the sensor; and using the copy of the value of the average phase offset that is stored in the working memory of the sensor to generate an output signal, the output signal being generated further based on the first signal and the second signal.

Abstract: A sensor includes a lead frame having a first surface, a second opposing surface, and a plurality of leads and a semiconductor die having a first surface attached to the first surface of the lead frame and a second, opposing surface. The sensor further includes a non-conductive mold material enclosing the die and at least a portion of the lead frame, a conductive coil secured to the non-conductive mold material, a mold material secured to the non-conductive mold material and enclosing the conductive coil, wherein the mold material has a central region and an element disposed in the central region of the mold material.