As power electronics shift toward SiC and GaN, complexity is moving from devices to the system level. In this interview with Semiconductor For You, Ram Sathappan, Vice President of Marketing and Applications at Allegro MicroSystems, explains how system-focused sensing and power innovations are enabling higher efficiency, lower EMI, and faster time-to-market across EVs, AI data centers, and automation.
Q: What are Allegro’s newest innovations in sensing and power ICs, and how do they redefine performance or design efficiency?
Our latest innovations are focused on solving system-level problems for our customers as they transition to higher-performance technologies like SiC and GaN.
In power, our revolutionary Power-Thru™ high voltage gate driver portfolio, including the new AHV85003/043 chipset, is a perfect example. We fundamentally solved the physics problem of noise interference in high-voltage systems by integrating the isolated bias supply. This eliminates a major source of electromagnetic interference (EMI), delivering a -20dB improvement that allows our customers to shrink their EMI filters, reduce bill of materials (BOM) count, and get their solutions to the market faster. It’s not just a better gate driver; it’s a new way to design.
While Power-Thru™ solves the noise and isolation challenge on the drive side, our sensing technology solves the critical challenge on the control side. In sensing, our new 10-MHz TMR current sensor addresses the critical control challenge in high-speed power conversion. As switching speeds increase, designers need to see and control current with absolute precision in real-time. Our TMR technology provides the high-fidelity signal and rapid response needed to master the control signal chain, ensuring control-loop stability and unlocking the full efficiency potential of GaN and SiC.
Q: Which emerging applications—EVs, robotics, or data centers—are driving the most demand for your latest solutions?
All three are critical growth engines for Allegro, and they are converging around the need for greater efficiency while leveraging our design expertise and addressing the megatrends of electrification, automation, AI data centers and robotics.
AI Data Centers: The explosive growth of AI is creating an unsustainable AI energy gap. Our Power-Thru gate drivers and high-frequency current sensors are essential for the next generation of Titanium-grade, high-density power supplies that power AI clusters. Additionally, Allegro’s intelligent motor drivers deliver precise, efficient control for both air and liquid cooling systems – enabling quieter operation of essential thermal management in high-density AI servers
Electric Vehicles (EVs): The push for faster charging and longer range is all about efficiency. Our recently launched industry’s highest bandwidth10 MHz magnetic current sensors play a critical role in efficient power conversion in onboard chargers, DC-DC Converters and battery management systems in hybrid and battery electric vehicle powertrains. And the new SiC-optimized gate drivers are critical for 800V architectures in onboard chargers and DC/DC converters, minimizing power loss and reducing charging time.
Robotics & Automation: Energy efficiency is becoming a key metric for autonomous systems. Our precision TMR sensors provide the accurate position feedback needed for energy-efficient robotic actuation in applications like factory automation and collaborative robots, while our power solutions ensure that intelligence is delivered with minimal energy waste.
What connects all three is the need to deliver more performance with less energy and in smaller spaces. That is the system-level challenge Allegro is built to solve.
Q: How do you prioritize global markets and end segments like automotive, industrial, or energy?
Addressing our customers’ biggest challenges and major technology inflections shaping the future are drivers of our prioritization. We focus our innovation on end markets undergoing significant transitions—like the automotive industry’s shift from 12V to 48V and 800V architectures, the build-out of AI infrastructure, and the move toward higher levels of automation across industries—where our leadership in sensing and power can solve fundamental system-level problems. It’s less about choosing one market over another and more about aligning our R&D expertise with these powerful growth trends where we can create the most value for our customers and stakeholders.
Q: How do you view India’s semiconductor opportunity, and what role can Allegro play in its growth?
We see India as a powerhouse of engineering talent and a market with tremendous growth potential. Allegro has invested in India for years; our design center in Hyderabad is a hub of innovation and a vital part of our global R&D efforts, contributing to some of our most advanced products, including key developments in our automotive-grade power and sensor portfolios.
