Hybridization in Technology to Drive the Current Sensor Market

As per a report available on XploreMR, the global current sensor market is expected to grow at a substantial rate between 2020 and 2030.

The data centres are witnessing an ever-increasing adoption on the part of power management system, so as to enhance speed & efficiency along with reduction in cost of power. This factor is expected to drive the current sensor market, as their integration with UPS and inverter ascertains protection of battery, thereby making it imperative in data centres. Also, government regulations pertaining to control over power consumption in data centre is another factor positively influencing the current sensor market.

Current Sensor Market Trends

The Hall-effect current sensors are best-suited in the present scenario as they help in reduction of design size and BOM (Bill of Material), thereby facilitating their integration in various industry verticals. Coreless technology also fuels the demand for current sensors.

Another advantages offered by the Hall-Effect technology include broad frequency bandwidth, linearity, precision. Low power consumption is, by default, ensured. The application areas of programmable Hall-effect sensors include industrial robots, smart batteries, traction motor invertors, and smart fuse devices. The key players are looking for galvanic isolation-based technology and BiCMOS architecture.

The other current sensor driving the growth of current sensor market is the “closed loop current sensor”. The advantages include low temperature drift, quick response time, and precision. Commercial application areas also vie for closed loop current sensors. The telecom sector asks for higher bandwidth along with updating network infrastructure. Closed loop current sensors are the best fit herein.

Besides, the US and the other developed economies are “bang on” with 5G technology development. This trend ought to go for deployments of infrastructure from base stations, servers, distributed antenna system to SMPS, UPS, and telecommunication power supplies. In a nutshell, the closed loop current sensors are expected to be the major revenue generator in the years to come.

As an add-on feature, closed loop sensors are capable of mitigating electrical noise. This helps in offering stable current flow in PDU (Power Distribution Unit), CRAC (Computer Room Air Conditioning) units, and the power supplies.

Now, coming to motor-driven current sensor, the demand is getting fuelled by industries dealing with industrial pumps, blowers, fans, and robots. Industrial robots are in great demand in the manufacturing sector with technologies like cloud-computing and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) being increasingly put into practice. This demand is prevalent in economies like South Korea and China. Current sensing is needed in servos, DC motors, and circuitry, which go on to measure robots’ functionality and power requirement.

Current sensors are also experiencing an increasing demand from hybrid (HEVs) & electric vehicles (EVs). The main purpose of these sensors is that of efficiently monitoring the current consumed by battery and pass on the real-time information regarding battery management and charging status. EVs/HEVs are being adopted by numerous countries who are looking for greener initiatives with lower consumption of fuel.

Covid-19 Impact

The outbreak of Covid-19 has applied brakes to the research activities that were conducted in this regard. This scenario is expected to persist till the end of 2020. Things are expected to bounce back with the start of 2021.

Region-wise Snapshot

North America leads the market due to inclination towards smart city and smart home trends. This does result in promulgation of loads of electronic systems inclusive of HVAC control, lighting control, home appliances, home healthcare services, infotainment systems, portable electronic devices, etc. All these electronic systems need cujrrent sensors. Europe comes in second. Asia-Pacific is expected to pick up slowly.

Competitive Landscape

The key players in the current sensor market include Silicon Laboratories, Aceinna, Allegro MicroSystems, TDK Corporation, Infineon Technologies. They are emphasizing on new product launches to stay competitive. For instance, Allegro MicroSystems, LLC, in Jun 2020, did launch a series of advanced Hall-Effect current sensors. The operating temperature range has been suitable for industrial and automotive applications.