Littelfuse, Inc., an industrial technology manufacturing company, recently announced the release of six new automotive current sensors designed to enhance hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) performance, efficiency, and functional safety.
The new Littelfuse Automotive Qualified Sensors provide precise, isolated current measurement across battery-management, motor-control, and pyro-fuse safety systems.
Using open-loop Hall-effect technology, the sensors deliver reliable performance in compact, bus-bar-mounted form factors. Output configurations include analog-voltage and digital (CAN/LIN) communication, giving system designers flexibility in integrating with existing EV architectures.
As EV and hybrid systems evolve, engineers face growing demands for high accuracy, fast response, and compliance with functional-safety standards. This new current-sensor family helps OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers meet those challenges by offering scalable, ASIL-capable solutions that simplify design while improving efficiency, safety, and overall system reliability.
Scalable design
Across the Automotive Qualified product family, nominal current ranges extend up to ±1500 A, with best-in-class total-error performance and minimal thermal drift. Models featuring CAN 2.0B communication include AUTOSAR E2E Profile 1A diagnostics and ASIL-C-capable current measurement, enabling integration into safety-critical systems such as battery control or disconnect units.
Product families and differentiators
- Battery-Management Sensors – CH1B02xB, CH1B032B, CH1B040B
High-accuracy analog or CAN-based current measurement up to ±1500 A for BMS, DC link, and HV junction boxes. - Motor-Control Sensors – CH1B02xM, CH1P01xM
Compact, low-noise, ratiometric-analog devices up to ±1500 A (±900 A for CH1P01xM) supporting fast-switching inverter applications. - Pyro-Fuse Trigger Module – CH1B050P
Intelligent, fast-response design directly triggers the pyro-fuse within microseconds—more than three times faster than conventional architectures.
Applications
- Battery management systems (BMS)
- Motor inverters
- HV junction boxes
- Power relay assemblies
- Starter generators
- DC/DC and AC/DC converters
- Pyro-fuse and battery disconnect modules
Littelfuse current sensors complement its portfolio of high-voltage circuit-protection and power-control components—including fuses, contactors, thyristors, and TVS diodes — to create complete system-level solutions for electric- and hybrid-vehicle design.
FAQs: Automotive current sensors
What makes these current sensors suitable for EV and hybrid vehicles?
Littelfuse automotive current sensors are engineered for high-voltage environments and harsh operating conditions found in EV and HEV platforms. Their open-loop Hall-effect design provides precise, isolated current measurement to ensure reliable operation across battery, motor, and safety systems.
How do these sensors improve functional safety in automotive designs?
Select CH1 family models meet ASIL-C safety requirements and include digital diagnostics through AUTOSAR E2E Profile 1A. This ensures that current measurement data and system health are continuously monitored, enabling fast fault detection and safe-state operation.
What are the key differences between the analog and digital output versions?
Analog-output models offer simple, fast ratiometric voltage signals ideal for inverters and motor-control circuits. Digital versions use CAN or LIN communication with built-in diagnostics, ensuring robust data transmission and integration with vehicle control networks.
How do the sensors integrate with existing EV architectures?
The sensors are busbar- or PCB-mounted, using standard automotive connectors and communication protocols. Their compact footprints and configurable current ranges simplify drop-in replacement or addition to new and legacy BMS, inverter, or junction-box platforms.
How does the CH1B050P pyro-fuse trigger enhance vehicle safety?
The CH1B050P detects overcurrent conditions and directly activates a pyro-fuse within microseconds—over three times faster than conventional overcurrent signal paths. This rapid response helps prevent thermal runaway and protects both passengers and high-voltage battery packs.
Filed Under: Sensors, Technology News