The MLX90384, the first product incorporating Arcminaxis, reduces the complexity and effort involved in assembling robotic joints. It comes with a magnet and a SW package to calibrate and operate the system.
Historically, within many robotic designs, the highest-performance sensors have typically been selected with minimal regard for costs and maximal regard for performance.
However, as robotics applications continue to broaden and manufacturers strive to enhance production or decrease costs, the careful selection of components becomes ever more paramount.
For manufacturers, ensuring the affordability and simplicity of designs, all while upholding reliability and movement repeatability, is a primary concern.
The MLX90384 serves as a middle-ground between high-performance yet costly optical solutions, and more affordable but less effective dipole magnetic solutions.
The core differentiation of the MLX90384 is its magnet design and sensing capability. Unlike traditional multipole magnet sensors, the MLX90384 is pitch-independent and does not require a precise matching between the magnet pole size and the sensor.
This allows for the use of magnets with larger and stronger magnetic poles, providing stronger signals that enable operation at large airgap.
At the same time, the same sensor can be used with magnets of different size. Arcminaxis technology therefore provides a unique combination of key features: up to 18-bit resolution, a generous magnet-sensor placement tolerance of ±0.5 mm and a substantial 1.5mm (nominal) air gap between the magnet and integrated circuit (IC).
For robotic designs, the MLX90384’s functionality contributes to the reduction in sensor and magnet cost compared to existing multipole solutions as well as simpler design and assembly considerations, thanks to increased assembly tolerances and robustness to mechanical wearout.
The MLX90384 is delivered in a TSSOP-16 package together with a magnet and a SW package to operate and calibrate the system. Melexis Arcminaxis™ also helps to open up design flexibility by providing support for off-axis, through shaft, and linear encoder applications.
The MLX90384, including the IC, magnet and the necessary algorithm to operate, is ready for testing. Additionally, a ready-to-run evaluation kit is also available, featuring a pre-assembled and pre-calibrated design, with a pre-programmed microcontroller.
For more: www.melexis.com/MLX90384 or www.melexis.com/contact
