Dual output pin protocol for speed, direction and diagnostics

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a dual output pin protocol for speed, direction and diagnostics. For example, a sensor device includes: a first sensor element that generates a first sensor signal based on a changing magnetic field; a second sensor element that generates a second sensor signal based on a changing magnetic field; a signal processing circuit that is configured to generate a first pulse signal based on the first sensor signal and a second pulse signal based on the second sensor signal; a fault detector that detects a fault and generates an error signal indicating the fault; and an output generator that receives the error signal based on a first condition that the fault detector detects a fault, and simultaneously outputs the first output signal and the second output signal. In response to the first condition being met, the output generator maintains the first output signal in a stable state and outputs the second pulse signal as the second output signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of sensors and, more particularly, to a dual output pin protocol for speed, direction, and diagnostics. Background Art

[0002] Magnetic speed sensors are used in many industries for speed sensing in many applications, including wheel speed, engine speed, and transmission speed in the automotive industry. In the field of speed sensing, a sinusoidal signal can be generated by a magnetic sensor in response to the rotation of a target object such as a wheel, camshaft, crankshaft, etc. The sinusoidal signal can be converted into pulses, which are further converted into motion detection or speed output.

[0003] One purpose of an engine speed sensor or crankshaft sensor is to assess the speed at which the crankshaft is rotating. That is, it measures the speed and direction of the crankshaft's rotation. These speed sensors are electronic control devices used in automotive internal combustion engines. The component sends critical information to the electronic control unit (ECU), such as the engine control module (ECM). Information from the crankshaft speed sensor is used to control engine management, fuel injection, and ignition timing systems.

[0004] Information from the speed sensor may generate a speed signal representing the speed of the target object and a direction signal representing the rotational direction of movement of the target object.Thus, the speed sensor may include a first output pin for outputting the speed signal and a second output pin for outputting the direction signal.

[0005] In addition, the speed sensor can be configured to provide diagnostic information to a microcontroller (such as an ECU). Conventional speed sensors use a third output pin to output this diagnostic information. However, implementing a third pin brings additional cost to the device and the overall system.

[0006] For example, a so-called "life tick" can be generated and output via a third output pin. Such a life tick is difficult to implement, because it must be known what happens when a life tick occurs together with a signal change. Furthermore, the timing must be defined. This also means that the fault reaction time is defined in this way on the system level, which makes the implementation in safety-critical applications less flexible. Furthermore, the microcontroller must measure all timings.

[0007] Therefore, it may be desirable to have an improved speed sensor that can provide speed, direction, and diagnostic information, or speed and both diagnostic information, while maximizing the use of two output pins. Summary of the invention

[0008] Embodiments are directed to a speed sensor that can maximize the use of two output pins to provide speed, direction, and diagnostic information.

[0009] One or more embodiments relate to a sensor device, comprising: at least one first sensor element having a first sensing direction and configured to generate at least one first sensor signal based on sensing a first magnetic field component of a changing magnetic field aligned along the first sensing direction; at least one second sensor element having a second sensing direction and configured to generate at least one second sensor signal based on sensing a second magnetic field component of a changing magnetic field aligned along the second sensing direction; a signal processing circuit configured to generate a first pulse signal based on the at least one first sensor signal and a second pulse signal based on the at least one second sensor signal; a fault detector configured to detect at least one fault and generate an error signal indicating at least one fault in response to detecting the at least one fault; and an output generator configured to receive a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal, receive the error signal based on a first condition that the fault detector detects at least one fault, and simultaneously output the first output signal and the second output signal. Based on a second condition that the fault detector does not detect at least one fault, the output generator is configured to output the first pulse signal as the first output signal and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal. In response to the first condition being met, the output generator is configured to keep the first output signal in a stable state and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal.

[0010] One or more embodiments relate to a sensor system including a sensor device and a microcontroller. The sensor device includes: at least one first sensor element configured to generate at least one first sensor signal based on sensing a first magnetic field component of a changing magnetic field; at least one second sensor element configured to generate at least one second sensor signal based on sensing a second magnetic field component of an alignment of the changing magnetic field; a signal processing circuit configured to generate a first pulse signal based on the at least one first sensor signal and a second pulse signal based on the at least one second sensor signal; a fault detector configured to detect at least one fault and generate an error signal indicating at least one fault in response to detecting at least one fault; and an output generator configured to receive a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal, receive an error signal based on a first condition that the fault detector detects at least one fault, and simultaneously output a first output signal and a second output signal. Based on a second condition that the fault detector does not detect at least one fault, the output generator is configured to output a first pulse signal as a first output signal. In response to the first condition being met, the output generator is configured to maintain the first output signal in a stable state and output a second pulse signal as a second output signal. The microcontroller is coupled to the sensor device and configured to receive the first output signal and the second output signal and detect at least one fault based on the first output signal and the second output signal.

[0011] One or more embodiments relate to a microcontroller, comprising: a first input pin configured to receive a first signal; a second input pin configured to receive a second signal, wherein the first signal and the second signal are received simultaneously and together indicate a normal condition, a first fault condition, or a second fault condition; and at least one processor configured to evaluate the first signal and the second signal, and detect the normal condition, the first fault condition, or the second fault condition based on the evaluated first signal and the evaluated second signal. The at least one processor is configured to detect transition edges of the first signal and the second signal, and at each detected transition edge of the first output signal and the second output signal, determine whether two synchronization edges are detected, the two synchronization edges including a first transition edge of the first signal being synchronized with a second transition edge of the second signal. Under the condition that the two synchronization edges are detected, the at least one processor is configured to determine that a normal condition exists, and under the condition that the two synchronization edges are not detected, the at least one processor is configured to detect that one of the first fault condition or the second fault condition occurs.

[0012] One or more embodiments relate to a microcontroller, comprising: a first input pin configured to receive a first signal; a second input pin configured to receive a second signal, wherein the first signal and the second signal are received simultaneously and together indicate a normal condition or a fault condition; and at least one processor configured to evaluate the first signal and the second signal, and detect a normal condition or a fault condition based on the evaluated first signal and the evaluated second signal. The at least one processor is configured to detect transition edges of the first signal and the second signal. The at least one processor is configured to: at each detected transition edge of the first output signal and the second output signal, determine whether two synchronization edges are detected, the two synchronization edges including a first transition edge of the first signal being synchronized with a second transition edge of the second signal. Under the condition that the two synchronization edges are detected, the at least one processor is configured to determine that a normal condition exists, and under the condition that the two synchronization edges are not detected, the at least one processor is configured to detect that a fault condition has occurred.

