A magnetic field sensor includes at least one magnetic field sensing element configured to generate a measured magnetic field signal responsive to an external magnetic field and to generate a reference magnetic field signal responsive to a reference magnetic field and a calibration circuit configured to divide the measured magnetic field signal by the reference magnetic field signal to generate a calibrated magnetic field signal. The calibrated signal has reduced susceptibility to stress influences.

A method for determining the measurement uncertainty of a measuring system that detects a physical measurement variable includes a plurality of transmission links forming a measuring chain for detecting a physical measurement quantity. Directly adjacent transmission links are in a cause-and-effect relationship in the measuring chain. The method includes using a computer program to read in information for identifying the transmission links; reading in legible labels of influencing variables of the transmission links identified by the computer program product; determining a relevance of the influencing variables of the identified transmission links for the computer program's measurement uncertainty; and using influencing variables determined as being relevant for calculating the computer program's measurement uncertainty.

In at least one embodiment, an apparatus for diagnosing a state of a capacitive sensor is provided. The apparatus includes a control unit for being operably coupled to a decoupling device that exhibits a drift condition and to the capacitive sensor. The control unit being configured to determine an impedance of the capacitive sensor and to determine a characteristic of the capacitive sensor based on at least the impedance. The control unit being further configured to determine a characteristic of the decoupling device based on the characteristic of the capacitive sensor and to provide an estimated capacitance based on the characteristic of the decoupling device, the estimated capacitance being indicative of the state of the capacitive sensor.

Fault detection techniques for control of sensor systems. A sensor control integrated circuit (“IC”) may include a fault detection system for coupling to the sensor supply lines. The system may detect faults for each of the sensor supply lines. The fault detection system may level shift sensor supply line signals from a first voltage domain to a second voltage domain appropriate for the fault detection system of the controller IC. The fault detection system may level shift source potential voltages from the first voltage domain to the second voltage domain to detect predetermined fault types. The fault detection system may compare the second domain voltages from the sensor supply lines to voltages representing predetermined fault types and may generate fault status indicators based on the comparison.

An abnormality detection device includes an acquirer configured to acquire a plurality of detection results of a plurality of sensors that have detected a state of a detection target at predetermined time intervals and an estimator configured to estimate a specific sensor among the plurality of sensors on the basis of a plurality of mode information acquisition process data elements for enabling various types of feature extraction according to properties of the abnormality obtained from a plurality of detection results acquired by the acquirer.

In a rotation detecting apparatus, a sensor includes a sensor element outputting a measurement value representing rotation of a detection target, and a circuit module. The circuit module includes a rotational angle calculator calculating, based on the measurement value, rotational angle information indicative of a rotational angle of the detection target. The rotational angle calculator generates a rotational angle signal including the rotational angle information. The circuit module includes a rotation number calculator calculating, based on the measurement value, rotation number information representing the number of rotations of the detection target. The rotation number calculator generates a rotation number signal including the rotation number information. An output unit outputs, as an output signal, a series of the rotational angle signal and the rotation number signal. A controller obtains the output signal from the communicator, and calculates, based on the output signal, information about the rotation of the detection target.

Systems and methods of detecting failures in an assembly that uses a variable differential transformer sensor. In one embodiment, a signal processor receives an excitation signal applied to the sensor, and detects a zero-crossing of the excitation signal. The signal processor receives an output signal of the variable differential transformer sensor in response to the excitation signal, and detects a zero-crossing of the output signal. The signal processor detects a fault in the assembly responsive to a determination that the zero-crossing of the output signal is separated from the zero-crossing of the excitation signal by more than the detection threshold.

A method for increasing a reliability of a transducer is provided. The transducer has a first and a second IC, wherein the two ICs each have substantially the same monolithically integrated circuit components with one sensor apiece, and a signal contact for bidirectional data transmission. A reference contact on each of the two ICs is connected to or disconnected from the signal contact by a controllable switch, and a signal generated as a function of the physical quantity sensed by the relevant sensor is applied to the signal contact. The two ICs are integrated into a common IC package, and a supply voltage contact of the first IC is connected to a first package contact, and the first package contact is connected to a first terminal of a control unit, and the supply voltage contact of the second IC is connected to a second package contact.

A system includes a magnetic target and a magnetic field sensor. The magnetic field sensor comprises an output node; a circuit to detect a magnetic field produced by the magnetic target; and a processor. The processor may be configured to transmit a signal onto the output node representing the detected magnetic field; detect whether the transmitted signal is interrupted by an external source; and, if the signal is interrupted, initiate a self-test of the apparatus. Corresponding methods and apparatuses are also disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for validating a measurement machine. A group of validation measurements associated with a reference part is obtained. The group of validation measurements includes at least a first measurement associated with a first tolerance and a second measurement associated with a second tolerance, the second tolerance being smaller than the first tolerance. A dimension of the reference part associated with the first measurement is measured to obtain a measurement value. The measurement value is compared to a nominal value associated with the first measurement to obtain a measurement error. The measurement error is compared to the second tolerance associated with the second measurement. When the measurement error is less than the second tolerance, a validation signal is issued to the measurement machine.