Description

AMI Semiconductor CIPOS Technical Manual

If you’ve ever chased a sensor fault that left you staring at a scope trace wondering if the ASIC is lying to you, this 21-page OEM document is what you need. I’ve seen aftermarket datasheets that skip the ratio-metric math and leave you guessing at output linearity. That wastes bench time. This AMI Semiconductor CIPOS Technical Manual gives you the actual ASIC architecture – excitation loop, receiver coil coupling, digital signal processing path – so you can verify what the sensor should be doing instead of throwing parts at it. Hella developed the inductive sensor head; AMI Semiconductor built the ASIC. This paper walks through both.

Inductive Sensor Principle

The stator carries an excitation coil tuned to an LC network, plus three receiver coils. The rotor is a passive closed winding with specific geometry. Coupling between excitation, rotor, and receiver coils generates three ratio-metric signals that shift with position. The ASIC processes those signals into a linear output. The manual shows the math – page 2 covers the simplified application schematic with the LC loop, receiver coils, and ASIC pinout. If you need to bench-test a CIPOS sensor, start with that schematic. Without the ratio-metric relationship, you’ll misdiagnose a winding short as a supply issue.

What Does This Technical Manual Cover?

This is not a step-by-step repair guide. It’s a technical paper from AMI Semiconductor and Hella describing the CIPOS ASIC’s internal blocks – analog front-end, digital processing, output transmitter. The abstract states the sensor is strictly ratio-metric, independent of absolute values. That means voltage drift on the supply doesn’t matter as long as the ratio holds. The manual also covers temperature stability, immunity to magnetic fields, and the mechanical tolerances allowed in the rotor/stator gap. If you’re diagnosing an accelerator pedal sensor or turbo actuator, that tolerance data is gold. Page 1 mentions typical automotive applications: accelerator pedal, turbocharger actuator, steering angle, throttle body, gearbox, headlamp position.

AMI Semiconductor and Hella Collaboration

Two companies you can trust. AMI Semiconductor (now part of ON Semiconductor) built the ASIC. Hella KG Hueck & Co. built the sensor. This manual isn’t a third-party reprint – it’s the original paper presented at a conference, scanned from the OEM archive. That matters when you’re trying to verify whether a sensor’s output should be linear within ±0.5% or ±2%. Aftermarket datasheets often round those numbers. This document doesn’t. I’ve had techs ask me why their CIPOS sensor shows 0.2V offset at mid-travel. The answer is in the ratio-metric definition on page 2. You don’t get that from a generic copy.

3 Key Advantages of Inductive Sensors According to This Manual

• Mechanical variability: linear, rotational, arc segment – the same ASIC handles all geometries. The manual explains how the rotor winding shape defines the transfer function.
• High temperature range: no Hall-effect temperature drift. The inductive principle doesn’t care about 150°C underhood soak.
• Robustness: insensitive to electrical or magnetic fields. That means you can mount it next to a starter solenoid without false triggers. The manual addresses this explicitly in section 2.

Each advantage is backed by a formula or graph in the 21 pages. Don’t take my word – check the figure references.

How to Use This Manual for Diagnostics

Pull the sensor connector, power the ASIC with a lab supply (5V typical), and probe the output pin while moving the rotor by hand. The ratio-metric output should track linearly. If it doesn’t, go back to the LC excitation circuit. The manual shows you the expected amplitude on the LC pin relative to supply. Most CIPOS failures I’ve seen are capacitor failures in the LC tank. Page 3 (approximate) includes a block diagram of the ASIC signal path. You can trace the fault from input to output. This is the kind of diagnostic flow aftermarket docs never give you.

Source Validity: OEM vs Aftermarket Documentation

I’ve seen aftermarket copies of this AMI Semiconductor document with missing equations and re-drawn figures that lose the ratio-metric relationship. The original OEM file – the one we sell – is a direct scan from the AMISemiconductor_CIPOS_Technical_Manual_en-72013013950.pdf. No reprints, no third-party edits. The page count is 21, exactly what the factory released. If you’re a shop owner letting a junior tech work on CIPOS equipped vehicles (Ford, VW, BMW all use Hella inductive sensors), you want the real specs. A single misdiagnosis from bad torque data or wrong tolerance range costs more than the manual.

Related manuals you might need: AMI Semiconductor 691 Installation Manual 1997 OEM covers earlier ASIC install. Drogobych Crane КТА-16, КТА-25, КТА-28 2004 Installation Manual is unrelated but solid for heavy equipment. Injectocean Diablo, Murciélago, Defender, Discovery, Freelander Technical Manual if you’re into exotic diagnostics.

For background on the sensor physics: Aerodynamics in Automobiles won’t help here – stick with the manual. But if you want to understand why inductive sensors beat Hall for harsh environments, check the Automotive Industry Overview for context on emission control trends.

Does this manual include repair procedures for the CIPOS sensor?

No. It’s a technical paper on the ASIC architecture and sensor principle, not a workshop manual. You get the theory and specs to diagnose faults, but not part numbers or torque values. For that, you need the vehicle-specific service information.

Can I use this manual to calibrate a CIPOS sensor after replacement?

No calibration steps are listed. The ratio-metric design means the ASIC self-calibrates to the sensor geometry – you just need to verify output linearity. This manual tells you what linearity looks like under normal conditions. For final calibration, follow the vehicle manufacturer’s alignment procedure. What this manual gives you is the understanding of why the sensor output voltage changes with position – if you see a deviation, you’ll know whether it’s the ASIC, the coil, or the rotor gap.

17 years turning wrenches taught me that guessing at sensor behavior costs hours. This 21-page factory manual eliminates the guesswork on AMI Semiconductor CIPOS systems. You get the OEM logic, the ratio-metric math, and the application examples. If you diagnose European or domestic vehicles with inductive position sensors, this is the doc that sits next to your scope. Access the Factory Manual and put it in your library.