Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. announced its new A19360 wheel speed and distance sensor for use in emerging applications in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The cutting-edge giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensor provides automakers with the signal resolution and reliability required for advanced levels of automation in passenger vehicles and mobility-as-a-service applications. Automated and autonomous vehicles require superior wheel rotation information for accurate low-speed control.

The A19360 provides high-resolution information to automotive systems by generating extra output events per magnetic cycle with a special protocol that's compatible with electronic control units (ECUs). It includes an 8-event-per-magnetic-cycle mode targeted at ADAS applications, providing an increment for every ~5mm of tire roll. It also includes a 4-event-per-magnetic-cycle mode that doubles the number of outputs per magnetic cycle (compared to a normal wheel speed sensor).

This allows designers to halve the number of poles on in-wheel ring magnets to save costs, or increase the air gap and still obtain the same number of increments per revolution. The A19360 was developed for ISO 26262 ASIL B(D), and is built on Allegro's monolithic GMR technology with ultra-low jitter and large air gap capabilities. The company's SolidSpeed Digital Architecture™ provides the widest dynamic range of operating air gap and highly adaptive performance that eliminates flatlining due to thermal drift and system dynamics.