Inductive sensor delivers high accuracy and speed

Onsemi has developed a new dual-inductive rotary position sensor that delivers high accuracy and high speed thanks to the company’s new design approach. This makes the NCS32100 inductive sensor well suited to industrial and robotic applications, where fast-moving robotics and machinery are deployed, said the company.

(Source: onsemi)

Historically inductive encoders have been limited to applications that do not require high accuracy and operate with low rotational speed, said onsemi. With the new design approach, onsemi said it delivers the accuracy and speed typically associated with mid- to high-end optical encoders. Using a 38-mm sensor, the device provides +/-50 arcsec accuracy at 6,000 RPM. The maximum speed at full accuracy is 6,000 RPM; however, the NCS32100 can support speeds up to 100,000 RPM with reduced accuracy, said onsemi.

Providing velocity, temperature, and backup battery measurements, the key specs for the NCS32100 include a supply voltage range of 2.75-5.5 V, full operation current consumption of 80 mA, and low-power battery mode consumption of 2 mA. It also provides interface level shifting from 2.7-5.5 V.

The NCS32100 is a plug-and-play solution with “firmware that directly outputs absolute position and velocity preloaded in its integrated microcontroller (MCU),” said Michel De Mey, vice president of the Industrial Solutions Division, onsemi, in a statement. The integrated MCU includes a non-volatile flash memory (NVM) and a configurable interface for communication with the host processor.

De Mey also said the high integration of the NCS32100 can reduce design time and the number of external components needed, translating into a faster time to market and smaller design.

Inductive sensors are suited for industrial applications due to their low sensitivity to almost all forms of contamination or interference, including mechanical vibration, and no first-order temperature dependence, said onsemi, and the NCS32100 also offers an integrated calibration routine to account for mechanical misalignment in the sensor.

Delivering high configurability, the inductive sensor can be used in a range of printed circuit board (PCB) sensor designs. Reference designs and evaluation boards are available to help with design.

The NCS32100 is available now. Onsemi is showcasing the NCS32100 in hall C4 booth 101 at electronica, Nov. 15-18, Munich, Germany.