Volkswagen to use Infineon sensor chip in electric power steering systems

The Hall sensors will be responsible for steering torque sensing, measuring the steering force exerted and the steering angle, and then relaying this information to the control unit of the electric power steering system. According to the company, this then ensures that the control of the motor responsible for the electric power steering is optimised in terms of the required assist force and energy. The sensors offer three interfaces: Short PWM Codes (SPC), Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and Single Edge Nibble Transmission (SENT). Because of this, Infineon says it is able to support the conversion from analogue to digital communication between sensor and control unit of the vehicle steering system. The SENT and SPC interfaces are said to allow the system supplier to respond flexibly to automakers' interface requirements.