[0013] One or more embodiments relate to a sensor device, comprising: at least one first sensor element configured to generate at least one first sensor signal based on sensing a changing magnetic field; at least one second sensor element configured to generate at least one second sensor signal based on sensing a changing magnetic field, wherein the at least one first sensor signal is phase-shifted relative to the at least one second sensor signal; a signal processing circuit configured to generate a first pulse signal based on the at least one first sensor signal, determine a phase shift direction of a phase shift between the at least one first sensor signal and the at least one second sensor signal, and generate a second pulse signal based on the determined phase shift direction, wherein the signal processing circuit is further configured to detect a phase shift reversal of the phase shift, and switch a state of the second pulse signal in response to detecting the phase shift reversal; a fault detector configured to detect at least one fault, and generate an error signal indicating the at least one fault in response to detecting the at least one fault; and an output generator configured to receive the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal, receive the error signal based on a first condition that the fault detector detects the at least one fault, and simultaneously output the first output signal and the second output signal. Based on a second condition that the fault detector does not detect the at least one fault, the output generator is configured to output the first pulse signal as the first output signal, and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal. In response to the first condition being satisfied, the output generator is configured to maintain the first output signal in a stable state and output a second pulse signal as the second output signal.

[0014] One or more embodiments relate to a sensor device, comprising: at least one first sensor element configured to generate at least one first sensor signal based on sensing a magnetic field component of a changing magnetic field; a signal processing circuit configured to generate a first pulse signal based on the at least one first sensor signal, and to generate a second pulse signal replicating the first pulse signal; a fault detector configured to detect at least one first fault, and to generate a first error signal indicating at least one first fault in response to detecting the at least one first fault; and an output generator configured to receive the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal, receive the first error signal based on a first condition that the fault detector detects at least one first fault, and simultaneously output the first output signal and the second output signal. Based on a second condition that the fault detector does not detect at least one first fault, the output generator is configured to output the first pulse signal as the first output signal. In response to the first condition being met, the output generator is configured to maintain the first output signal in a stable state and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal.

[0015] One or more embodiments relate to a sensor device, comprising: at least one first sensor element configured to generate at least one first sensor signal based on sensing a magnetic field component of a changing magnetic field; a signal processing circuit configured to generate a first pulse signal based on the at least one first sensor signal, and to generate a second pulse signal replicating the first pulse signal; a fault detector configured to detect at least one first fault and generate a first error signal indicating the at least one first fault in response to detecting the at least one first fault, detect at least one second fault and generate a second error signal indicating the at least one second fault in response to detecting the at least one second fault, detect at least one third fault and generate a third error signal indicating the at least one third fault in response to detecting the at least one third fault, and detect at least one fourth fault and generate a fourth error signal indicating the at least one fourth fault in response to detecting the at least one fourth fault; and an output generator configured to receive the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal, receive the first error signal based on a first condition that the fault detector detects the at least one first fault, receive the second error signal based on a second condition that the fault detector detects the at least one second fault, receive the third error signal based on a third condition that the fault detector detects the at least one third fault, receive the fourth error signal based on a fourth condition that the fault detector detects the at least one fourth fault, and simultaneously output the first output signal and the second output signal. Based on the fifth condition that the fault detector does not detect at least one first fault, at least one second fault, at least one third fault, and at least one fourth fault, the output generator is configured to output the first pulse signal as the first output signal and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal. In response to the first condition being met, the output generator is configured to keep the first output signal in a high stable state and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal. In response to the second condition being met, the output generator is configured to keep the first output signal in a low stable state and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal. In response to the third condition being met, the output generator is configured to keep the second output signal in a high stable state and output the first pulse signal as the first output signal. In response to the fourth condition being met, the output generator is configured to keep the second output signal in a low stable state and output the first pulse signal as the first output signal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Embodiments are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a sensor system including a 2D magnetic sensor according to one or more embodiments;

[0018] Figure 2is a diagram of a measurement signal and a corresponding output signal when no fault occurs according to one or more embodiments;

[0019] Figure 3 is a diagram of a measurement signal and a corresponding output signal when a fault occurs according to one or more embodiments;

[0020] Figure 4 is a diagram of a measurement signal and a corresponding output signal when a fault occurs according to one or more embodiments;

[0021] Figure 5A is a schematic block diagram of a sensor system including a 2D magnetic sensor according to one or more embodiments;

[0022] Figure 5B is a schematic block diagram of a sensor system including a 1D magnetic sensor according to one or more embodiments;

[0023] Fig. 6A is based on Figure 5B A diagram of sensor measurement signals and corresponding output signals of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6B is based on Figure 5B Another diagram of sensor measurement signals and corresponding output signals of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6C is based on Figure 5B Another diagram of sensor measurement signals and corresponding output signals of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Fig.6D is based on Figure 5B Another diagram of sensor measurement signals and corresponding output signals of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 is based on Figure 5B A diagram of a measurement signal and a corresponding output signal when no fault occurs and a fault occurs in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a sensor system including a 3D magnetic sensor according to one or more embodiments;

[0029] Fig. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a sensor system including a magnetic sensor according to one or more embodiments;

[0030] Fig. 10A is based on Fig. 9 A diagram of measurement signals and corresponding output signals when no fault occurs and when at least one fault occurs according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0031] Fig. 10B is based on Fig. 9 Graphs of measurement signals and corresponding output signals when no fault occurs and when at least one fault occurs according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Hereinafter, the details are set forth to provide a more thorough explanation of the exemplary embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments may be implemented without these specific details. In other examples, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form or schematic diagrams rather than in detail to avoid confusing the embodiments. In addition, unless otherwise specifically stated, the features of the different embodiments described below may be combined with each other. It should also be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope defined by the claims. Therefore, the following detailed description is not intended to be limiting.

[0033] In addition, in the following description, equivalent or similar reference numerals are used to represent equivalent or similar elements or elements having equivalent or similar functions. Since the same or functionally equivalent elements are given the same reference numerals in the drawings, repeated descriptions of the elements having the same reference numerals may be omitted. Therefore, the descriptions provided for the elements having the same or similar reference numerals are interchangeable.

[0034] Directional terms, such as "top," "bottom," "up," "down," "front," "rear," "before," "after," "above," "below," etc., may be used with reference to the drawings and / or orientation of the elements being described. Because the embodiments may be positioned in many different orientations, the directional terms are used for illustrative purposes and are not limiting in any way. In some instances, directional terms may be interchanged with equivalent directional terms based on the orientation of the embodiments as long as the general directional relationship between the elements and their general purpose is maintained.

[0035] In the present disclosure, expressions including sequence numbers (such as "first", "second", etc.) may modify various elements. However, these elements are not limited by the above expressions. For example, the above expressions do not limit the order and / or importance of the elements. The above expressions are only used to distinguish one element from other elements. For example, a first box and a second box represent different boxes, although they are both boxes. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may also be referred to as a first element.

[0036] It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intervening elements. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.).

