Hall Effect Sensors: From Highways to Laundry Rooms

As home appliances get smarter and smarter, they’re making use of sensing and control technologies long found in more sophisticated products such as cars. Micronas, a supplier of application-specific IC technology, today made a move to tap into that trend.

The company announced a new effort to bring its broad range of Hall Effect sensors to the white goods market. Previously, these sensors had mostly gone into automotive applications. The company plans to showcase its Hall Effect line-up in the new Home Appliances arena at IFA 2008,  the consumer electronics fair held in Berlin, Germany.

Appliance makers already use plenty of sensors for the increasingly precise control tasks. For example, in washing machines, they might help control the variable-speed motor drive, which can save energy by agitating the clothes only enough to get them clean. “We are  looking at the ‘green’ factor. Household appliances are major energy users and our technology helps to reduce power consumption and thus CO₂ emissions,” according to Peter Zimmermann, the market manager heading Micronas’ initiative to enter the white goods market.