An electric winch control module of this disclosure provides improved means for detecting changes in a current carried by an electric winch motor power lead. The module's housing includes a magnetic flux shield contained within an exposed channel of the housing and located at or toward a vertical centerline of the channel and opposite a magnetic flux sensor of the control module. The magnetic flux shield is made of a ferromagnetic material and includes a bottom wall spanning the width of the open bottom of the channel, an open top arranged opposite the top wall of the channel, and opposing sidewalls opposite a respective sidewall of the channel. The shield surrounds the side and lower portions of the lead below the sensor when in the channel, shielding the wire and sensor from outside interference while at the same time exposing an upper portion of the lead to the sensor.

An electric winch control module of this disclosure provides improved means for detecting changes in a current carried by an electric winch motor power lead. The module's housing includes a magnetic flux shield contained within an exposed channel of the housing and located at or toward a vertical centerline of the channel and opposite a magnetic flux sensor of the control module. The magnetic flux shield is made of a ferromagnetic material and includes a bottom wall spanning the width of the open bottom of the channel, an open top arranged opposite the top wall of the channel, and opposing sidewalls opposite a respective sidewall of the channel. The shield surrounds the side and lower portions of the lead below the sensor when in the channel, shielding the wire and sensor from outside interference while at the same time exposing an upper portion of the lead to the sensor.

Methods and apparatus for a magnetic field sensor integrated circuit including a lead frame having a first surface, a second opposing surface, and a plurality of leads. A substrate has a first surface supporting a magnetic field sensing element and a second surface attached to the first surface of the lead frame. A magnet has a first surface and a second, opposing surface, and is configured to generate a magnetic field. A spacer is positioned between the first surface of the magnet and the second surface of the lead frame with a thickness selected to establish a predetermined distance between the first surface of the magnet and the magnetic field sensing element, the predetermined distance selected to provide the magnetic field signal as a sinusoidal signal.

Systems and methods described herein provide a current sensor based on magnetic field detection having multiple sensor arrangements with multiple, different sensitivity ranges. The outputs of the multiple sensor arrangements can be combined to generate a single output signal. The current sensor can include two or more sensor arrangements, each having one or more magnetic field sensing elements, and configured to sense a magnetic field in different first measurement ranges corresponding to different ranges of currents through the conductor and further configured to generate different magnetic field signals indicative of the sensed magnetic field in the respective measurement range. The current sensor can include a circuit configured to generate an output signal indicative of a combination of the different magnetic field signals that corresponds to the current through the conductor.

A sensor system includes: a sensor insert sub-assembly including a sensor holder, a biasing magnet connected to the sensor holder, and a first sensor connected to the sensor holder, wherein a first end of the sensor housing insert sub-assembly is configured to face a target; and a pressure barrier connected to the sensor insert sub-assembly. A portion of the pressure barrier extends between the first end of the sensor housing insert sub-assembly and the target. There is a gap between the portion of the pressure barrier and the first end of the sensor insert sub-assembly. The first sensor includes a magneto-resistive sensor that is configured to detect a displacement of the target relative to the sensor housing insert sub-assembly.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a resettable closed-loop multi-turn magnetic sensor. In one aspect, the sensor includes a nanowire forming a plurality of loops, a plurality of domain orientation sensors configured to detect locations of a pair of domain walls within the nanowire, and an initialization circuit configured to inject the pair of domain walls into the nanowire. The nanowire forms a closed-loop via a bridge crossing connecting two of the loops.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a resettable closed-loop multi-turn magnetic sensor. In one aspect, the sensor includes a nanowire forming a plurality of loops, a plurality of domain orientation sensors configured to detect locations of a pair of domain walls within the nanowire, and an initialization circuit configured to inject the pair of domain walls into the nanowire. The nanowire forms a closed-loop via a bridge crossing connecting two of the loops.

A magnetic detection device that comprises an amplification circuit amplifying a detection signal from a magnetic sensor that is positioned, for example, in a location where an alternating current magnetic field enters as noise, and detects an alternating current magnetic field targeted for monitoring, said magnetic detection device further comprising: timer circuits that are activated in response to a change in the output of the amplification circuit, and if these clock a prescribed time, the outputs thereof change; a logic circuit that treats the outputs of the timer circuits as inputs; and an oscillation circuit for generating an operation clock signal for the timer circuits. The timer circuits are structured such that if the output of the amplification circuit changes to a different direction before the clocking of the prescribed time is complete, the timer circuits are reset.

A magnetic detection device that comprises an amplification circuit amplifying a detection signal from a magnetic sensor that is positioned, for example, in a location where an alternating current magnetic field enters as noise, and detects an alternating current magnetic field targeted for monitoring, said magnetic detection device further comprising: timer circuits that are activated in response to a change in the output of the amplification circuit, and if these clock a prescribed time, the outputs thereof change; a logic circuit that treats the outputs of the timer circuits as inputs; and an oscillation circuit for generating an operation clock signal for the timer circuits. The timer circuits are structured such that if the output of the amplification circuit changes to a different direction before the clocking of the prescribed time is complete, the timer circuits are reset.

Magnetic field sensors and sensing methods are provided. A magnetic sensor module is configured to measure a magnetic field whose magnitude oscillates between a first extrema and a second extrema. The magnetic sensor module includes a magnetic sensor configured to generate measurement values in response to sensing the magnetic field, and a sensor circuit. The sensor circuit is configured to generate a measurement signal based on the measurement values, adjust an offset of the measurement signal according to an offset update algorithm and a first characteristic of the measurement signal, generate a pulsed output signal having pulses that are generated based on the adjusted measurement signal crossing the switching threshold, and selectively enable and disable the offset update algorithm based on a second characteristic of the measurement signal.