 Current Sensor ICs

o 0 to 50 A Integrated Current Sensor ICs

o 50 to 200 A Integrated Current Sensor ICs
o SIP Package 0 to >1000 A Sensor ICs
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 Magnetic Digital Position Sensor ICs
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 Magnetic Linear and Angular Position Sensor ICs
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 Magnetic Speed Sensor ICs
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 Motor Driver and Interface ICs
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 Regulators and Lighting
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 Sanken Products
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ACS712 and ACS713 Current Sensor ICs Frequently

Asked Questions
 What is the difference between the basic and reinforced isolation voltage ratings?
 Can the ACS712 and ACS713 be applied to both DC and AC currents?
 What does "ratiometric" mean?
 What external components are required?
 Is there any way to adjust the gain of the ACS712 and ACS713?
 How small of a current can the ACS712 resolve?
 What is the ESD tolerance of the ACS712?
 Can I get the Gerber files for your evaluation board?
 I can't use Gerber files; is any other layout data available?
 What are the creepage and clearance distances between the current path and the signal circuit?
 What is the inductance of the ACS712 current carrying conductor?
 What is the capacitance between the ACS712 current carrying conductor and device ground?
 How thick are the copper traces on your evaluation board?
 Are there any other design guidelines for applying the ACS712 and ACS713?
 Do the ACS712 and ACS713 contain lead?
 What is the composition of the leadframe?
 How susceptible is the ACS712 and ACS713 to stray magnetic fields?
 What safety certifications do the ACS712 and ACS713 have?
 What happens if I try to drive more than the specified 10 nF maximum capacitance with the output of
the device?
 What happens if I try to drive less than the specified 4.7 kΩ minimum resistance with the output of the
device?
 What is the overcurrent tolerance of the ACS712?
 What is the variation in leadframe resistance for the ACS712?
 Can I use the device beyond the rated isolation voltage in the datasheet?
What is the difference between the basic and reinforced isolation voltage ratings?
Allegro® MicroSystems current sensor ICs are isolation-tested according to the IEC 60950 standard. The
ACS712 and ACS713 devices have a 2100 VRMS rating for reinforced isolation and a 1500 VRMS rating for
basic isolation. For reinforced insulation, this allows for a working voltage of up to 184 Vpeak or DC voltage.
This allows for use on 110 VAC mains for reinforced applications. For basic isolation this translates to a
working voltage of 354 Vpeak or DC voltage. This is suitable for use on 240 VAC circuits.
Basic isolation voltage refers to isolation ratings for circuitry connected between line voltage and
ground. Reinforced isolation voltage refers to isolation ratings for circuitry connected between line voltage and
secondary electrical equipment that may have user contact. The figure 1 compares these specifications.

For the ACS712 and ACS713, the key limitation is actually the creepage and clearance distance inherent in the
SOIC8 package. To achieve higher isolation voltage ratings, steps must be taken in the applications
themselves, such as adding a slit on the circuit board underneath the device to increase the creepage
distance, and possibly adding a conformal coating to increase the clearance distance. Because these solutions
are a function of the PCB layout and the coating compound used, if a safety isolation standard is to be met, it
must be certified at the application level.
Can the ACS712 and ACS713 be applied to both DC and AC currents?
The ACS712 and ACS713 use Hall effect technology, which is compatible with electrical currents having both
DC and AC components. The bandwidths are 80 kHz typical.
What does "ratiometric" mean?
The ratiometric feature of the ACS712 and ACS713 means the device gain and offsets are proportional to the
supply voltage, VCC. This feature is particularly valuable when using the ACS712 and ACS713 with an analog-
to-digital converter. A-to-D converters typically derive their LSB from a reference voltage input, and if the
reference voltage varies, then the LSB varies proportionally. If the reference voltage and the supply voltage for
the ACS712 and ACS713 are derived from the same voltage source, then both the ACS712 and ACS713
outputs and the A-to-D converter LSB track any variations in the reference voltage source. Therefore,
reference voltage variations will not be a source of error in the analog-to-digital conversion of the ACS712 and
ACS713 output signals. Figure 2 is a plot of primary current, IP, versus output voltage, VOUT, of the
ACS712ELC-20A-T when varying VCC. The offset and sensitivity levels shift proportionally with V CC. For
example, when VCC = 5.5 V, the 0 A output is 5.5 / 2 = 2.75 V nominal, and the sensitivity is 110 mV/A nominal.
What external components are required?
Allegro recommends the use of a 0.1 µF bypass capacitor between the VCC pin and the GND pin. The
capacitor should be located as close as practical to the ACS712 and ACS713 package body.
Is there any way to adjust the gain of the ACS712 and ACS713?
No, the ACS712 and ACS713 mV/A sensitivity and 0-ampere quiescent voltage level are programmed at the
factory.
How small of a current can the ACS712 resolve?
The resolution of the ACS712 is limited by its noise level. The filtering characteristics are provided in table 1.

