G01R33/0082

CIRCUIT FOR MONITORING VOLTAGE OF OUTPUT TERMINAL OF HALL SENSOR AND CIRCUIT FOR SUPPORTING LENS MODULE ACTUATING CONTROLLER
20210173019 · 2021-06-10 · ·

A circuit for monitoring an output voltage of a hall sensor includes an input port electrically connected to a first hall-sensor output terminal; an output port to output a monitoring voltage; a holder electrically connected to the input port to save the voltage of the input port; a first buffer including a first output terminal and first input terminal having an input impedance higher than an output impedance, having a voltage corresponding to a voltage of the first output terminal, and electrically connected to the holder; a second buffer including a second output terminal and second input terminal having an input impedance higher than an output impedance, having a voltage corresponding to a voltage of the second output terminal, and electrically connected to the input port; and an amplifier producing the monitoring voltage by amplifying a difference in voltages between the first output terminal and the second output terminal.

Magnetic Sensor Array with Single TMR Film Plus Laser Annealing and Characterization

The present disclosure generally relates to a Wheatstone bridge array that has four resistors. Each resistor includes a plurality of TMR films. Each resistor has identical TMR films. The TMR films of two resistors have reference layers that have an antiparallel magnetic orientation relative to the TMR films of the other two resistors. To ensure the antiparallel magnetic orientation, the TMR films are all formed simultaneously and annealed in a magnetic field simultaneously. Thereafter, the TMR films of two resistors are annealed a second time in a magnetic field while the TMR films of the other two resistors are not annealed a second time.

Magnetic Sensor Array Device Optimizations and Hybrid Magnetic Camera
20210278483 · 2021-09-09 ·

A magnetic sensor device with an array of magnetic sensors arranged on a common semiconductor substrate to measure the multi-axis magnetic field of an arbitrary region with high spatial resolution, reduced sensing distance, higher measurement throughput, motion tolerance, temperature tolerance, and improved manufacturing yield. A multi-axis magnetic sensor array device fabricated on a common semiconductor substrate is optimized offering additional improvements to reduce measurement time, increase spatial resolution uniformity, and lower thermal compensation cost. Further, the central area of a surface is utilized to measure the normal magnetic field. A perimeter of Hall effect plates measuring the components of the magnetic field in the plane of the measuring surface, which allows for a very high density of normal field measurements allows calculation of the in-plane field components. Error along the edges can be mitigated with the in-plane measured components.

Magnetic field sensor and associated method that can store a measured threshold value in a memory device during a time when the magnetic field sensor is powered off

A magnetic field sensor includes a comparator detector for which a measured threshold value is stored prior to power down and recalled upon power up for use by the comparator detector. A corresponding method is associated with the magnetic field sensor.

Method, apparatus and system for detecting stray magnetic field

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for detecting a stray magnetic field are provided. An example apparatus may include a first magnetic sensor element at a first position relative to a magnetic field source to detect a target magnetic field emitted by the magnetic field source, a second magnetic sensor element at a second position relative to the magnetic field source to detect the target magnetic field emitted by the magnetic field source, and a processor element electronically coupled to the first magnetic sensor element and the second magnetic sensor element. In some examples, the processor element may be configured to: receive a first output from the first magnetic sensor element, receive a second output from the second magnetic sensor element, and detect the stray magnetic field interfering with the target magnetic field based at least in part on the first output and the second output.

Sensing motor current

A circuit for sensing the driving current of a motor, the circuit comprising: a driver configured to generate a driving current for each phase of a multiple-phase motor, the instantaneous sum of all the driving currents being zero; a current sensor for each phase of the multiple-phase motor, each current sensor configured to measure the driving current of that phase and comprising a plurality of current sensor elements arranged with respect to each other such that each current sensor element has the same magnitude of driving current systematic error due to magnetic fields external to the driving current to be measured; and a controller configured to, for each phase of the multiple-phase motor, generate an estimate of the driving current of that phase to be the measured driving current of that phase minus 1/n of the total of the measured driving currents for all phases, n being the number of phases of the multiple-phase motor.

MAGNETIC BODY DETECTING DEVICE

A magnetic body detecting device constituting a magnet portion for magnetizing a magnetic body from a magnet main body portion, and a correcting portion which is disposed in front of magnet main body portion to correct a magnetic field generated by magnet main body portion, wherein the correcting portion is configured to form a specific position N having a desired magnetic field intensity by canceling out the magnetic field generated by magnet main body portion, and to adjust the magnetic field gradient at a magnetic field null point N of the magnetic field generated by magnet portion by causing magnet main body portion to be separated from a front end portion of magnet portion in accordance with the magnetic field gradient in the correcting portion, and wherein a magnetic sensor is disposed at the magnetic field null point N formed in the front end portion of the magnet portion

Devices and methods for measuring a magnetic field gradient
11846687 · 2023-12-19 · ·

A method of determining a gradient of a magnetic field, includes the steps of: biasing a first/second magnetic sensor with a first/second biasing signal; measuring and amplifying a first/second magnetic sensor signal; measuring a temperature and/or a stress difference; adjusting at least one of: the second biasing signal, the second amplifier gain, the amplified and digitized second sensor value using a predefined function f(T) or f(T, ΔΣ) or f(ΔΣ) of the measured temperature and/or the measured differential stress before determining a difference between the first/second signal/value derived from the first/second sensor signal. A magnetic sensor device is configured for performing this method, as well as a current sensor device, and a position sensor device.

DUAL MAGNETOMETER CALIBRATION

Examples of systems and methods for calibrating or operating a magnetic sensor for sensor temperature or operating conditions are provided. The magnetic sensor can comprise a dual magnetometer sensor that comprises a first, low-power-consumption magnetometer (e.g., a magneto-inductive magnetometer) and a second higher-power-consumption magnetometer (e.g., a magneto-resistive magnetometer). The second magnetometer can have a lower unit-to-unit variation in temperature calibration parameters and can be used to temperature-correct readings from the first magnetometer. The magnetic sensor can dynamically switch between usage of the first magnetometer and the second magnetometer in order to provide a dynamic sample rate that can depend on conditions within the sensor or external to the sensor.

Concept for compensating for a mechanical stress of a hall sensor circuit integrated into a semiconductor substrate
10969444 · 2021-04-06 · ·

The present disclosure describes a semiconductor circuit arrangement comprising a Hall sensor circuit integrated into a semiconductor substrate and configured to conduct a Hall supply current between a first terminal and a second terminal of a Hall effect region at an angle of 45° with respect to a normal to a primary flat plane of the semiconductor substrate laterally through the Hall effect region, wherein the Hall supply current has a first dependence on a mechanical stress of the semiconductor substrate. A resistance arrangement integrated into the semiconductor substrate, the resistance arrangement being different than the Hall effect region, is configured to conduct a current between a first terminal and a second terminal of the resistance arrangement, wherein the current through the resistance arrangement has a second dependence on the mechanical stress of the semiconductor substrate. A compensation circuit is configured to correct, on the basis of a signal difference between the first terminal of the Hall effect region and the first terminal of the resistance arrangement, a Hall voltage that is measured between a third and a fourth terminal of the Hall effect region and is dependent on the mechanical stress of the semiconductor substrate.