CIE Components in Electronics
Mouser Electronics is now shipping the new Magnetoresistive Sensor ICs from Honeywell. These miniature sensors are capable of detecting weak magnetic fields regardless of polarity and are part of Honeywell”s Nanopower Series and consume very little power.
The Nanopower Series of Magnetoresistive Sensor ICs are sensitive enough to detect magnetic fields as weak as 7 Gauss while drawing only 360 nA with a 1.8V supply voltage. This makes these sensor ICs the highest sensitivity and lowest power sensors in their class. Pinout for these 3-pin sensors are power, ground, and output.
The supply voltage is flexible and can handle from 1.65 VDC to 5.5 VDC. In the presence of a magnetic field that trips the sensor, the output pin is near the supply voltage. In the absence of a magnetic field, the output pin is close to ground. The push-pull output stage does not require an external pull-up resistor. These Magnetoresistive Sensors are available in the SOT 23 subminiature surface mount package and are only 1.6×2.9mm in size.
These low power sensors are appropriate for door switches and position detection situations where the sensor is mounted opposite a magnet. Opening a door would remove the magnetic field from the sensor, changing the state of the sensor and possibly triggering an alert in the system. Target systems for these sensors include industrial applications such as water, electric, and gas utility meters; reed switch replacement for building access control; and industrial smoke detectors. These Nanopower Magnetoresistive Sensor ICs are also appropriate for medical applications such as hospital beds, medical cabinets, and infusion pumps.
