Chopper-Stabilized Hall Effect Bipolar Switch
A3230
7
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
Functional Description
B
HYS
V
OUT(SAT)
V+
0
B
HYS
V
OUT(SAT)
V+
0
B
HYS
V
OUT(SAT)
V+
0
V
CC
V
CC
V
CC
B+
B
B+
B 0
0
B+
B
0
VCC
V
S
Output
GND
VOUT
R
LOAD
A3230
0.1 礔
C
BYP
Operation
The output of these devices switches low (turns on) when a
magnetic eld perpendicular to the Hall element exceeds the
operate point threshold, B
OP
. After turn-on, the output voltage
is V
OUT(SAT)
. The output transistor is capable of sinking current
up to the short circuit current limit, I
OM
, which is a minimum of
30 mA. When the magnetic eld is reduced below the release
point, B
RP
, the device output goes high (turns off). The differ-
ence in the magnetic operate and release points is the hysteresis,
B
HYS
, of the device. This built-in hysteresis allows clean switch-
ing of the output even in the presence of external mechanical
vibration and electrical noise.
There are three switching modes for bipolar devices, referred to
as latch, unipolar switch, and negative switch. Mode is deter-
mined by the switchpoint characteristics of the individual device.
Note that, as shown in gure 1, these switchpoints can lie in
either north or south polarity ranges. The values of the magnetic
parameters for the A3230 are speci ed in the Magnetic Charac-
teristics table, on page 3.
Bipolar devices typically behave as latches (although these
devices are not guaranteed to do so). In this mode, magnetic
elds of opposite polarity and equivalent strengths are needed
to switch the output. When the magnetic elds are removed
(B ?0) the device remains in the same state until a magnetic
Figure 1. Bipolar Device Output Switching Modes. These behaviors can be exhibited when using a circuit such as that shown in panel D. Panel A
displays the hysteresis when a device exhibits latch mode (note that the B
HYS
band incorporates B= 0), panel B shows unipolar switch behavior (the
B
HYS
band is more positive than B = 0), and panel C shows negative switch behavior (the B
HYS
band is more negative than B = 0). Bipolar devices,
such as the A3230, can operate in any of the three modes.
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
eld of the opposite polarity and of suf cient strength causes
it to switch. The hysteresis of latch mode behavior is shown in
panel A of gure 1.
In contrast to latching, when a device exhibits unipolar switch-
ing, it only responds to a south magnetic eld. The eld must
be of suf cient strength, > B
OP
, for the device to operate. When
the eld is reduced beyond the B
RP
level, the device switches
back to the high state, as shown in panel B of gure 1. Devices