[0037] In the embodiments described herein or shown in the accompanying drawings, any direct electrical connection or coupling (i.e., any connection or coupling without additional intermediate elements) may also be implemented by an indirect connection or coupling (i.e., a connection or coupling with one or more additional intermediate elements), and vice versa, as long as the general purpose of the connection or coupling (e.g., transmitting a particular kind of signal or transmitting a particular kind of information) is substantially maintained. Features from different embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments. For example, unless otherwise stated, changes or modifications described with respect to one embodiment may also apply to other embodiments.

[0038] Depending on specific implementation requirements, the storage medium may include RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or any other medium storing electronically readable control signals that cooperate (or are capable of cooperating) with a programmable computer system to perform the corresponding method. Therefore, the storage medium can be regarded as a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium.

[0039] In addition, the instructions may be executed by one or more processors, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), general-purpose microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable logic arrays (FPGAs), or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits. Therefore, the term "processor" as used herein refers to any of the aforementioned structures or any other structure suitable for implementing the techniques described herein. In addition, in some aspects, the functions described herein may be provided within dedicated hardware and / or software modules. In addition, these techniques may be fully implemented in one or more circuits or logic elements. A "controller" including one or more processors may use electrical signals and digital algorithms to perform its reception, analysis, and control functions, which may further include correction functions.

[0040] A sensor may refer to a component that converts a physical quantity to be measured into an electrical signal (e.g., a current signal or a voltage signal). For example, the physical quantity may include a magnetic field, an electric field, a pressure, a force, a temperature, a current, or a voltage, but is not limited thereto. As described herein, a sensor device may be a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a temperature sensor, a magnetic sensor, etc.

[0041] For example, a magnetic field sensor includes one or more magnetic field sensor elements for measuring one or more characteristics of a magnetic field (e.g., magnetic field flux density, magnetic field strength, magnetic field angle, magnetic field direction, magnetic field orientation, etc.). The magnetic field may be generated by a magnet, a current carrying conductor (e.g., a wire), the earth, or other magnetic field sources. Each magnetic field sensor element is configured to generate a sensor signal (e.g., a voltage signal) in response to one or more magnetic fields impinging on the sensor element. Thus, the sensor signal indicates the magnitude and / or orientation of the magnetic field impinging on the sensor element.

[0042] For example, magnetic sensors include magnetoresistive sensors, inductive sensors, and Hall effect sensors (Hall sensors). Magnetoresistance is the property of a material that changes its resistance value when an external magnetic field is applied to it. Some examples of the magnetoresistance effect include: giant magnetoresistance (GMR), which is a quantum mechanical magnetoresistance effect observed in a thin film structure consisting of alternating ferromagnetic layers and non-magnetic conductive layers; tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR), which is a magnetoresistance effect that occurs in a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), which is a component consisting of two ferromagnets separated by a thin insulator; or anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR), which is a material property in which the resistance depends on the angle between the current direction and the magnetization direction. For example, in the case of an AMR sensor, the resistance of the AMR sensor element varies according to the square of the sine of the angle of the magnetic field component projected on the sensing axis of the ARM sensor element.

[0043] The various magnetoresistive effects are often abbreviated as xMR, with "x" serving as a placeholder for the various magnetoresistive effects. xMR sensors can detect the orientation of an applied magnetic field by measuring the sine and cosine angular components using a monolithically integrated magnetoresistive sensor element.

[0044] The magnetoresistive sensor element of such an xMR sensor typically includes multiple layers, at least one of which is a reference layer having a reference magnetization (i.e., a reference direction). The reference magnetization provides a sensing direction corresponding to the sensing axis of the xMR sensor, thereby aligning the sensor element with the magnetic field component in the sensing direction. For example, the magnetic field component can be an x ​​magnetic field component (Bx), a y magnetic field component (By), or a z magnetic field component (Bz), where in the examples provided, the Bx and By field components are in the plane of the chip, while Bz is out of the plane of the chip. Therefore, if the magnetic field component points exactly in the same direction as the reference direction, the resistance of the xMR sensor element is maximum, and if the magnetic field component points exactly in the opposite direction to the reference direction, the resistance of the xMR sensor element is minimum.

[0045] In some applications, an xMR sensor includes multiple magnetoresistive sensor elements with the same or different reference magnetizations. Examples of such applications using various reference magnetizations are angle sensors, compass sensors, or certain types of speed sensors (e.g., speed sensors in a bridge arrangement, called momocells).

[0046] Such magnetoresistive sensor elements are used, for example, in speed, angle or rotational speed measuring devices, where a magnet is movable relative to the magnetoresistive sensor element, so that in the event of a movement the magnetic field at the location of the magnetoresistive sensor element also changes, which in turn causes a measurable change in the electrical resistance. For the purpose of an angle sensor, a magnet or a magnet arrangement can be applied to a rotatable shaft and the xMR sensor can be arranged fixedly relative to it.

[0047] A Hall effect sensor is a transducer that changes its output voltage (Hall voltage) in response to a magnetic field. It is based on the Hall effect that exploits the Lorentz force. The Lorentz force deflects mobile charges in the presence of a magnetic field perpendicular to the current flowing through the sensor or Hall plate. Thus, the Hall plate can be a thin sheet of semiconductor or metal. The deflection causes the charges to separate, resulting in the Hall field. The electric field acts on the charges in the direction opposite to the Lorentz force. The two forces balance each other and create a potential difference perpendicular to the direction of current flow. The potential difference can be measured as the Hall voltage and changes linearly with the magnetic field and has a small value. Hall effect sensors can be used for proximity switching, positioning, speed detection, and current sensing applications.

[0048] A vertical Hall sensor is a magnetic field sensor consisting of a Hall element perpendicular to the plane of the chip (e.g., extending from the main surface of the chip to the chip body). It senses magnetic fields perpendicular to its defined sensitive edge (top, right, or left relative to the main surface of the chip). This generally means that the vertical Hall sensor is sensitive to magnetic field components that are parallel to its surface and extend parallel to the main surface of the chip in which the vertical Hall sensor is integrated or in the plane of the main surface. Specifically, the vertical Hall sensor may extend from the main surface into the chip. Here, the sensitivity plane may be referred to as a "sensitivity axis" or "sensing axis", and each sensing axis has a reference direction. For a vertical Hall sensor element, the voltage value output by the sensor element varies according to the strength of the magnetic field in the direction of its sensing axis.

[0049] On the other hand, lateral (planar) Hall sensors are constructed with Hall elements whose main surfaces of the chip are in the same plane. They sense magnetic fields perpendicular to their flat surfaces. This means that they are sensitive to magnetic fields perpendicular to the main surface of the chip or outside the main surface. Here, the sensitivity plane can be called a "sensitivity axis" or "sensing axis", and each sensing axis has a reference direction. Similar to the vertical Hall sensor element, the voltage value output by the lateral Hall sensor element varies according to the strength of the magnetic field in the direction of its sensing axis.

