A new sensor technology from Texas Instruments (TI) could help electric vehicles travel further on a charge while also delivering smoother acceleration and more efficient motor performance.
The semiconductor company has unveiled the TMCS2100-Q1, a traction inverter current sensor designed to improve the precision of electric and hybrid vehicle powertrains without increasing the size and weight of the system.
Measuring less than 32mm², it combines multiaxial magnetic field measurement with a proprietary algorithm to address one of the long-standing engineering challenges in traction inverter design: balancing precision with system size.
Improving precision without adding bulk
Traction inverters play a critical role in electric vehicle performance and controlling the flow of power between the battery and electric motor.
Traditional designs often require engineers to make compromises. Magnetic or C-core sensors can deliver high levels of accuracy but add size and weight, while smaller coreless alternatives can suffer from reduced precision caused by displacement errors and magnetic interference.
TI says the TMCS2100-Q1 is designed to overcome that trade-off.
The sensor measures magnetic fields across both horizontal and vertical directions, allowing it to detect changes more precisely than conventional single-axis alternatives. According to TI, the technology can deliver measurements up to 20 times more accurate than comparable single-axis sensors.
This increased precision could improve how effectively an EV’s traction inverter controls torque and power delivery under varying load and thermal conditions.
What it could mean for EV range
More accurate current measurement can help manufacturers optimise motor control and improve the efficiency of an electric powertrain.
That could translate into several benefits for drivers, including improved energy efficiency, smoother acceleration and potentially greater driving range.
The technology may also help reduce torque ripple, a phenomenon that can contribute to jerky acceleration, motor noise, and inefficient operation. By improving current measurement accuracy and reducing the impact of magnetic crosstalk, manufacturers could create a more refined driving experience while reducing unnecessary energy losses.
Texas Instruments said the sensor was developed specifically to give automakers greater flexibility as electric vehicle architectures become increasingly sophisticated.
This could become particularly important as manufacturers move towards higher-voltage systems, including 800V architectures, where precision in traction inverter operation becomes even more critical.
Smaller components, more efficient powertrains
Another potential benefit is the opportunity to reduce the physical size of traction inverter systems.
By eliminating the need for a magnetic core while maintaining high levels of precision, the technology could support smaller and more power-dense inverter designs.
While advances in battery capacity continue to attract significant attention, gains in range and efficiency can also come from improvements across the wider electric powertrain, including motors, inverters, thermal management systems and the sensors that control them.
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