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Aceinna's Current Sensors Boost EV MigrationAceinna's Current Sensors Boost EV Migration

Aceinna's vice president of automotive outlines the company's contributions to modern EV charging.

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

January 12, 2023

2 Min Read
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Image courtesy of Aceinna

EVs were the unquestioned stars of CES 2023, but to make EVs useable there is a strong supporting cast of technologies toiling in the background, and Design News chatted with Teoman Ustun vice president of Aceinna’s automotive business unit about the company’s contributions.

Aceinna’s current sensors play a crucial role in EV chargers, both the onboard variety that converts the incoming AC current to a DC charge for the battery pack and for the charging stations that plug into cars to provide them electricity from the grid.

The company’s magnetoresistive (MR) current sensors provide the benefit of being both faster and lighter, which are important factors for EVs, Ustun said. “Speed is getting really important because people are moving to silicon carbide and gallium arsenide semiconductors,” he said. Those are the chips that enable very high-speed DC fast charging.

Automotive traction inverters handle 1500 amps, so managing so much current is critical, said Ustun. The company also has a bus bar version of the current sensor. The company touts its MCx1101 current sensor for challenging power applications including motor control, inverters, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and industrial power systems.

“We’ve historically been industrial,” noted Ustun, “but now we are targeting automotive applications.” One attraction of providing sensors for charging stations is that, unlike onboard chargers, they don’t have to meet automotive qualifications, he added.

Related:16 Battery-Related Highlights at CES 2023

Another component the company is providing the automotive market is ASIL B certified, and that is inertial measurement units. They are necessary for navigation systems that are especially crucial for EVs to help drivers locate charging stations when their car’s battery is low. They are also used for electronic stability control systems that keep the car’s shiny side up in low-traction conditions.

The RTK330LA, for example, is a complete inertial navigation system, with a built-in global navigation satellite system, triple redundant IMUs, a proprietary positioning engine, and surface mounting for precise positioning. “This integration is enabling [customers] to go to market faster,” said Ustun.

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About the Author

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.

Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.

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He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.

He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.

He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.

He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.

Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.

He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers

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