Semiconductor company Allegro MicroSystems is advancing the adoption of 48V power architectures with a portfolio of power management, sensing, and motor control technologies designed to improve efficiency, power density, and system performance across automotive, industrial, and data center applications. The company's 48V technology platform addresses growing power demands that are increasingly difficult to support using traditional 12V electrical systems.
The transition from 12V to 48V architectures enables significantly lower current levels for the same power delivery, reducing resistive losses, improving thermal performance, and allowing the use of lighter wiring and more compact system designs. According to Allegro, a 48V system can deliver equivalent power using only one-quarter of the current required by a 12V system, helping engineers improve overall efficiency while reducing heat generation and system complexity.
At the core of Allegro's 48V ecosystem is a portfolio of current sensors, gate drivers, motor drivers, and power management ICs optimized specifically for 48V operation. Unlike solutions adapted from legacy 12V designs, the company’s devices are engineered to operate across both 12V and 48V domains, enabling easier migration toward future zonal vehicle architectures while minimizing redesign requirements.
A key technology differentiator is Allegro's SG8 technology, which is based on an automotive-qualified 120 V wafer process. The platform provides the voltage headroom required to withstand demanding 70 V to 80 V transient events commonly encountered in automotive electrical systems, helping designers meet stringent transient immunity requirements while improving system reliability. The company's 48 V solutions also incorporate advanced functional safety features, including ASIL-compliant diagnostics and protection mechanisms, supporting the stringent reliability requirements of modern electrified systems.
Beyond supporting 48 V power inputs, Allegro emphasizes a system-capable design approach, with many of its ICs operating across both 12 V and 48 V electrical domains. This enables manufacturers to support current vehicle architectures while providing a migration path toward future zonal electrical systems without extensive redesign or requalification. The company's solutions also integrate ASIL-compliant diagnostics and protection features, complemented by a focus on near-zero-defect quality levels measured in parts per billion for safety-critical applications. Beyond automotive markets, Allegro's 48 V technologies support high-density power distribution and advanced air- and liquid-cooling systems in AI data centers.
The technology supports a wide range of electrification applications including mild-hybrid powertrains, battery-electric vehicle subsystems, steering and braking systems, thermal management platforms, DC-DC converters, traction inverters, battery management systems, and onboard chargers. Allegro's portfolio also extends beyond automotive markets, enabling high-efficiency motor control, robotics, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), industrial automation equipment, high-performance power tools, and advanced cooling systems used in AI data centers.
Among the technologies supporting these applications are high-accuracy Hall-effect current sensors, isolated GaN gate drivers, high-voltage MOSFET drivers, and automotive-grade power ICs designed to improve efficiency, reliability, and power density in next-generation electrical systems. The company states that its 48V-ready sensors and power ICs serve as foundational building blocks for future electrified and autonomous platforms.
Click here to learn more about Electric Vehicles on everything PE.
About Allegro MicroSystems
Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA, Allegro MicroSystems develops semiconductor technologies for sensing, power management, and motor control applications. The company specializes in magnetic sensing solutions, current sensors, gate drivers, motor drivers, power management ICs, and automotive semiconductor technologies used across electric vehicles, industrial automation, robotics, renewable energy systems, data centers, and consumer electronics. Allegro's portfolio focuses on enabling electrification, energy efficiency, safety, and advanced motion control in next-generation electronic systems.
