Infineon Technologies Introduces Intelligent Wheel Speed Hall Effect Sensor for Modern ABS Systems.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Sensors Expo/Anaheim

ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 9, 2000

As part of its effort to enable leading-edge technological developments in the auto industry, Infineon Technologies today introduced the TLE4942, an integrated Hall Effect sensor jointly developed by Infineon and Robert Bosch GmbH for wheel speed detection in anti-lock braking systems (ABS). The TLE4942 is designed to reduce the overall cost of the ABS/traction control system and simplify both system design and sensor manufacturer assembly.

The TLE4942 is a third-generation Infineon ABS Hall IC, based on BiCMOS technology integrating mixed signal self-calibration techniques. Compared to mechanical coil or variable reluctance solutions currently popular on the market, it offers significantly more features and is a highly cost-effective approach versus use of ABS sensors based on magnetoresistive (MR) principles.

"While Hall IC market share is less than five percent of the market today, an increase in adoption to about 30-40 percent is projected in the next four to five years," said Jon White, product manager for sensors at Infineon Technologies. "As a leader in the development of Hall ICs required for modern ABS systems, we are working hard to push innovation in electronics for the automotive industry in order to meet the needs of the future."

Rich Feature Set

The TLE4942 packs a rich set of innovative features, including:

-   Specific two-wire PWM current interface and diagnostics regarding
    quality of magnetic field

-   The first backbiased dynamic differential Hall Effect IC on the
    market to offer bi-directional speed detection

-   Specific small and ultrathin leaded package (PSSO-2-1)

-   Temperature range -40(degree)to +150(degree)C in harsh
    environments

Pricing and Availability

Samples are available now, with volume production scheduled for June. Pricing is $1.25 each in 10,000-unit quantities.

About Hall ICs

The integrated Hall Effect Sensor is based on the Hall effect, named after its discoverer Edwin Hall in 1879. A Hall element (a square shaped semiconductor layer, for example) is supplied by a constant current. When applying a magnetic field perpendicular to the current flow, the charge carriers are deflected due to the Lorentz force. This deflection can be measured as the so-called Hall voltage, which is perpendicular to both the magnetic field and the current flow. The Hall voltage is directly proportional to the magnetic field.

Automotive manufacturers and the industry in general are placing ever-increasing demands on accurate sensor systems for wheel speed sensing systems, engine and transmission management, as well as power steering. In addition, such systems are also required for onboard instrumentation, fuel consumption and for the accurate calculation of any kind of positional and rotational position sensing. Contactless, magnetically actuated Hall Effect ICs are subject to stringent performance and reliability requirements in automotive applications.

The Hall Effect Sensor is virtually immune to environmental contaminants and is suitable for use under severe conditions. The IC is very sensitive and provides a reliable, reproducible operation in close tolerance applications with temperatures in excess of 150 degrees) C. Silicon Hall Effect ICs have found increasing use in the past ten years. By using standard bipolar IC technologies it is possible to create and process integrated Hall Effect Sensors resulting in very cost-effective solutions to a wide variety of sensing tasks.

About Infineon

Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor solutions for applications in the wireless and wired communications markets, for the automotive and industrial sectors, for security systems and chip cards as well as memory products. With a global presence, Infineon operates in the US from San Jose, CA, and in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore. In the fiscal year 1999 (ending September), the company achieved sales of Euro 4.24 billion (US $ 4.51 billion) with about 26,000 employees worldwide. The company is listed on the main market segment (Amtlicher Handel) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and at the New York Stock Exchange. Further information is available at www.infineon.com

Any statements in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties; actual results may differ from the forward-looking statements. Infineon Technologies undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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