[0050] According to one or more embodiments, a plurality of magnetic field sensors and sensor circuit arrangements may be accommodated (i.e., integrated) in the same chip. The sensor circuit may be referred to as a signal processing circuit and / or a signal conditioning circuit, which receives one or more signals (i.e., sensor signals) from one or more magnetic field sensor elements in the form of raw measurement data and derives a measurement signal representing the magnetic field from the sensor signals.

[0051] In some cases, the measurement signal can be a differential measurement signal, which is obtained by using a differentially generated sensor signal of two sensor elements having the same sensing axis (e.g., two sensor elements sensitive to the same magnetic field component). The differential measurement signal is robust to uniform external stray magnetic fields.

[0052] As used herein, signal conditioning refers to processing an analog signal in such a way that the signal meets the requirements of the next stage for further processing. Signal conditioning may include conversion from analog to digital (e.g., via an analog-to-digital converter), amplification, filtering, conversion, biasing, range matching, isolation, and any other processing required to make the sensor output suitable for post-conditioning processing.

[0053] Thus, the sensor circuit may include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that converts analog signals from one or more sensor elements into digital signals. The sensor circuit may also include a digital signal processor (DSP) that performs some processing on the digital signals, which will be discussed below. Thus, a chip, which may also be referred to as an integrated circuit (IC), may include circuits that condition and amplify the small signals of one or more magnetic field sensor elements via signal processing and / or conditioning.

[0054] As used herein, a sensor device may refer to a device including a sensor and a sensor circuit as described above. The sensor device may be integrated on a single semiconductor die (eg, a silicon die or chip). Thus, the sensor and the sensor circuit are disposed on the same semiconductor die.

[0055] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a sensor system 100 including a 2D magnetic sensor according to one or more embodiments. The sensor system 100 includes a magnetic sensor 10 configured to generate two output signals OUT1 and OUT2 and a microcontroller 30 configured to receive the two output signals OUT1 and OUT2 for additional analysis and / or processing.

[0056] Therefore, the magnetic sensor 10 includes a first output pin 11 configured to output a first output signal OUT1 and a second output pin 12 configured to output a second output signal OUT2. The magnetic sensor 10 is a single semiconductor die (e.g., a silicon die or chip) on which various components are integrated. The magnetic sensor 10 also includes power pins 21 and 22 configured to receive a first power supply potential (e.g., a power supply voltage Vs) and a second power supply potential (e.g., a ground GND), respectively.

[0057] The microcontroller 30 includes input pins 31 and 32 for receiving the output signals OUT1 and OUT2, respectively, and two power supply pins 33 and 34 configured to receive a first power supply potential (e.g., a power supply voltage Vμc) and a second power supply potential (e.g., a ground GNDμc), respectively. The microcontroller 30 is configured to analyze the output signals OUT1 and OUT2, including detecting and decoding a fault indicated by one of the output signals OUT1 or OUT2.

[0058] The first output signal OUT1 may be a speed signal, and the second output signal OUT2 may be a direction signal, and vice versa. In addition, diagnostic information may be generated by modifying one of the output signals OUT1 or OUT2. Therefore, the magnetic sensor 10 is a speed sensor that can maximize the use of the two output pins 11 and 12 to provide speed and diagnostic information, which is conducive to reducing cost and complexity. In addition, the magnetic sensor 10 may also be configured to maximize the use of the two output pins 11 and 12 to provide direction information, and reduce cost and complexity.

[0059] Figure 1 The magnetic sensor 10 shown in the example is a two-dimensional (2D) magnetic sensor that includes a first sensor element 13 and a second sensor element 14. "2D" means that the sensor is configured to sense a magnetic field in only two sensing directions. The sensor elements 13 and 14 may be xMR sensor elements, inductive sensor elements, Hall sensor elements, or any other magnetic sensor elements that generate sensor signals in response to a magnetic field. Specifically, the first sensor element 13 may be an x ​​sensor having a sensitivity axis aligned in the x direction (i.e., its sensitivity direction) and generating a sensor signal Sx in response to an x ​​component Bx of a magnetic field. Conversely, the second sensor element 14 may be a y sensor having a sensitivity axis aligned in the y direction (i.e., its sensitivity direction) and generating a sensor signal Sy in response to a y component By of a magnetic field. Therefore, the sensitivity axes of the first sensor element 13 and the second sensor element 14 are orthogonal to each other. Therefore, the sensor signals generated by the sensor elements 13 and 14 are offset from each other by 90°.

[0060] For example, the sensor signal generated by the sensor element 13 may be sinusoidal, and the sensor signal generated by the sensor element 14 may be cosine relative to the sensor signal generated by the sensor element 13. The sensor elements 13 and 14 together sense changes in the x-axis and y-axis magnetic field strengths, which are sinusoidal waveforms (i.e., signal modulations) whose frequencies correspond to the rotational speed of a rotating target object (such as a wheel or a drive shaft).

[0061] In addition, it should be understood that the first sensor element 13 and the second sensor element 14 may each be composed of one or more sensing elements. For example, in the case where the first sensor element 13 and the second sensor element 14 include two or more sensing elements, the sensing elements of each corresponding sensor element 13 and 14 may be arranged in a differential configuration and / or a bridge configuration.

[0062] Although Figure 1 A 2D magnetic sensor is shown in Figure 5B In other examples of the illustrated examples, the magnetic sensor 10 can be a one-dimensional speed sensor in which the two sensor elements are Hall sensor elements configured to sense a magnetic field in the same sensing direction. In this case, the two Hall sensor elements are laterally spaced apart by a lateral distance in the sensing direction. Therefore, the two Hall sensor elements generate sensor signals Sx1 and Sx2, respectively, which are phase-shifted from each other, and the phase shift is proportional to the lateral distance. The phase shift can be used to sense the rotation direction of the rotating magnetic field, more specifically, the rotation direction of the target object.

[0063] Back to Figure 1 , the magnetic sensor 10 includes a sensor processing circuit 15, which is configured to receive analog sensor signals from the sensor elements 13 and 14 and perform signal processing and / or conditioning thereon. For example, the sensor processing circuit 15 may generate a first measurement signal Sx' based on the sensor signal received from the first sensor element 13, and generate a second measurement signal Sy' based on the sensor signal received from the second sensor element 14. For example, the sensor processing circuit 15 includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that converts the analog sensor signals Sx and Sy into digital sensor signals Sx' and Sy'. The sensor processing circuit 15 may also include a digital signal processor (DSP) that performs some processing on the digital sensor signals Sx' and Sy'.

