New Small-Volume High-Precision TMR Busbar DC Current Sensor

Large dc current is typically measured by an open-loop sensor without a magnetic core. The widely used configuration uses a differential magnetic sensor inserted into the busbar hole or a differential magnetic sensor placed on the upper and lower surfaces of the busbar. The use of a differential sensor has the advantage of being resistant to external magnetic fields. In this article, a new differential ultra-small magnetic sensor with the size of 23.2 mm × 16.5 mm × 7.2 mm is designed. The sensor is based on tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) and is placed on the upper surface edge of the busbar. The supply voltage is 5 V, the rated current measurement range is ±150 A, and the peak current measurement range is ±250 A, corresponding to 2.5 ± 2 V output at ±250 A dc peak current. The relative accuracy is less than ±1% at 25 °C and is less than ±2% over the full temperature range from -40 °C to 105 °C.