The opportunity is twofold. First, to continue growing our world-class team in India. Second, to be a key technology partner as the country accelerates its ambitions in electric mobility, data centers, and industrial automation. Our solutions for 800V EVs, high-efficiency power and cooling for AI, and precision motor control for robotics are perfectly aligned with the goals of initiatives like the India Semiconductor Mission and Faster Adoption of Manufacturing of Electric vehicles (FAME). We are excited to be a part of India’s journey. Our goal is to be a foundational technology partner, helping Indian companies build world-class solutions to compete and win on the global stage.
Q: What partnerships or collaborations are helping accelerate innovation and market reach in Asia and India?
Our strategy leverages a foundation of collaboration. This happens at multiple levels. First, we have deep ecosystem partnerships with other technology leaders, like Innoscience, where we work together to ensure our gate drivers are perfectly optimized for their GaN FETs. This de-risks the design process for our customers.
Second, we work through a world-class network of channel partners and distributors across Asia who provide exceptional local support and expertise.
Finally, and most importantly, we form direct innovation partnerships with our lead customers. We work side-by-side with them to understand their future roadmaps and solve their toughest system-level challenges, which is the ultimate driver of our innovation.
Q: How does Allegro balance speed of innovation with reliability and supply-chain readiness?
That’s a great question, because it gets to the heart of our philosophy. We don’t see those as competing priorities to be ‘balanced.’ We see them as the integrated result of our strategic architecture, which is built for dependability.
First, our architectural innovation, like with Power-Thru™, allows us to solve fundamental system problems, creating a platform for rapid and reliable product development.
Second, reliability is non-negotiable. Our deep automotive roots mean every product is developed with an ‘automotive-grade’ mindset. This is stability by design, ensuring our products are robust and trustworthy from day one.
Finally, supply chain readiness is a core design principle. This is where our hybrid manufacturing model becomes a strategic advantage. By pairing deep, strategic partnerships with the world’s leading foundries and OSATS combined with our own back-end Center of Excellence in the Philippines, we strengthen resilience. We also innovate to help our customers de-risk their supply chains. Our new AHV85003/043 chipset, for example, was engineered with selectable drive rails, giving customers the freedom to use multiple FET suppliers without a redesign. For us, readiness isn’t an afterthought; it’s part of the design.
Q: What key technology or market disruptors are shaping the future of sensing and power ICs?
The biggest disruptor is the system-level complexity created by the transition to wide-bandgap semiconductors like SiC and GaN. The industry has focused on the FET itself, but the real challenge—and opportunity—is in the surrounding signal chain. Mastering the control of these fast-switching devices is the next frontier. This is why we are focused on innovations in high-fidelity sensing and noise-eliminating gate driving.
The second major disruptor is the ‘AI Energy Gap.’ The sheer power consumption of AI is forcing a complete re-evaluation of efficiency from the grid to the processor. This isn’t an incremental challenge; it requires revolutionary solutions that can handle more power in smaller spaces with less waste, which is exactly where our technology is targeted. We do this today with our motor driver cooling solutions for the data centers today, and new innovations in current sensing and isolated gate drivers will do the same for data center power supplies.
Q: How is Allegro integrating sustainability and cost-efficiency into its next-generation products?
At Allegro, we believe the most direct path to both sustainability and cost-efficiency is through system-level efficiency. Our products are designed to help our customers build systems that waste less energy. By enabling more efficient SiC and GaN designs, our Power-Thru gate drivers and high-bandwidth current sensors directly contribute to reducing power consumption in data centers and extending the range of EVs. That is sustainability in action.
On cost-efficiency, we look at the system, not just the component. Our new AHV85003/043 chipset is a perfect example. It reduces system cost by eliminating the need for external bias converters, shrinking the size of expensive EMI filters, and reducing the overall BOM count. By solving these problems at the IC level, we deliver a lower total cost of ownership for our customers.
Similarly, our magnetic sensors enable precision motor control that dramatically reduces energy consumption in everything from industrial pumps to EV traction motors. For us, efficiency is the most direct path to both sustainability and customer value.