[0064] Additionally or alternatively, the sensor processing circuit 15 may generate a first measurement signal Sx' as a first differential measurement signal Sx' from the sensor signal received from the first sensor element 13 using a differential calculation, which may be used to eliminate uniform stray fields in the sensor plane direction. Similarly, the sensor processing circuit 15 may generate a second measurement signal Sy' as a second differential measurement signal Sy' from the sensor signal received from the second sensor element 14. In order to obtain a differential measurement signal, sensor signals from at least two sensor elements that are sensitive to the same magnetic field component are used.

[0065] The measurement signals Sx' and Sy' are output from the sensor processing circuit 15 and provided to the speed and direction processing circuit 16. In this example, the speed and direction processing circuit 16 uses the measurement signal Sx' as a speed signal and uses the measurement signal Sy' as a direction signal. However, the roles may be reversed. In addition, if the measurement signals Sx' and Sy' are analog signals, the speed and direction processing circuit 16 may include an ADC to convert the signals into a digital domain.

[0066] The speed and direction processing circuit 16 analyzes the measurement signal Sx' and generates a pulse output signal S1. In particular, the speed and direction processing circuit 16 may include a current modulator (also referred to as a protocol generator) that receives the measurement signal Sx' and generates the output signal S1 as an output current according to a programmed current switching protocol or rule set constructed by, for example, a comparator. In order to generate the current pulses, the output current can be between two current values. The frequency of the current pulses is directly related to the speed of the target object.

[0067] The speed and direction processing circuit 16 also analyzes the measurement signal Sy' and generates a pulse output signal S2. The pulse output signal S2 has the same frequency as the pulse output signal S1. However, the pulses of the pulse output signal S2 are in phase with the pulses of the pulse output signal S1 (i.e., have zero phase shift), or are completely out of phase with the pulses of the pulse output signal S1 (i.e., have a 180° phase shift), depending on the moving direction of the target object. For example, for a rotating target object, the edges of the pulses of the S1 and S2 signals may be aligned and in phase with each other under the condition that the target object rotates in a first direction (e.g., counterclockwise). Conversely, the edges of the pulses of the S1 and S2 signals may be aligned and out of phase with each other under the condition that the target object rotates in a second direction (e.g., clockwise). The speed and direction processing circuit 16 may determine the direction based on whether the 90° phase shift between the measurement signals Sx' and Sy' (i.e., between the sensor signals Sx and Sy) is positive or negative.

[0068] The magnetic sensor 10 further includes an output generator 17 and a fault detector 18. The output generator 17 is configured to monitor an error signal S3 generated by the fault detector 18 in response to a fault detected in the magnetic sensor 10.

[0069] In the first condition where the error signal S3 is not received, the output generator 17 can receive the S1 and S2 signals and transmit the signals to their corresponding output pins 11 and 12 with some or no additional signal processing or conditioning. Therefore, the first output signal OUT1 represents the pulse output signal S1, and the second output signal OUT2 represents the pulse output signal S2. As described above, the pulse output signal S1 and the pulse output signal S2 have simultaneous edge transitions, regardless of whether the signals are in phase or 180° out of phase. Similarly, the output signals OUT1 and OUT2 are pulse output signals with pulses that are in phase or 180° out of phase with each other in the first condition. Therefore, when the error signal S3 is not present, they switch between two states at the same time.

[0070] However, under a second condition where an error signal S3 is received by the output generator 17, the output generator 17 may modify one of the S1 and S2 signals to indicate not only that a fault has occurred, but also the type of fault that has occurred. For example, the fault detector 18 may monitor two or more different types of faults or fault categories, including an undervoltage fault or a Hall power supply fault, and the fault detector 18 is configured to generate the error signal S3 including the fault information. The fault information indicates the type of fault that has occurred or the combination of faults that have occurred.

[0071] In some embodiments, the fault detector 18 may be used to monitor one or two specific faults and generate an error signal S3 when one of the specific faults is detected. Alternatively, the fault detector 18 may be used to monitor the occurrence of any fault or any combination of possible faults and generate an error signal S3 when any fault or one or more fault combinations are detected. For example, the fault detector 18 may monitor a first type of fault or a first fault combination, and may monitor a second type of fault or a second fault combination. Therefore, any type of fault detection based on one or more faults is possible.

[0072] In response to receiving the error signal S3, the output generator 17 determines the type of fault based on the fault information, and determines which output signal to modify based on the determined fault. For example, based on the occurrence of the first fault type, the output generator 17 may decide to modify the pulse output signal S1 so that the output signal OUT1 remains in a stable state (i.e., a continuously stable signal that no longer switches between output states), or the switching edge of the output signal OUT1 is no longer synchronized with the switching edge of the output signal OUT2. A combination of these two modifications may also be used.

[0073] Similarly, based on the occurrence of the second fault type, the output generator 17 may decide to modify the pulse output signal S2 so that the output signal OUT2 remains in a stable state or the switching edge of the output signal OUT2 is no longer synchronized with the switching edge of the output signal OUT1. A combination of these two modifications may also be used.

[0074] The microcontroller 30 is configured to receive two output signals OUT1 and OUT2 at two corresponding input pins 21 and 22, and monitor faults based on analysis and interpretation of the two output signals OUT1 and OUT2. Specifically, when a fault occurs in the magnetic sensor 10, the output generator 17 will purposefully process one of the two output signals OUT1 or OUT2 based on the error signal S3. The microcontroller 30 is configured to perform edge detection on both the output signals OUT1 and OUT2, and perform edge analysis at each detected edge of each output signal OUT1 and OUT2. If the microcontroller 30 detects that an edge transition occurs in one signal and no synchronous edge transition occurs in the other signal, the microcontroller 30 determines that a fault has occurred. The microcontroller 30 can determine the type of fault that has occurred based on further analysis of the two output signals OUT1 and OUT2. Therefore, by using the two output signals OUT1 and OUT2, the magnetic sensor 10 can transmit at least two types of faults to the microcontroller 30, and the fault can be detected and its type can be identified by the microcontroller 30.

[0075] Figure 2 is a diagram of measurement signals and corresponding output signals according to one or more embodiments. Specifically, top, middle and bottom diagrams are shown.

[0076] Figure 2 The top diagram of is a signal diagram of the measurement signal Sx' representing the oscillating magnetic field. In addition, two switching thresholds are shown. The two switching thresholds include a magnetic operating point BOP and a magnetic release point BRP. The speed and direction processing circuit 16 is configured to compare the measurement signal Sx with the two switching thresholds BOP and BRP, and switch the states of the two pulse output signals S1 and S2 at each crossing of one switching threshold BOP or BRP. In the case where no fault is detected by the fault detector 18, the two pulse output signals S1 and S2 are output from the magnetic sensor 10 as output signals OUT1 and OUT2, respectively. It should be noted that the midpoint between the BOP and the BRP may be referred to as a zero crossing threshold.

