In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a system can include a primary coil wound around a moveable magnetic core, at least one secondary coil wound in one continuous direction and magnetically coupled with the primary coil, and a controller operatively connected to determine a position of the moveable magnetic core and configured to detect a fault across the secondary coil.

Described herein is a magnetic-field-based position determination device including a sensor device with at least two magnetic field sensors arranged spaced apart from each other by a distance and with a magnet movable relative to the sensor device. Each of the two magnetic field sensors is configured to measure the magnetic field emanating from the magnet in at least a first spatial direction and a different second spatial direction and, based thereon, to determine a magnetic field vector angle, respectively, wherein the first magnetic field sensor determines a first magnetic field vector angle, and wherein the second magnetic field sensor determines a second magnetic field vector angle. The sensor device is configured to determine the current position of the magnet relative to the sensor device based on the determined magnetic field vector angles and the distance of the two magnetic field sensors from each other.

A position calculation device calculates a position of a magnet installed on a moving body that is capable of moving relatively in a first direction. The position calculation device includes a first magnetic sensor and a second magnetic sensor arranged apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the first direction, and a calculation circuit that calculates the position of the magnet, using a first ratio between a first component in the first direction and a second component in a second direction, of a first magnetic flux density detected by the first magnetic sensor, a second ratio between a third component in the first direction and a fourth component in the second direction, of a second magnetic flux density detected by the second magnetic sensor, and the predetermined distance.

A stroke sensor for detecting a position of a moving object that linearly moves has: a magnetic field generator; a support member that supports the magnetic field generator; and a magnetic field detecting element that detects a magnetic field that is generated by the magnetic field generator. The support member converts a first relative movement of the moving object relative to the magnetic field detecting element to a second relative movement of the magnetic field generator relative to the magnetic field detecting element. The first relative movement is made along a first linear path, the second relative movement is made along a second linear path, and the second linear path extends at an angle different from the first linear path.

A high-resolution encoder device to measure and retrievably encode the relative position of a first part P with a second part S comprises sensible elements on part P, said sensible elements providing a variable property for sensing, such that said variable property varies over a length of said part P, a number n of sensors for sensing said variable property, said sensors being separate from each other and disposed on part S, said sensors configured to output signals in accordance with said sensing, and a processing unit connected to receive said signals from each of said n sensors and configured for succeeding ones of said relative positions to form a vector having entries from each sensor respectively, the vector defining said relative positions respectively.

Position sensing units, comprising a magnetic assembly (MA) having a width W measured along a first direction and a height H measured along a second direction and including at least three magnets having respective magnetic polarizations that define along the first direction at least a left MA domain, a middle MA domain and a right MA domain, wherein the magnetic polarizations of each MA domain are different, and a magnetic flux measuring device (MFMD) for measuring a magnetic flux B, wherein the MA moves relative to the MFMD along the first direction within a stroke L that fulfils 1 mm?L?100 mm, stroke L beginning at a first point x.sub.0 and ending at a final point x.sub.max, and wherein a minimum value D.sub.min of an orthogonal distance D, measured along the second direction between a particular MA domain and the MFMD, fulfills L/D.sub.min>10.

A position detector includes a position detection magnet unit installed at each of a plurality of carriers, and a position detection unit. The position detection magnet unit includes a plurality of magnets disposed such that different magnetic poles are arranged alternately in a transport direction of the carriers, and side magnetic shielding portions installed at the ends of the position detection magnet unit. The position detection unit includes: a processing substrate disposed in parallel to the transport direction of the carriers; a plurality of magnetic detection elements disposed side by side in the transport direction of the carriers on a front side of the processing substrate; and a substrate-side magnetic shielding portion opposite the magnetic detection elements, the substrate-side magnetic shielding portion being installed on a back side of the processing substrate.

A piston assembly includes a housing, a piston positioned within the valve housing, and an inductive proximity probe sensor positioned on the housing configured to detect a position of the piston with the housing. The piston is configured to at least one of rotate or translate axially relative to the housing. The piston includes a variable surface. A fuel control system includes the piston assembly, a servo valve in fluid communication with the piston assembly, and an engine controller. The engine controller is operatively connected to the inductive proximity probe sensor.

An apparatus comprises a support structure; a first sense coil comprising a sine coil arranged about a longitudinal axis of the support structure, the sine coil having opposing ends between opposing ends of the support structure, the sine coil defining at least a first lobe and a second lobe; a second sense coil comprising a cosine coil arranged about the longitudinal axis of the support structure, the cosine coil having opposing ends between the opposing ends of the support structure, the cosine coil defining first lobe portions coextensive with the first lobe of the sine coil and second lobe portions coextensive with the second lobe of the sine coil; and one or more oscillator coils arranged around the sine and the cosine coils. A coil area of the first lobe of the sine coil is less than a coil area of the first lobe portions of the cosine coil.

An example assembly includes: a housing; a movable member configured to move within the housing; and a coil flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) wrapped around the housing, wherein the coil FPCB comprises: at least one excitation coil printed on the coil FPCB as a conductive track, wherein the excitation coil is configured to generate a magnetic field when an electric current is provided through the conductive track, and at least one sensing coil printed on the coil FPCB as a respective conductive track, wherein the magnetic field generated by the excitation coil is configured to induce a respective electric current in the at least one sensing coil, and wherein movement of the movable member within the housing changes a parameter associated with the respective electric current, thereby indicating a position of the movable member.