Inductive position sensor offers high accuracy, lower weight for industrial motors

By Gina Roos, editor-in-chief

Addressing the growing demand for high accuracy, high efficiency, and cost efficiency in industrial motor commutation, Renesas Electronics Corp. has unveiled its first inductive position sensor for industrial markets. The magnet-free IPS2200  features high accuracy and speed, total stray field immunity, and efficient motor integration in a thin and lightweight form factor. The position sensor can be used in a range of industrial, medical, and robot applications.

The sensor enables customers to design their own resolver replacement to achieve lighter, better-performing motors for their industrial, robotic, consumer, and medical applications, said Christian Wolf, vice president, Automotive Sensor Business Division at Renesas.

The IPS2200 allows customers to match the number of sectors to pole pairs of the motor to maximize accuracy, accommodating both off-axis (through-shaft and side-shaft) and on-axis positioning. Thanks to the sensor’s thin and light form factor and total stray field immunity, it enables easier motor integration and provides the standard materials required for customers to manufacture their own resolver replacement, which reduces bill of materials costs.

The position sensor is up to 10× thinner and up to 100× lighter, with up to 250-krpm electrical speeds compared with traditional resolvers, according to Renesas. In addition, the sensor provides up to 10× faster speeds and very low latency compared with resolver- or magnetic-based solutions, with its four- or six-wire operation.

Key specs include:

• Industrial-qualified, with stable operation in harsh environments and −40°C to 125°C ambient temperatures
• Interface: Sin/cos single-ended or differential

• Voltage supply: 3.3 V ±10% or 5.0 V ±10%

• Rotational speed: Up to 250,000 rpm (electrical)

• Propagation delay: Programmable, <10 µs

• Sin/cos gain mismatch and offset compensation

• Overvoltage, reverse polarity, short-circuit protected

• Digital programming interface: I²C or SPI

Off-the-shelf tools are available to create tailored and customized sensing elements, as well as custom tools that can achieve coil optimization sets within about 30 minutes, said Renesas.

The IPS2200 is available now with prices starting at $4.22 each in quantities of 1,000. The IPS2200STKIT evaluation kit is also available.