[0077] Figure 2The middle diagram of is a signal diagram of output signals OUT1 and OUT2 that are simultaneously generated and output when the target object rotates counterclockwise. In this case, the two output signals OUT1 and OUT2 are switched in phase synchronously with each other. Therefore, each switching edge of one signal occurs synchronously in the same direction as the switching edge of the other signal. That is, the transition from a low state to a high state occurs simultaneously, and the transition from a high state to a low state occurs simultaneously. In addition, the time gap between consecutive edges corresponds to the speed (e.g., rotation speed) of the target object. Based on the output signals OUT1 and OUT2, the microcontroller 30 can determine that the output signals OUT1 and OUT2 are switched normally (i.e., there is no fault), determine the speed based on one output signal OUT1 or OUT2, and determine the direction of rotation based on the phase relationship between the output signals OUT1 and OUT2.

[0078] Figure 2 The bottom diagram of is a signal diagram of output signals OUT1 and OUT2 that are simultaneously generated and output when the target object rotates clockwise. In this case, the two output signals OUT1 and OUT2 are switched 180° out of phase with each other synchronously. Therefore, each switching edge of one signal occurs synchronously with the switching edge of the other signal in the opposite direction. That is, the transition from a low state to a high state in one output signal occurs simultaneously with the transition from a high state to a low state in the other signal, and vice versa. In addition, the time gap between consecutive edges corresponds to the speed (e.g., rotation speed) of the target object. Based on the output signals OUT1 and OUT2, the microcontroller 30 can determine that the output signals OUT1 and OUT2 are switched normally (i.e., there is no fault), determine the speed based on one output signal OUT1 or OUT2, and determine the direction of rotation based on the phase relationship between the output signals OUT1 and OUT2.

[0079] Figure 3 is a bundle of measurement signals and corresponding output signals according to one or more embodiments. Specifically, the upper, middle and bottom diagrams are shown. However, Figure 2 Differently, the fault detector 18 detects a fault, and the output generator 17 modifies the output signal OUT1 to indicate the fault. For example, the output generator 17 puts the output signal OUT1 in a stable state so that it no longer switches between two states.

[0080] Specifically, the output signal OUT1 may be mapped to a first fault type detected by the fault detector 18 , and the output generator 17 may select the output signal OUT1 as a modified output signal based on the fault information received in the error signal S3 , wherein the fault information identifies the first fault type.

[0081] Similarly, output signal OUT2 may be mapped to a second fault type detected by fault detector 18, and output generator 17 may select output signal OUT2 as a modified output signal based on fault information received in error signal S3, wherein the fault information identifies the second fault type. Figure 3 In the case of a fault, the output signal OUT1 indicates a fault, while the output signal OUT2 continues to switch normally based on the pulse output signal S2. However, these roles may be reversed depending on the type of fault detected.

[0082] and Figure 2 The top of the Figure 1 Sample, Figure 3 The top diagram of FIG. 1 is a signal diagram representing a measurement signal Sx′ of an oscillating magnetic field.

[0083] Figure 3 The middle and bottom diagrams of are two ways of indicating the same fault (ie, the first fault type).

[0084] In the middle diagram, the output generator 17 places the output signal OUT1 in a high stable state. This may be because the output generator 17 receives the error signal S3 when the pulse output signal S1 and therefore the output signal OUT1 is in a high state. Therefore, the output generator 17 maintains the output signal OUT1 in its current state when receiving the error signal S3. The output generator 17 ignores the pulse output signal S1 when receiving the error signal S3 because it no longer affects the output signal OUT1.

[0085] In the bottom diagram, the output generator 17 places the output signal OUT1 in a low stable state for similar reasons. Specifically, when the pulse output signal S1 and thus the output signal OUT1 is in a low state maintained by the output generator 17 on signal switching, the output generator 17 may receive the error signal S3.

[0086] In the case where a second fault type different from the first fault type is detected, similar processing is performed on the output signal OUT2. In this case, the output signal OUT1 continues to switch normally based on the pulse output signal S1, while the output signal OUT2 is in a stable state.

[0087] The microcontroller 30 receives two output signals OUT1 and OUT2, and detects that one output signal is still switching while the other is in a stable state. As described above, the microcontroller 30 performs edge detection analysis when detecting a switching edge in the output signal OUT1 and / or OUT2. Since the output signal OUT2 is still switching, the microcontroller 30 detects a switching edge in the output signal OUT2, and further determines that no corresponding synchronous switching edge occurs in the output signal OUT1. Therefore, the microcontroller 30 can determine that the output signal OUT1 is no longer switching (i.e., in a stable state) based on the first edge misalignment. In response to determining that the output signal OUT1 is in a stable state, the microcontroller 30 identifies the output signal OUT1 as an error signal, and determines the fault type based on the mapping information between the fault type and the output signals OUT1 and OUT2. Here, the microcontroller 30 identifies the fault as corresponding to the first fault type corresponding to the output signal OUT1.

[0088] In addition, as described above, the microcontroller 30 can detect a first edge misalignment to detect a possible fault, and can detect a second edge misalignment at the next transition edge of the output signal OUT2 to confirm that the output signal OUT1 is in a stable state, thereby confirming the presence of a fault before taking further action. This additional step can help prevent false faults from being detected.

[0089] Furthermore, the microcontroller 30 can still use the normally switching output signals to calculate the speed of the target object. However, when one output signal is in a stable state, it is no longer possible to determine the direction.

[0090] Figure 4 is a diagram of measurement signals and corresponding output signals according to one or more embodiments. Specifically, the top, middle, and bottom diagrams are shown. However, Figure 2 Instead, the fault detector 18 detects a fault and the output generator 17 modifies the output signal OUT1 or the output signal OUT2 to indicate the fault. For example, the output generator 17 modifies the switching pattern of the output signal OUT1 or the output signal OUT2 so that their edge transitions are no longer synchronized with each other.

[0091] The output signal OUT1 may be mapped to a first fault type detected by the fault detector 18, and the output generator 17 may select the output signal OUT1 as a modified output signal based on the fault information received in the error signal S3, wherein the fault information identifies the first fault type. Similarly, the output signal OUT2 may be mapped to a second fault type detected by the fault detector 18, and the output generator 17 may select the output signal OUT2 as a modified output signal based on the fault information received in the error signal S3, wherein the fault information identifies the second fault type. Figure 4In the case of a fault, the output signal OUT1 indicates a fault, while the output signal OUT2 continues to switch normally based on the pulse output signal S2. However, these roles may be reversed by definition.

[0092] and Figure 2 Similar to the top diagram of Figure 3 The top diagram of FIG. 1 is a signal diagram representing a measurement signal Sx′ of an oscillating magnetic field.

