Molex Launches Percept Current Sensors for Enhanced Busbar Current Sensing

Molex, a leader in electronics and connectivity solutions, has introduced the Percept Current Sensors to meet the increasing demand for precise busbar current sensing in industrial and automotive sectors.  These sensors utilize Infineon’s coreless current sensor technology, which features a differential Hall-effect design, ensuring accurate current measurements and superior noise suppression.

Key Features

· Compact and Lightweight: The Percept Current Sensors leverage proprietary electronics packaging technology, making them up to 50% smaller and 86% lighter than competing solutions.  This reduction allows for higher-density device packaging, contributing to overall system weight savings and design flexibility.

· High Precision and Reliability: With an accuracy of within 2% across a wide temperature range, these sensors are ideal for applications sensitive to electromagnetic interference (EMI).  Infineon’s differential Hall-effect design effectively minimizes noise from stray magnetic fields.

· Streamlined Integration: The sensor-in-busbar configuration facilitates plug-and-play deployment, significantly reducing development time, resources, and costs.  Molex’s innovative packaging integrates conductors, connectors, PCBs, busbars, and heat sinks into a single device, optimizing installation and performance.

Environmental Considerations

The novel packaging technology is also environmentally friendly, utilizing 99% less water than traditional PCB manufacturing and avoiding harmful chemicals and copper sludge.

Product Specifications

· Current Range: +/-450.0 to +/-1,600.0A

· Operating Temperature: -40 to 125°C (AEC-Q100 Grade 1)

· Output Modes: Full-differential and single-ended output modes with bi-directional sensing

Availability

Percept Current Sensors are expected for industrial applications in October 2024, with automotive options following in the first half of 2025.  Limited engineering samples for industrial use are currently available.

Quotes from Leadership

Lily Yeung, Director of Sensors at Molex, stated, “The new Percept Current Sensors benefit from Infineon’s coreless sensor and our proprietary electronics packaging technology to set new standards for current-sensing accuracy, reliability, and integration simplicity.”

Matthias Grewe, Vice President at Infineon Technologies, added, “Infineon’s XENSIV™ TLE4973 and TLE4972 sensors, combined with Molex’s innovative packaging, create a robust solution tailored for automotive and industrial markets.” 

Molex’s Percept Current Sensors represent a significant advancement in current sensing technology, offering enhanced performance and ease of integration for a variety of applications.