
High Sensitivity, 1 MHz, GMR-Based Current Sensor IC
in Space-Saving, Low Resistance QFN and SOIC-8 Packages
ACS70331
20
Allegro MicroSystems
955 Perimeter Road
Manchester, NH 03103-3353 U.S.A.
www.allegromicro.com
GMR elements are made up of thin layers of magnetic material,
and as such, high temperature and magnetic fields can cause
small shifts in the magnetization of those layers, resulting in drift
in the sensor performance. The GMR elements in the ACS70331
are made up of magnetic materials which are relatively immune
to the temperatures and fields seen in most commercial applica-
tions. However, extended times near the maximum rated junction
temperature with applied current or field can cause the gain and
offset of the sensor to shift. These shifts are dependent on the
application temperature, current, and stray field, and typical drift
under various application cases are given in the table below, as
well as a description of the physics behind each drift.
LIFETIME DRIFT
Test Condition Typical Drift (Average + 3 sigma)
Junction
Temperature Current Common Mode
Field Offset Sensitivity
125°C
(408 hours) 0 A 0 G ±140 mA ±0.9%
100°C
(408 hours) 1 A (DC) 0 G ±170 mA ±2.3%
100°C
(408 hours) 2.5 A (DC) 0 G ±210 mA ±1.5%
100°C
(500 hours) 5 A (DC) 0 G ±540 mA ±2.8%
100°C
(408 hours) 5 A (AC) 0 G ±150 mA ±1%
125°C
(48 hours) 0 A 50 G ±150 mA ±1%
C1 Qualification Highest Drift Stress
(Temperature Cycling –40°C to 150°C,
500 cycles)
0 A 0 G ±90 mA ±5%
CASE 1: CONTINUOUS CURRENT AT HIGH
TEMPERATURE
In general, this is the worst case configuration for drift. High
temperature and constant field will slightly rotate some of the
GMR layers. Here, the field seen by two of the GMR elements in
the bridge is in one direction, and the field seen by the other two
GMR elements in the bridge is in the other direction. This results
in two of the elements drifting in one direction and two of them
drifting in the other direction, which causes an offset shift on the
output of the sensor. Typically, at a given temperature and current
there is a maximum amount of shift, and the time constant for
the shift is around 24 hours. If one reverses the current, the shift
will be in the opposite direction. Essentially, at a given tempera-
ture and current level, there is a hysteresis curve for the shift.
The higher the temperature and current, the wider the hysteresis
curve.
CASE 2: AC CURRENT AT HIGH TEMPERATURE
As noted in Case 1, the time constant for the offset shift in
the sensor is around 24 hours, and the shift direction switches
with the current direction. Because of this, AC current tends to
cause little to no shift in the sensor, as the average torque on the
magnetic layers is zero. This is evident in the plot below, which
shows the drift when applying high DC and AC currents at
100°C.
CASE 3: STRAY FIELD AT HIGH TEMPERATURE
When stray field is applied to the sensor at high temperature, all
four resistors in the bridge shift in the same direction, theoreti-
cally cancelling any drift on the output. However, due to mis-
match in the elements, there is still some drift, but it is signifi-
cantly less than what is seen in Case 1 or even Case 2.