[0093] Figure 3 The middle and bottom diagrams of are two ways of indicating the same fault (ie, the first fault type).

[0094] In the middle diagram, the output generator 17 initiates a transition to place the output signal OUT1 in a high stable state. In other words, in response to receiving the error signal S3 indicating the type of fault mapped to the output signal OUT1, the output generator 17 causes the output signal OUT1 to transition to its opposite state, thereby triggering an edge transition that is not synchronized with the edge transition of the output signal OUT2. When the error signal S3 is received, a trigger edge in the output signal OUT1 may be generated, thereby ignoring the pulse output signal S1. Therefore, the output signal OUT2 continues to switch normally based on the pulse output signal S2, while the output signal OUT1 is placed in a stable state.

[0095] The microcontroller 30 is configured to detect an edge transition in the output signal OUT1 and determine that a corresponding synchronous edge transition has not occurred in the output signal OUT2, thereby indicating that a first edge misalignment has occurred. In response to detecting the first edge misalignment, the microcontroller 30 detects a possible fault. However, the microcontroller 30 needs additional information to determine which output signal is notifying the fault.

[0096] Since the output signal OUT2 continues to switch normally based on the pulse output signal S2, the microcontroller 30 can use the output signal OUT2 to confirm that the output signal OUT1 is in a stable state, thereby confirming the existence of a fault. For example, the microcontroller 30 will detect the second edge misalignment at the next edge transition of the output signal OUT2 after the first edge misalignment. Here, the microcontroller 30 can confirm that the output signal OUT2 is still switching and the output signal OUT1 is in a stable state. In other words, the output signal with an edge transition after detecting the first edge misalignment is determined to be a normal operation signal, and the other signal is determined to be a notification fault.

[0097] In response to determining that the output signal OUT1 is in a stable state, the microcontroller 30 identifies the output signal OUT1 as an error signal and determines the fault type based on the mapping information between the fault type and the output signals OUT1 and OUT2. Here, the microcontroller 30 identifies the fault as a first fault type corresponding to the output signal OUT1.

[0098] In the bottom diagram, the output generator 17 initiates a transition to place the output signal OUT1 in a low stable state. In other words, in response to receiving the error signal S3 indicating the type of fault mapped to the output signal OUT1, the output generator 17 causes the output signal OUT1 to transition to its opposite state, thereby triggering an edge transition asynchronous with the edge transition of the output signal OUT2. The trigger edge in the output signal OUT1 may be generated when the error signal S3 is received, thereby ignoring the pulse output signal S1. Therefore, the output signal OUT2 continues to switch normally based on the pulse output signal S2, while the output signal OUT1 is placed in a stable state. The microcontroller 30 continues to detect the misalignment of the two edges in a similar manner as described above to confirm and identify the fault.

[0099] Since the output signal OUT1 is mapped to one type of fault, Figure 4 Both the middle and bottom diagrams of indicate the same type of fault. In addition, the microcontroller 30 can still use the normally switched output signals to calculate the speed of the target object. However, when one of the output signals is in a stable state, it is no longer possible to determine the direction.

[0100] Figure 5A is a schematic block diagram of a sensor system 200A including a 2D magnetic sensor according to one or more embodiments. The sensor system 200A is similar to the sensor system 100, but further illustrates one possible configuration of the fault detector 18. Therefore, features identical or similar to those in the sensor system 100 will not be described again.

[0101] In this example, the sensor elements 13 and 14 are Hall sensor elements. Therefore, the magnetic sensor 10 includes a Hall voltage power supply 23, which is configured to provide a DC voltage to each Hall sensor element 13 and 14. The DC voltage provided generates a current through each sensor element and ultimately generates a Hall voltage representing the magnetic field strength of the magnetic field detected in the sensing direction. Therefore, the Hall voltage power supply 23 provides a bias voltage to the Hall sensor elements 13 and 14.

[0102] The fault detector 18 includes an undervoltage detector 24 , a Hall power supply monitor 25 , and an error signal generator 26 .

[0103] The brown-out detector 24 monitors a brown-out event of the power supply voltage Vs. Once a brown-out event is detected, the brown-out detector 24 generates a first fault signal S4 and transmits the first fault signal S4 to the error signal generator 26.

[0104] The Hall power supply monitor 25 monitors whether the Hall power supply voltage is abnormal. Once a Hall power supply voltage fault event is detected, the Hall power supply monitor 25 generates a second fault signal S5 and transmits the second fault signal S5 to the error signal generator 26 .

[0105] Error signal generator 26 monitors fault signals S4 and S5 and upon receiving one generates error signal S3 including fault information identifying the type of fault detected (ie, based on whether fault signal S4 or S5 is received). Output generator 17 receives error signal S3 and processes it in the manner described above.

[0106] In summary, the following advantages can be achieved: speed, direction and two different fault diagnostics can be provided via only two pins (two wires), which saves costs; faults are displayed almost immediately, so the fault reaction time is mainly determined by the system rather than the device, which provides flexibility for system integrators in terms of functional safety; and the system does not require additional time measurements for life scale.

[0107] Figure 5B is a schematic block diagram of a sensor system 200B including a 1D magnetic sensor according to one or more embodiments. The sensor system 200B includes Hall sensor elements 13 and 14, which are configured to sense a magnetic field in the same sensing direction, thereby generating sensor signals Sx1 and Sx2, respectively. In addition, the two Hall sensor elements are laterally separated by a lateral distance in the sensing direction. Therefore, the two sensor signals Sx1 and Sx2 are phase-shifted with each other, and the phase shift is proportional to the lateral distance. The phase shift can be used to sense the rotation direction of the rotating magnetic field, more specifically, the rotation direction of the target object.

[0108] The sensor processing circuit 15 is configured to receive the analog sensor signals from the sensor elements 13 and 14 and generate the measurement signals Sx1 ′ and Sx2 ′ according to the above description.

[0109] The speed and direction processing circuit 16 generates corresponding pulse output signals S1 and S2 for each measurement signal Sx1' and Sx2', respectively, and has synchronous edge transitions according to the above description. Specifically, the speed and direction processing circuit 16 analyzes the measurement signal Sx1' and generates a pulse output signal S1. Specifically, the speed and direction processing circuit 16 may include a current modulator (also called a protocol generator), which receives the measurement signal Sx1' and generates an output signal S1 as an output current according to a programmed current switching protocol or rule set constructed by, for example, a comparator. In order to generate current pulses, the output current can be between two current values. The frequency of the current pulses is directly related to the speed of the target object.

