MLX90514: A Compact Inductive Position Sensor Enabling High-Precision Motion Control in Robotics and Industrial Systems

The demand for sensors capable of delivering highly accurate position feedback is rapidly increasing in applications such as robotic joint control, industrial motor commutation, and electric vehicle drive systems. These use cases require compact form factors, seamless system integration, fast response times, and strong resistance to environmental influences—requirements that expose the limitations of conventional optical encoders and magnetic sensing technologies in terms of robustness, scalability, and long-term reliability.

The MLX90514 addresses these challenges through a contactless inductive sensing principle that ensures stable and repeatable performance even in harsh operating environments. Its dual-input architecture processes signals from two independent coil sets and calculates the vernier angle directly on-chip. In real-world applications—such as monitoring both input and output positions of motors in e-bikes, motorcycles, or robotic joints—this approach enables full position sensing within a single IC. As a result, external circuitry is reduced, signal synchronization is guaranteed, and functional safety is enhanced.

Operating from a 5 V supply, the MLX90514 is well suited to a wide range of system designs and supports both rotary and linear motion sensing. It accommodates coil diameters from 20 mm to 300 mm and linear displacements of up to 400 mm. The device delivers up to 16-bit position resolution with effectively zero latency and achieves accuracy better than 0.1°, enabling precise control even under demanding conditions. Its plug-and-play concept simplifies configuration, requiring engineers to program only a limited set of parameters—primarily offset compensation and linearization—for fast, reliable deployment with minimal integration effort.

For system designers, the MLX90514 offers a compact, fully integrated position-sensing solution. Its inductive measurement technology eliminates the need for permanent magnets, reducing both design complexity and supply chain dependencies associated with magnet sourcing and assembly. The PCB-based coil design further simplifies manufacturing and helps lower overall system costs. Compared with optical encoders, the sensor provides exceptional resistance to dust, mechanical wear, and contamination. With all signal processing handled on-chip and a design optimized to minimize PCB area and bill-of-materials (BOM), the MLX90514 enables robust, scalable implementations across robotic, industrial, and mobility applications.

“MLX90514 introduces a new level of simplicity and precision to position sensing,” said Lorenzo Lugani, Product Line Director at Melexis. “By developing a dual-input IC tailored to the needs of robotics, industrial automation, and mobility systems, we have reduced system complexity while delivering reliable, high-accuracy position data. This allows engineers to design compact, scalable, and durable systems with minimal effort.”