48V Automotive ADAS Solutions – Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. (“Allegro”) (Nasdaq: ALGM), a global leader in power and sensing solutions for motion control and energy-efficient systems, is simplifying the transition from 12V to 48V automotive architectures with a complete motion control and sensing portfolio for next-generation advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The expanded ADAS offering includes the AMD89106 and AMD89186 gate drivers, the highly accurate A17810 inductive torque sensor, and the industry’s first single-chip true 48V power management IC (PMIC), the A81481. Together, these devices deliver a unified power and sensing signal chain for safety-critical steering and braking systems – the actuation backbone of modern ADAS design that translates driving decisions into precise vehicle response.
Key Portfolio Highlights:
- AMD89106 / AMD89186 Gate Drivers: Deliver design-once scalability across 12V and 48V platforms through footprint- and register-compatible architectures, eliminating board re-spins and preserving embedded software investments.
- A17810 Inductive Torque Sensor: Simplifies mechanical design by measuring steering torque with high accuracy and reliability, eliminating the need for magnets and complex shielding.
- A81481 Single-Chip 48V PMIC: Enables automakers to build smaller, more efficient, safety-ready 48V power architectures with up to 50% lower bill-of-materials (BOM) costs.
“As automakers transition to 48V zonal architectures, engineering teams cannot afford to maintain separate designs for 12V and 48V platforms,” said Ram Sathappan, Vice President of Global Marketing and Applications at Allegro. “Our footprint-compatible gate drivers, magnet-free torque sensing and the single-chip 48V PMIC bring together the power and sensing solution needed for safety-critical steering and braking systems. Automakers can now scale seamlessly from 12V to 48V chassis platforms, reuse existing software and significantly reduce electronic control unit size and BOM costs.”
New Gate Drivers Simplify Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) Adoption
As the industry shifts toward software-defined vehicles (SDVs), automakers face significant engineering overhead when managing parallel 12V and 48V motor platforms. To resolve this architectural fragmentation, the AMD89106 (12V) and AMD89186 (48V) three-phase brushless DC (BLDC) gate drivers share identical PCB footprints and register maps. This compatibility allows engineers to lay out a single motor control board and reuse critical software codebases as vehicles migrate to higher voltages. Both devices integrate in-phase current sensing and digital current readback, improving motor current accuracy in steer-by-wire, electromechanical braking (EMB), active suspension and low-voltage onboard charging systems compared to conventional low-side sensing topologies.
Magnet-Free Torque Sensor Improves Accuracy and Reduces Steering Complexity
Allegro’s new A17810 inductive dual-angle sensor is AEC-Q100 Grade 0 qualified and eliminates the magnets, flux concentrators and shielding required by conventional magnetic torque sensors, making it immune to stray magnetic fields caused by nearby electrified systems. By measuring two conductive targets to calculate torque and absolute Vernier angle on-chip, the A17810 reduces component count and mechanical complexity. This dual-angle capability delivers the high accuracy needed for electric power steering (EPS) and steer-by-wire systems while potentially eliminating a satellite gear and separate angle sensors required in conventional steering columns.
Single-Chip PMIC Delivers Integrated 48V Power Backbone
Completing the power signal chain, the new A81481 PMIC provides a dedicated power foundation for safety-critical 48V electronic control units (ECUs) across EPS, X-by-wire, EMB, active suspension, onboard charging and DC-DC applications. While traditional 48V architectures rely on a multi-chip approach, pairing a dedicated 12V PMIC with a separate 48V pre-regulator and supporting discrete protection circuits, the A81481 integrates dual buck regulators, five low-dropout (LDO) regulators, and ASIL D safety diagnostics into a single device. This provides a more direct path to powering safety-critical 48V ECUs while reducing design complexity and lowering BOM costs up to 50%.
Availability & electronica 2026 Showcase
For more information about theAMD89106, AMD89186, A17810, and A81481, including samples and evaluation support, visit allegromicro.com/automotive.
Attendees at electronica 2026 (November 10-13, Munich, Germany) can see Allegro’s latest 48V automotive power and sensing solutions in action in Hall C6, Booth 129.
