Allegro MicroSystems announced an expanded robotics portfolio with high-precision sensors and 48V power architecture solutions for embodied intelligence applications, targeting core hardware pain points in humanoid robot joint motor control—precision, power density, and functional safety in human-robot collaboration.
On 48V power management, the A81481 PMIC draws from the 48V bus to provide system power and safety-regulated voltage without an extra pre-regulator. In a 6mm×6mm compact package, it integrates dual buck converters, five LDO outputs, and ASIL-D functional safety diagnostics including a triple watchdog architecture. One 12V output feeds motor pre-driver chips, while configurable 5V/3.3V outputs power MCUs, Ethernet PHYs, and peripherals. It needs no external sequencing circuit, simplifying PCB layout and cutting board area and BOM cost by about 50%.
For high-torque joint control, the A17802 and A17803 inductive position sensors resist stray magnetic field interference without extra metal shielding and tolerate air-gap tolerance variation in mechanical assembly. The A17803 offers an ultra-compact QFN package fitting joint motors as small as 33mm outer diameter. Both use on-chip adaptive compensation and advanced filtering to maintain stable performance as mechanical air gaps change dynamically.
For micro joint sensing, the CT310 XtremeSense TMR sensor and A33023 Hall-effect angle sensor achieve better than 1° measurement accuracy, replacing traditional optical encoders prone to jitter and oil contamination. The CT310 uses a 2mm×2mm DFN package; the A33023 combines ultra-low signal latency, stray-field immunity, and multiple digital output protocols, suiting scenarios with strict safety diagnostics and functional safety requirements.
Harpal J.S. Mandaher, co-founder and CEO of Sarcomere Dynamics, said the company is deepening cooperation with Allegro, integrating its motion controllers, sensors, and power chips into Scorpion robotic grippers, with plans to extend to the next-gen ARTUS Dex dexterous hand with 24 degrees of freedom.
Andreas Friedrich, Allegro senior director of technology and strategy, said fixed industrial robots have fewer weight and space constraints, but humanoid robots with 30+ degrees of freedom make every gram and millimeter critical. By combining 48V power management, motor and gate drive technology, stray-field-immune inductive sensors, and compact TMR sensors, Allegro offers robot developers integrated building blocks that meet functional safety requirements.
ICgoodFind Summary: Humanoid robots' hardware constraint is every gram and every millimeter. Allegro packages 48V PMICs, inductive position sensors, and TMR sensors into functional-safety-compliant modules, targeting the hard trade-off among precision, size, and safety in joint motor control.
