Current monitor uses Hall sensor

The Figure 1 circuit uses a Hall-effect sensor, consisting of an IC that resides in a small gap in a flux-collector toroid, to measure dc current in the range of 0A to 40A. Wrap the current-carrying wire through the toroid; the Hall voltage VH is then linearly proportional to the current (I). The current drain from VB is less than 30mA.



To monitor an automobile alternator’s output current, for example, connect the car’s battery between the circuit’s VB terminal and ground, and wrap one turn of wire through the toroid. (Or, wrap 10 turns—if they’d fit—to measure 1A full scale.) When I=0V, the current sensor’s (CS1’s) VH output equals one-half of its 10V bias voltage. Because regulators IC1 and IC2 provide a bipolar bias voltage, VH and VOUT are zero when I is zero; adjust the output gain and offset to scale VOUT at 1V per 10A.


Originally published in the March 31, 1987, issue of EDN