Allegro MicroSystems is expanding its portfolio of power management and sensing ICs for humanoid robots, targeting design requirements such as torque control, thermal management and functional safety. The new solutions include a 48V power management IC (PMIC), inductive position sensors and compact magnetic angle sensors for robotic joints and grippers. The devices address different parts of robotic motion systems, from high-torque actuators to the smaller joints used in robotic hands. At the power level, the A81481 PMIC supports 48V architectures increasingly used in humanoid designs to reduce cabling weight and resistive losses. The single-chip device operates directly from a 48V bus, eliminating external pre-regulators. Housed in a 6×6mm package, the A81481 integrates dual buck regulators, five low-dropout (LDO) outputs and safety diagnostics, including a triple-watchdog architecture. Its diagnostics support ASIL-D requirements. Allegro claims the integration can reduce system footprint and bill-of-materials costs by approximately 50%. For high-torque actuators in shoulder, hip and knee joints, the A17802 and A17803 inductive position sensors provide position measurement with immunity to stray magnetic fields. Both devices compensate for variations in mechanical air gaps and use filtering to maintain measurement performance without additional magnetic shielding. The A17803 is also available in a compact QFN package. Smaller joints in robotic hands require sensors that can operate within tighter mechanical constraints. Allegro’s CT310 XtremeSense tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor and A33023 Hall-effect angle sensor target these applications. The CT310 provides sub-degree accuracy in a 2×2mm DFN package. The A33023 offers low-latency measurement, stray-field immunity and multiple digital output options, with diagnostic capabilities for safety-related applications. Sarcomere Dynamics Inc. is integrating Allegro’s motion controllers, sensors and power ICs into its Scorpion robotic gripper. The companies also plan to extend their collaboration to the ARTUS Dex, a next-generation robotic hand with 24 degrees of freedom. “Precise motion control, accurate sensing, and efficient power management are fundamental to advanced robotic manipulation,” said Harpal J.S. Mandaher, CEO and co-founder of Sarcomere Dynamics. “We’re proud to partner with Allegro to integrate their advanced motion controllers, sensors, and power ICs into our Scorpion gripper and are on track to extend this collaboration to our next-generation ARTUS Dex – a 24-degree-of-freedom (DoF) robotic hand that delivers near-human dexterity for advanced physical AI applications.” Allegro said the combination of 48V power management, motor and gate drivers, and compact position sensors is intended to address the weight and space constraints of autonomous humanoid platforms. “In fixed industrial robots, weight and space are less constrained because thick cables, large external drives and liquid cooling are practical,” said Andreas Friedrich, Senior Director of Technology & Strategy at Allegro MicroSystems. “But in autonomous humanoids with 30-plus degrees of freedom, every gram and millimeter matters. By combining true 48V power management, robust motor and gate drivers, stray-field-immune inductive and compact TMR sensors, we give robotics engineers integrated, safety-ready building blocks to maximize torque, manage tight tolerances, and enable fluid motion.” The post Allegro Develops 48V Power and Precision Sensing ICs for Humanoid Robots appeared first on EE Times Asia .