A magnetic sensor (1) includes: a nonmagnetic substrate (10); and a sensitive element (31) including a plurality of soft magnetic layers (105) (lower soft magnetic layer (105a) and upper soft magnetic layer (105b)) laminated on or above the substrate (10) and a conductor layer (106) laminated between the plurality of soft magnetic layers (105) and having higher conductivity than the plurality of soft magnetic layers (105). The sensitive element (31) has a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction and has uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. The sensitive element (31) is configured to sense a magnetic field by a magnetic impedance effect.

By configuring an encoder scale as a varying scale with successively increasing or decreasing pitch, sensors in a travel path of the scale can detect a phase difference to determine an absolute position of the scale for use in an industrial control system. Due to the successively increasing or decreasing pitch, each sensor can detect successively increasing or decreasing properties (such as magnetic fields) from the scale in a uniquely identifiable pattern. By taking the difference between readings of adjacent sensors, each sensor detecting properties of the scale, an absolute position of the scale between the sensors can be determined. The principle for feedback for the encoder system is analogous to a Nonius or Vernier principle to determine absolute position.

Provided is a passive wireless magnetic field characteristic sensing tag and system, and a magnetic field quantity acquisition method, which integrates a passive magnetic field quantity sensor in a passive electronic tag and cooperates with a reader and a host computer to build a magnetic field sensing system, so as to realize high-precision and high-intelligence monitoring of the magnetic field quantity.

Methods, apparatus, and systems for medical procedures are disclosed herein for receiving an input of a plurality of measured coordinates of a respective plurality of position transducers of a probe inside a body of a subject, receiving a measured voltage measurement output by the probe, determining a cost function based on a model of known mechanical properties of the probe compared to the measured coordinates with respect to shapes that can be assumed by the probe in the body and further based on an expected voltage value compared to the measured voltage measurement, selecting a shape based on the cost function, generating corrected coordinates of the points along the probe based on the shape and displaying a representation of the probe using the corrected coordinates.

A magnetic sensor detects presence or absence of a magnetic field and its polarity. South pole and north pole magnetic fields are respectively detected by the south pole detection operation and the north pole detection operation. A signal processing circuit of the magnetic sensor performs a unit operation including at least one of the south pole detection operation and the north pole detection operation repeatedly at an interval. In this case, if the south pole is detected in the i-th unit operation, the south pole detection operation is performed first in the (i+1)th unit operation. If the south pole is detected in the south pole detection operation, the north pole detection operation is not performed in the unit operation. If the north pole is detected in the i-th unit operation, operations are performed oppositely to the above.

A magnetic sensor detects presence or absence of a magnetic field and its polarity. South pole and north pole magnetic fields are respectively detected by the south pole detection operation and the north pole detection operation. A signal processing circuit of the magnetic sensor performs a unit operation including at least one of the south pole detection operation and the north pole detection operation repeatedly at an interval. In this case, if the south pole is detected in the i-th unit operation, the south pole detection operation is performed first in the (i+1)th unit operation. If the south pole is detected in the south pole detection operation, the north pole detection operation is not performed in the unit operation. If the north pole is detected in the i-th unit operation, operations are performed oppositely to the above.

A coil arrangement for generating a configurable 3D magnetic field vector inside a cavity, comprises a solenoid forming the cavity and having a first axis, a first pair of coils having a second common axis, and a second pair of coils having a third common axis, the three axes intersecting in a point where a chip to be tested is to be located. A test arrangement further comprises a container for holding a liquid and having at least one opening for providing access to the at least one cavity. A test system further comprises an electrical unit with a plurality of current sources, and a mechanical positioning mechanism for placing and holding the chip to be tested.

A coil arrangement for generating a configurable 3D magnetic field vector inside a cavity, comprises a solenoid forming the cavity and having a first axis, a first pair of coils having a second common axis, and a second pair of coils having a third common axis, the three axes intersecting in a point where a chip to be tested is to be located. A test arrangement further comprises a container for holding a liquid and having at least one opening for providing access to the at least one cavity. A test system further comprises an electrical unit with a plurality of current sources, and a mechanical positioning mechanism for placing and holding the chip to be tested.

Methods and apparatus for combining redundant signals to generate outputs signals with enhanced accuracy and/or risk level. In embodiments, first signals are generated by a first transducer and second signals are generated by a second transducer. In other embodiments, first signals are generated by a first die and second signals are generated by a second die. An amount of overlap between error distributions of the first and second signals can be used to detect failure and/or indicate risk of failure.

A magneto-impedance sensor element includes a magneto-sensitive body having electromagnetic properties that vary by a magnetic field externally acting thereon; and a detection coil wound around the magneto-sensitive body, in which a voltage corresponding to the intensity of the magnetic field acting on the magneto-sensitive body is output from the detection coil by applying a pulse current or a high-frequency current to the magneto-sensitive body. The magneto-sensitive body includes a first magneto-sensitive section and a second magneto-sensitive section that are configured to carry a pulse current or a high-frequency current in opposite directions to each other.