ROHM Semiconductor has recently introduced a new contactless current sensor that consumes much less current than conventional shunt resistor based current sensors.

Conventional current sensors that use shunt resistors consume a lot of power because current must be introduced into the sensor itself. ROHM now offers the BM14270MUV-LB, one of the industry’s smallest contactless current sensors. The product features a low current consumption of 0.07 mA and a compact size of 3.5 mm x 3.5 mm x 1.0 mm.

The advantage of a contactless current sensor is that it is not necessary to introduce current into the sensor for measurement. In addition, interference suppression is used to prevent noise, which eliminates the need for shielding. The digital output of the built-in A/D converter reduces the load on the MCU and helps with power monitoring. Therefore, it is suitable for industrial equipment and consumer equipment that pass operating conditions for current detection. Includes battery-powered drones, solar panels and data center servers that require high performance.

Availability: Samples will be available starting in January 2019 and mass production will begin in April 2019.