Linear control system for flight simulation and other applications. The system employs a moveable handle and handle shaft configured to receive manual user input for linear in-and-out motion over at least a range of several inches and rotation back and forth about the handle-shaft axis. Various rolling contact mechanisms employing a compliant material of appropriate durometer are used to manage friction. Linear motion is detected using a motion-reducing Hall-effect sensor and magnet device, while rotary motion is detected using a different rotary sensor. The device has at least one onboard processor, which can receive, process, and output various sensor measurements to an outside computerized device (such as a computer running a flight simulation program). The onboard processor can also receive actuator commands from the outside computerized device and use them to control onboard linear and rotary actuators to provide haptic feedback to the user.

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 mmL100 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.

Magnets are arranged at intervals along a stroke direction with an interposed space. Magnetic pole surfaces of adjacent ones of the magnets have opposite poles. A detector is arranged with a gap in a gap direction against a magnetic pole surface of each of the magnets and acquires a sine signal and a cosine signal as detection signals of phases corresponding to the positions of the magnets, based on a change in a magnetic field received from the magnets according to movement of the detector relative to the detection object in the stroke direction. A signal processor acquires the sine signal and the cosine signal from the detector, generates, based on the sine signal and the cosine signal, an arctangent signal corresponding to a stroke amount of the detection object relative to the detector, and acquires the arctangent signal as a position signal.

A linear magnetic position sensor circuit includes at least one first sensor arranged to generate a first sensing signal indicative of a first magnetic field gradient of a first magnetic field component oriented in a first direction; a second sensor arranged to generate a second sensing signal indicative of a second magnetic field gradient of a second magnetic field component oriented in a second direction different from the first direction; a processing circuit arranged to compute a gradient magnitude value. The processing circuit is arranged to output a position signal based on a ratio of the first and the second sensing signal if the magnitude value is higher than the first predetermined value and to output a position signal based on a predetermined stored value and/or based on a function of the magnitude value if the magnitude value is lower than the first predetermined value.

A method of determining the axial displacement or axial position of a magnetised shaft, such as a setting stem (3) of a timepiece, of an electronic control device (1). The method includes obtaining a new function by multiplying the norm of the magnetic field generated by the magnetised shaft by a selected compensation function, which depends only on the rotation angle of the shaft in a plane orthogonal to the rotation axis of the shaft. This allows to simplify the processing of measurement and to strongly minimise the necessary memory resources as there is no need to store a high number of different curves corresponding to different angular positions. By applying the proposed method using said new function, it is possible to detect in a sufficiently precise manner axial displacements/positions of the shaft, by using preferably a single magnetic sensor.

An inductive position sensor is disclosed. The inductive position sensor can include a substrate having inductive sensing coils. The inductive sensing coils can be disposed on or at least partially embedded in the substrate. One or more processors can be configured to process an output signal and determine a distance based at least in part on the processed output signal electrically connected to the one or more inductive sensing coils. The processors can control and manage an input signal and an output signal. The one or more processors can be configured to determine a position of a target. The target can comprise an electrically conductive moving target configured for tracking an object for measuring a position of the target. The substrate can be a flexible substrate that is non-planar and conforms to a surface profile of the target.

A position detection device for detecting the position of a rack shaft that steers the steering wheel of a vehicle by moving in the axial direction, includes a cylindrical rack housing that houses the rack shaft, a detector that detects the position of the rack shaft relative to the rack housing, a support member that supports the detector relative to the rack housing, and a seal member attached to the support member, wherein the rack housing has a through-hole that penetrates between the inner and outer circumference surfaces along the radial direction of the rack shaft. The support member has a support portion that is positioned in the through-hole to support the detector and a fixing portion that is fixed to the rack housing, and the seal member is in elastic contact with the outer surface of the support portion and the inner surface of the through-hole.

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 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.

A magnetic sensor comprises a base, at least one magnet, a first sensor element, and a second sensor element. The base including a first side and a second side. The at least one magnet disposed over the first side of the base, the at least one magnet generating magnetic flux. The first sensor element and the second sensor element being disposed over the second side, wherein the first sensor element and second sensor element are configured to measure magnetic flux density, and the magnetic flux generated by the at least one magnet is configured to pass through the first sensor element in a first direction and pass through the second sensor element in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.