A brake pad wear measuring system for measuring brake pad wear for a vehicle disc brake system includes an inductive sensor operable to create a magnetic field and a target. At least one of the sensor and the target are mounted for movement along a braking axis with a component of the disc brake system. The positions of the sensor and target relative to each other changes in response to application of the disc brake system. The distance that the sensor and target move relative to each other in response to application of the disc brake system increases an amount that is equal to the total wear of the inner and outer brake pads. The sensor is responsive to the change in inductance caused by movement of the target in the magnetic field to provide a signal indicative of brake pad wear.

A method for determining a position of a movable element of a linear actuator of a motor vehicle includes supplying a current to a coil of the linear actuator so as to move and/or hold the movable element by a magnetic field of the coil generated by the supplied current; modulating the current supplied to the coil with an electrical alternating variable having a predetermined frequency; determining an impedance or an admittance of the coil at the predetermined frequency by measuring a further variable at the predetermined frequency; and determining the position of the movable element as a function of the determined impedance or admittance.

Herein provided are sensing systems, methods, sensors, and methods of manufacturing a sensor for a rotating element in an engine. A magnetic core having first and second ends is positioned with the first end proximate the rotating element. A permanent magnet is positioned proximate the second end of the magnetic core and is configured for subjecting the magnetic core and the rotating element to a magnetic field. A bifilar winding comprising a first wire and a second wire electrically insulated from one another is wrapped around at least a portion of the magnetic core, the bifilar winding configured to generate a first signal in the first wire and a second signal in the second wire in response to rotation of the rotating element relative to the sensor.

A position sensor used in medical devices for use with medical positioning systems. The position sensor includes a core (80) having a body and one or more projections (841,842) extending from the body, wherein the core comprises a high-permeability material. The position sensor further includes a coil (74) surrounding the body, wherein the coil is configured to generate a voltage when subject to a magnetic field. The one or more projections extending from the body of the core are configured to concentrate the magnetic field into the coil and increase the voltage. Thus, various core designs are described which have projections which may increase the electrical and/or mechanical integrity of the position sensor and/or which may also induce magnetic flux flow within the position sensor thereby increasing the signals generated by the position sensor.

A device for inductive position determination comprises a coil, a positional element, a scanning device for determining an inductance of the coil and an evaluation device for determining a position of the positional element in relation to the coil, based on the inductance determined. In certain embodiments, the positional element comprises a ferromagnetic and electrically insulated material.

Systems and techniques are described for measuring displacement of a moving mass by combining (i) information obtained from scanning, using a beam of light, an intensity pattern disposed on a surface of the mass, with (ii) information obtained when a coil interacts with a magnet attached to the moving mass.

The invention relates to a synchronous machine (1) including a stator (2) and a rotor (3). Said machine is provided with at least one sensor (1a) of the angular position of the rotor (3) and is characterized in that the stator (2) includes a winding provided such as to be supplied with polyphase current by an electronic power device. The rotor (3), which includes permanent magnets (4), is provided such as to rotate about the stator (2). The angular position sensor (1a) extends away from the rotor (3) and is in alignment with the latter at the permanent magnets (4). The angular position sensor (1a) includes at least two sensors (6) for measuring magnetic induction and are provided for detecting variation in the axial magnetic field of the rotor (3) in the form of voltage, and the angular position sensor (1a) moreover includes at least one electronic unit provided for receiving the voltages of the magnetic induction measurement sensors (6) such as to absolutely deduce therefrom the angular position of the rotor (3) and send corresponding information, in real time, to the electronic power device.

A vehicle driveline component includes an armature disposed and moveable along a translation axis, a coil assembly having a coil, a coil driver, an oscillator circuit having a resonant circuit, and a controller. The oscillator circuit is electrically coupled to the coil such that the coil defines a portion of the resonant circuit. The oscillator circuit generates an oscillating signal having a frequency that varies based on a spacing between the armature and the coil assembly along the translation axis. The controller applies a drive signal to the coil driver to have the coil driver provide a modulating power signal to the coil to generate an electromagnetic field that causes relative motion between the coil assembly and the armature along the translation axis. The controller determines a system response characteristic related to the spacing between the armature and the coil assembly based on the oscillating signal.

A magnetic encoder is provided with a first member including a first wall part that has formed therein an insertion through-hole through which a rotary body is passed, and a second member including a second wall part. A permanent magnet and a magnetic sensor for detecting a change in the magnetic field formed by the permanent magnet are disposed between the first wall part and the second wall part. In this configuration, the first member and the second member are composed of a soft steel that contains at most 3.0 wt % of carbon.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide magnetic sensing systems and methods for a scanning mirror. An exemplary magnetic sensing system includes a permanent magnet configured to provide a magnetic field. The magnetic sensing system further includes a wire coil configured to rotate relative to the permanent magnet when the scanning mirror rotates, causing an induced voltage in the wire coil. One of the permanent magnet and the wire coil locates on and rotates with the scanning mirror and the other locates off the scanning mirror. The magnetic sensing system also includes at least one controller configured to determine a rotation angle of the scanning mirror based on the induced voltage in the wire coil.