IN Brief:
- MLX91241 is the first Melexis integrated circuit produced through its localised manufacturing model in China.
- The Hall-effect sensor provides 250kHz bandwidth, 3µs response time, 5V operation, and end-of-line programmability.
- Engineering samples target EV traction, 48V recuperation, DC-DC conversion, and solar-inverter applications.
Melexis has begun producing an integrated circuit through a localised manufacturing model in China, using its new MLX91241 Hall-effect current sensor as the first device in the programme. Engineering samples are available now, giving the Belgian semiconductor company a locally produced component aimed at electric-vehicle and power-conversion applications in the Chinese market.
The MLX91241 is a Hall-effect current sensor with 250kHz bandwidth and a 3µs response time. It operates from a 5V supply, provides an analogue output, supports ratiometric and fixed-output modes, and can be programmed at end of line through a one-pin interface. Melexis is supplying the part in its SIP4-VB package.
The sensor is designed for high-power monitoring in EV traction inverters, 48V boost-recuperation systems, DC-DC converters, and solar inverters. In a typical implementation it sits in the air gap of a ferromagnetic C-core surrounding a busbar or cable. The core concentrates magnetic flux around the Hall element while helping reject external magnetic-field disturbance, allowing the IC to produce an output proportional to the measured current.
Melexis factory-trims the transfer characteristic over temperature, while offset and sensitivity can be programmed by the customer at the end of the production line. The one-pin protocol is designed to work through a standard microcontroller rather than requiring a proprietary programmer. Calibration can therefore account for magnetic-core variation, mechanical tolerances, and assembly effects after the current-measurement path has been built.
The production decision accompanies the component launch. Melexis has been developing a localisation strategy for China that combines regional logistics with local manufacturing, and the MLX91241 is the first IC produced through that model. The approach is intended to shorten the physical supply chain for Chinese customers while keeping product development and support closer to the target market.
Current sensing in electrified powertrains places tight requirements on response time, accuracy, isolation strategy, and robustness. Traction inverters must measure rapidly changing phase currents while operating alongside high common-mode voltage and switching noise. Solar and DC-DC conversion create similar requirements, although current range, conductor geometry, control bandwidth, and isolation architecture vary between applications.
Other recent traction-inverter sensor development has focused on compensating for mechanical displacement and magnetic crosstalk, showing how strongly current-measurement performance can depend on field geometry and installation. Melexis retains a conventional core-based approach with the MLX91241, using programmability and a 250kHz signal path to manage production tolerance and dynamic response.
The 250kHz bandwidth and 3µs response time place the device in a control-oriented rather than metrology-only role. Fast current feedback is useful where a controller has to respond to switching events or abnormal loads, but the useful system bandwidth will still depend on the magnetic core, conductor geometry, filtering, ADC path, and control loop around the sensor. End-of-line programmability gives designers a way to correct part of that assembled-system variation without changing the basic analogue interface.
Local production may also alter qualification and sourcing decisions for customers that currently import comparable devices. A regionally produced IC can reduce transport and inventory exposure, but automotive and industrial programmes will still require controlled change management if wafers, assembly, test, or materials differ from an existing global supply route. The localisation programme therefore has to be assessed through manufacturing consistency as well as lead time and commercial availability.
Regional manufacture adds its own engineering discipline. Electrical behaviour, test limits, traceability, and qualification have to remain consistent across manufacturing locations if customers are to use the locally produced device without creating a separate design baseline. Melexis says the Chinese production model will operate to its established quality standards while supporting faster development cycles, cost optimisation, and continuity for local customers.
The available engineering samples now shift attention to application validation. Designers will have to characterise bandwidth, temperature behaviour, core selection, electromagnetic interference, calibration, and mechanical tolerance in the intended current path rather than relying on the IC specification alone. Successful qualification would give Melexis a first production reference for expanding its China-made semiconductor portfolio beyond the MLX91241.
