A magnetic angular position sensor system is described herein. According to one exemplary embodiment the angular position sensor system comprises a shaft rotatable around a rotation axis, wherein the shaft has a soft magnetic shaft end portion. The system further comprises a sensor chip spaced apart from the shaft end portion in an axial direction and defining a sensor plane, which is substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis. At least four magnetic field sensor elements are integrated in the sensor chip, wherein two of the magnetic field sensor elements are spaced apart from each other and are only sensitive to magnetic field components in a first direction and wherein two of the magnetic field sensor elements are spaced apart from each other and are only sensitive to magnetic field components in a second direction, whereby the first and the second direction are mutually non-parallel and the first and the second direction being perpendicular to the rotation axis. Moreover, the system comprises a magnetic field source that magnetizes the shaft end portion, wherein the shaft end portion is formed such that a magnetic field in the sensor plane, which is caused by the magnetic field source, is rotationally symmetric with order N, wherein N is a finite integer number 1. The system also comprises circuitry that is coupled to the at least four magnetic field sensor elements and configured to calculate an angular position of the shaft by combining output signals of the at least four magnetic field sensor elements.

Methods, devices and systems for three-dimensional location of the disposition of a sensor coil in a subject including are disclosed. The systems include an array of three or more quadruplet drive coil sets, where each quadruplet drive coil set include at least four discrete drive coils, at least one moveable sensor coil configured to provide one or more sensor coil response signals, a first system component providing AC drive signals to energize the discrete drive coils, a second system component for receiving the one or more sensor coil response signals from the at least one moveable sensor coil, and a processor configured to determine a sensor coil disposition of the at least one moveable sensor coil in the subject relative to the quadruplet drive coil sets based on the one or more sensor coil response signals.

A sensor arrangement comprising an angle sensor for measuring torsion is disclosed. The angle sensor is designed for carrying out a measurement via n poles, where n1, and primarily comprises a sensor ring which at least partially surrounds a rotational axis, and a material measure which is rotatable relative to this sensor ring. One transmitting coil and multiple receiver coils are situated on the sensor ring. A magnetic circuit is formed between the transmitting coil and the receiver coils, which magnetic circuit comprises the material measure and a pot core including two limbs. In this case, the material measure forms a variable reluctance in the magnetic circuit. At least one of the two limbs of the pot core is segmented in such a way that the limb comprises ring segments. Each of the receiver coils surrounds at least one of the ring segments. Each of the ring segments forms a circular arc having a mean radius. The ring segments may be provided in pairs. The mean radii of the two ring segments of the individual pairs have an angle () relative to each other of (60/n+i.Math.360/n), wherein i is a whole number. The disclosure further relates to a rolling bearing arrangement.

A device is configured to determine a relative deflection of two transmitter elements by a sensor element. The transmitter elements are arranged at the sensor element. The deflection of the transmitter elements with respect to one another at the sensor element can be determined based on a degree of overlap of conductive regions of the transmitter elements by the sensor element.

Front-end circuits that combine inductive and capacitive sensing are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a plurality of inductive elements, an inductive measurement circuit, and a frequency divider circuit. The inductive measurement circuit is to output a first signal with a first frequency. The first signal is associated with an inductance change of one of the inductive elements. A feedback circuit can maintain the sinusoidal operation of the first signal. The frequency divider circuit can generate a second signal with a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency.

There is provided a driving apparatus including: a rotation unit configured to be rotated about a center shaft by driving of a motor; a rotation angle acquisition unit configured to acquire information of a rotation angle of the rotation unit, as information proportional to the rotation angle; and a control unit configured to control the driving of the motor on the basis of the information of the rotation angle acquired by the rotation angle acquisition unit.

A device for inductive positioning comprises a coil, an element for influencing a magnetic field in the area of the coil, a signal generator for providing a digital signal and a delay element with an input and an output, wherein the delay element is designed on the basis of the coil and a delay period between a signal edge at the input and a corresponding signal edge at the output is dependent on the inductance of the coil. The device further comprises a comparator to provide a digital differential impulse, whose length is dependent on a time difference of corresponding signal edges at the input and the output of the delay element, an integrator to provide a voltage depending on the length of the differential impulse and an evaluator to determine the position of the coil in reference to the coil based the voltage.

A system may include a resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor, a measurement circuit communicatively coupled to the resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor and configured to at a plurality of periodic intervals, measure phase information associated with the resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor and based on the phase information, determine a displacement of a mechanical member relative to the resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor. The system may also include a driver configured to drive the resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor at a driving frequency and a driving amplitude, wherein at least one of the driving frequency and the driving amplitude varies among the plurality of periodic intervals.

A system may include a resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor, a driver configured to drive the resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor at a driving frequency, and a measurement circuit communicatively coupled to the resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor and configured to measure phase information associated with the resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor and based on the phase information, determine a displacement of a mechanical member relative to the resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor, wherein the displacement of the mechanical member causes a change in an impedance of the resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor.

A power tool including a motor and an impact mechanism. The impact mechanism is coupled to the motor and includes a hammer driven by the motor, and an anvil positioned at a nose of the power tool, and configured to receive an impact from the hammer. The power tool also includes a sensor assembly positioned at the nose of the power tool, and an electronic processor. The sensor assembly includes an output position sensor configured to generate an output signal indicative of a position of the hammer or the anvil. The electronic processor is coupled to the output position sensor and to the motor, and is configured to operate the motor based on the output signal from the output position sensor.