If higher resolution is required, then please contact the Allegro factory. Allegro continues to innovate and
improve upon the industry leading noise performance of our current sensor ICs. We are likely to have a higher
resolution product in our portfolio that may meet the needs of your application.
What is the ESD tolerance of the ACS712?
Typical ESD tolerance is 6 kV human body model, 600 V machine model.
Can I get the Gerber files for your evaluation board?
Yes, download from: Gerber Files (ZIP).
I can't use Gerber files; is any other layout data available?
Yes, a layout drawing PDF file can be downloaded from: ACS712 Layer Prints (PDF),
and a bill of materials from: ACS712 Bill-of-Materials (PDF).
What are the creepage and clearance distances between the current path and the signal circuit?
 The clearance distance, distance through air between the primary leads and secondary leads, for the ACS712
is typically 2 mm. This is the shortest distance from the primary leads to the tie-bar on the side of the package,
which is connected to the secondary leads (see figure 3). The clearance distance can be increased by adding
a conformal coating.

The creepage distance on the surface of the device package is also approximately 2 mm, as, again, the
shortest distance from the primary to the secondary leads is along the edge of the package to the tie-bar on
the side of the package.

The creepage distance on the surface of the printed circuit board on which the package is mounted is
approximately 3.9 mm. However, this may be increased, if necessary, by cutting a slit on the board between
the solder pads on opposite sides of the package (see figure 4).

What is the inductance of the ACS712 current carrying conductor?

Typical measured inductance versus test signal frequency:

 2.5 nH at 10 kHz
 2.4 nH at 50 kHz
 2.2 nH at 100 kHz
 2.15 nH at 200 kHz
What is the capacitance between the ACS712 current carrying conductor and device ground?
The value is extremely small and was measured to be less than 1 pF (typical).
How thick are the copper traces on your evaluation board?
The evaluation board uses 2-oz. copper.
Are there any other design guidelines for applying the ACS712 and ACS713?
Care should be taken to minimize the inductance of the current path to be measured. Also, attention should be
paid to minimizing the contact/connection resistance of any connections in that path.
Do the ACS712 and ACS713 contain lead?
The leadframes of the ACS712 and ACS713 are plated with lead-free, 100% matte tin and hence should be
processed and soldered accordingly. However the ACS712 and ACS713 are flip-chip devices, and the solder
balls inside the package that connect the die to the leadframe are 95% lead, 5% tin. Lead-free alternatives for
high-temperature flip-chip solder balls are not yet commercially available, and therefore solder balls of this
composition are exempted from lead-free requirements of RoHS (Directive 2002/95/EC of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous
Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment).
What is the composition of the leadframe?
The leadframe is made of oxygen-free copper.
How susceptible are the ACS712 and ACS713 to stray magnetic fields?
Assumptions for subsequent analysis:
A. The stray field results from a current flowing through a printed circuit board (PCB) trace , or an external
current-carrying conductor, adjacent to the Allegro device.
B. The external current-carrying conductor is on the same plane as the Hall element.
C. The conductor has an infinite length.
The assumptions above provide a worst case analysis for stray field generated by the current-carrying
conductor because there is no shielding of the Hall element, and the Hall element is in the optimum plane
relative to the disturbance.
The magnetic field, B, generated in the direction perpendicular to the plane in which the conductor and the Hall
element lie, at the distance λ to the conductor, will be:

BEXT = μ0 × I / ( 2 π × λ ) (tesla),
where:

μ0 = 4 π×10E-7 (H/m),
= 400 π (nH/m), and
assuming no core material around;
I is in amperes, and is the magnitude of the current flowing in the conductor; and
λ is in meters, and is the distance between the point under consideration and the conductor.
The analysis is based on the fact that the magnetic coupling coefficient of ACS712 family is typically
12 gauss/A.

The percentage error on the ACS712 output signal that is purely a result of an external magnetic disturbance
(percentage is relative to the full scale current range of the device) can be calculated as:

Error from External Field = ( BEXT / [12 G / A × IP ] ) × 100 (%).

Figure 5 shows the absolute current error (in A) versus the distance of the Hall element from the primary
conductor (in mm) for different primary current values (in A).
 Please also see application note AN26030 for more information on this topic.
What safety certifications do the ACS712 and ACS713 have?
The ACS712 and ACS713 also have been certified by TÜV America to the following standards:

 UL 60950-1:2003
 EN 60950-1:2001
 CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 60950-1:2003
The mold compound is UL recognized to UL94V-0.
What happens if I try to drive more than the specified 10 nF maximum capacitance with the output of
the device?
The output may become unstable and oscillate.
What happens if I try to drive less than the specified 4.7 kΩ minimum resistance with the output of the
device?
The output may not be able to fully drive the load and therefore it may not be as accurate as the datasheet
specification. If the output resistance becomes very low, or is shorted to VCC, the output may be permanently
damaged if the overload current continues for a period of time.
What is the overcurrent tolerance of the ACS712?
Steady state thermal testing with continuous DC (or AC RMS) current, based on Allegros ASEK712 demo
board, shows that at an ambient temperature of 85°C the ACS712 can withstand a maximum of 40 A before
reaching the maximum thermal junction temperature of 165°C. If the ambient temperature is as high as 150°C,
the ACS712 can withstand up to a maximum of 20 A before reaching a junction temperature of 165°C. See
figure 6.
The ACS712 family of devices will operate, on average, well above the rated working voltage in the datasheet.
However, mostly because of safety certification compliance requirements, Allegro does not approve of or
recommend use of the device beyond the voltage ratings specified in the device datasheets. If you have a
need for a device with higher voltage isolation performance, then please contact the Allegro factory.