Silicon-RC Snubbers and Tactile Sensors for Automotive and Robotics

Melexis is releasing a suite of sensing and power protection components, specifically highlighting the MLX91299 silicon-RC snubber, to manage electrical transients and mechanical feedback. This hardware is engineered to support electric vehicle powertrains, high-voltage infrastructure, and industrial collaborative robotics.

Suppressing High-Voltage Transients in Power Architectures
As electric vehicle power architectures transition to higher voltages and incorporate wide-bandgap semiconductors, systems are able to operate with higher switching frequencies. However, these fast switching speeds generate unwanted voltage spikes and high-frequency noise. To mitigate this, the MLX91299 silicon-RC snubber is integrated directly at the switching components to suppress voltage spikes and ringing. This localized suppression mechanism increases the operational reliability of electric vehicle powertrains, DC-DC converters, and 800-volt data center power infrastructure.

Battery Safety in the Automotive Sensor Ecosystem
Detecting subtle battery anomalies is a primary requirement for preventing thermal runaway in electric vehicles. The company’s updated safety portfolio integrates hydrogen gas sensing alongside standard pressure and temperature detection. By monitoring hydrogen off-gassing, the system can identify cell degradation earlier in the failure cycle. To manage active cooling, Triphibian pressure sensing technology measures liquids, gases, and frozen media to maintain the thermal efficiency of battery coolant loops. For vehicle dynamics, redundant magnetic and inductive position sensors provide the accurate mechanical feedback required for safety-critical X-by-wire braking and steering controls.

Precision Motion and Tactile Feedback for Robotic Automation
In the robotics sector, collaborative robots require delicate contact awareness to operate safely alongside human workers. The Tactaxis fingertip module provides a multi-axis sense of touch without requiring complex mechanical design overhead. To refine joint articulation, magnetic and inductive encoders deliver compact angular position feedback. These sensors operate in tandem with a new family of motor drivers that support code-free motor control, allowing engineers to implement precise, miniature motion sequences across robotic hand assemblies without writing custom software.

Automotive Interfaces and Wearable Technology
To address internal vehicle interfaces, the MeLiBu LED driver technology enables dynamic, networked automotive lighting while simplifying the required harness wiring. For physical controls, non-contact magnetic latches and switches replace wear-prone mechanical components in joysticks and seating adjustments. Beyond mobility applications, the company is adapting far-infrared (FIR) non-contact temperature sensors for use in digital health wearables and smart devices. These components and systems will be displayed at the electronica 2026 trade fair in Munich, Germany, from November 10 to 13 at Booth C6.139.

Additional Context
This section details technical specifications and competitive benchmarking not included in the original news release.

The introduction of integrated silicon-RC snubbers like the MLX91299 represents a shift away from traditional discrete snubber circuits, which typically rely on bulky surface-mount resistors and high-voltage ceramic capacitors. By utilizing a silicon-based architecture, these integrated components significantly reduce parasitic loop inductance and board footprint compared to discrete alternatives, directly competing with advanced transient voltage suppression (TVS) diodes and active clamping solutions from semiconductor manufacturers such as Texas Instruments and NXP.

In the robotics domain, the Tactaxis module competes within the emerging market for 3D magnetic tactile sensors. While optical and capacitive tactile arrays, such as those developed by Xela Robotics or SynTouch, offer high spatial resolution, magnetic elastomer-based sensors provide superior durability against mechanical wear, shear forces, and environmental contaminants like dust and industrial oils.

Edited by Aishwarya Mambet, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.

www.melexis.com