Hall effect switch aids portable product miniaturisation

The AH1892 is well suited for proximity and position detection in space constrained portable and battery powered products, including tablets, smart phones and camcorders. Provided in a miniature 4pin 0.7 x 0.7 x 0.5mm U-WLB0707-4 package, Diodes claims it is seventeen times smaller than the common 3pin TSOT packaged alternatives. In addition, the device features integrated pull up resistors to simplify the external circuit layout and save more pcb space. A simple band select pin enables device sensitivity to be programmed to one of two predefined magnetic sensitivity ranges, allowing the device to be used in multiple applications with different field strengths. Sensitivity can also be adjusted on the fly via an external logic source such as a microcontroller, whereby band can be adjusted with a simple firmware upgrade. The AH1892 has an operating voltage supply range from 1.6 to 3.6V and, with normal operation, is said to consume an average current of just 4.3µA. To help improve product reliability during manufacture and use, the device provides protection against electrostatic discharge to a level of 8kV on supply and output pins.