[0110] The speed and direction processing circuit 16 also analyzes the measurement signal Sx2' and generates a pulse output signal S2. The pulse output signal S2 has the same frequency as the pulse output signal S1. However, the pulse of the pulse output signal S2 is in phase with the pulse of the pulse output signal S1 (i.e., has a zero phase shift), or is completely out of phase with the pulse of the pulse output signal S1 (i.e., has a 180° phase shift), depending on the moving direction of the target object. For example, for a rotating target object, the edges of the pulses of the S1 and S2 signals can be aligned with each other and in phase under the condition that the target object rotates in a first direction (e.g., counterclockwise). On the contrary, the edges of the pulses of the S1 and S2 signals can be aligned with each other and out of phase under the condition that the target object rotates in a second direction (e.g., clockwise). The speed and direction processing circuit 16 can determine the direction based on whether the phase shift between the measurement signals Sx1' and Sx2' (i.e., between the sensor signals Sx1 and Sx2) is positive or negative.

[0111] The speed and direction processing circuit 16 may be further configured to detect a change in the direction of rotation when the phase shift between the measurement signals Sx1 ′ and Sx2 ′ becomes reversed or inverted.

[0112] Fig. 6A 1 is a diagram of sensor measurement signals and corresponding output signals according to one or more embodiments. Specifically, top and bottom diagrams are shown. The top diagram shows the sensor measurement signals and corresponding output signals according to one or more embodiments. Figure 5B The embodiment shown has two phase-shifted measurement signals Sx1' and Sx2' with a change in the direction of rotation. It should be understood that with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 5A And for later reference Figure 8 The two phase shift measurement signals Sx' and Sy' described above can be similarly applied to replace the two phase shift measurement signals Sx1' and Sx2'. Therefore, any two phase shift measurement signals capable of indicating a change in direction can be used, and the signals Sx1' and Sx2' are only representative for the purpose of illustrating the reference. Fig. 6A and Figure 7 A possible example of the characteristic being described.

[0113] Specifically, before the direction change, it can be seen that the measurement signal Sx2' lags behind the measurement signal Sx1'. In contrast, after the direction change, the phase shift is reversed so that the measurement signal Sx1' lags behind the measurement signal Sx2'. During the direction change, the measurement signals Sx1' and Sx2' become flat or constant in the corresponding time intervals.

[0114] Fig. 6A The bottom diagram of FIG. 1 shows the speed signal S1 (out1) and the direction signal S2 (out2). Before the direction change, the edges of the signals S1 and S2 are aligned in phase. After the direction change, the edges of the signals S1 and S2 are aligned in phase, indicating a change in the direction of rotation.

[0115] The speed and direction processing circuit 16 can use a variety of methods to detect a phase shift reversal between the two measurement signals Sx1' and Sx2'. One method is to evaluate the sign of the measurement signal Sx2' at each zero crossing of the measurement signal Sx1' and vice versa. If the sign of the measurement signal Sx2' alternates between two consecutive zero crossings of the measurement signal Sx1' (i.e., +- or -+), the direction of rotation remains the same. However, if the sign of the measurement signal Sx2' remains the same and does not alternate (i.e., ++ or --) between two consecutive zero crossings of the measurement signal Sx1', the speed and direction processing circuit 16 detects a change in direction.

[0116] Another method used by the speed and direction processing circuit 16 to detect a change in direction is to monitor the two measurement signals Sx1' and Sx2' for two consecutive crossings of a switching threshold (e.g., BOP, BRP and / or zero crossing) by one measurement signal without an intermediate crossing of the same switching threshold by the other measurement signal. If such a condition is met, a phase shift reversal occurs and a change in direction is detected.

[0117] For example, the BRP can be used as a switching threshold to monitor a change of direction. When the magnetic field is rotating in a first direction (i.e., before a change of direction), it can be seen that the measurement signals Sx2' and Sx1' alternately cross the BRP. Thus, the measurement signal Sx1' crosses the BRP between two consecutive crossings of the BRP by the measurement signal Sx2'. In other words, the measurement signal Sx1' has an intermediate crossing of the BRP that occurs between two consecutive crossings of the BRP by the measurement signal Sx2'.

[0118] This condition may not be met when the direction changes. For example, Fig. 6A In the case shown, it can be seen that the measurement signal Sx2' crosses the BRP twice, without an intermediate crossing of the measurement signal Sx1' to the BRP. This situation indicates that a change of direction (i.e., a phase reversal) has occurred. A similar evaluation can be performed using zero crossings as switching thresholds and / or using the BOP as switching threshold. Two or all three switching thresholds can be used simultaneously to monitor the crossings of the measurement signals Sx1' and Sx2.

[0119] Back to Figure 5B, the fault detector 18 is configured to monitor one or more types of faults, including any combination of any fault and all possible faults. Therefore, the fault detector 18 can be used to monitor a specific fault and generate an error signal S3 when the specific fault is detected. For example, one of the undervoltage detector 24 or the Hall power supply monitor 25 can be selectively enabled and the other can be selectively disabled. Alternatively, the fault detector 18 can be used to monitor the occurrence of any fault or any combination of possible faults and generate an error signal S3 when any fault or one or more fault combinations are detected. Therefore, any type of fault detection based on one or more faults is possible. For example, both the undervoltage detector 24 and the Hall power supply monitor 25 can be enabled, and the fault detector 18 can generate an error signal S3 when any or both faults from the undervoltage detector 24 and the Hall power supply monitor 25 are detected.

[0120] In this example, the output signal OUT1 is used for fault indication and switches to a continuous stable signal when a monitored fault is detected. That is, the speed signal S1 is no longer used for the output signal OUT1 and is ignored. The output signal OUT2 is still used to indicate a change in direction and is not used to indicate a fault.

[0121] Figure 6B-6D Additional diagrams of sensor measurement signals and corresponding output signals are shown according to one or more further embodiments. Fig. 6A Similarly, any two phase-shifted measurement signals capable of indicating a change in direction may be used to generate corresponding output signals OUT1 and OUT2. In these examples, the speed and direction processing unit 16 uses the measurement signals Sx1' and Sx2' to detect a change in direction based on detecting a phase shift reversal between the two measurement signals.

[0122] Specifically, Figure 6B An example of a direction change when one measurement signal is above the BOP or below the BRP and the other measurement signal lags behind is shown. Specifically, during the direction change, the measurement signal Sx1' remains above the BOP or below the BRP for an extended interval, which allows the measurement signal Sx2' to have two consecutive crossings at the same switching threshold (i.e., at the BOP or BRP) without the measurement signal Sx1' having an intermediate crossing at the same switching threshold. Therefore, the phase shift between the two measurement signals Sx1' and Sx2' is achieved via a positive phase shift from To negative phase shift of the reversal.

[0123] The speed and direction processing unit 16 detects the phase shift reversal by detecting the double crossing of the above-mentioned measurement signal Sx2'. In response to detecting the direction change, the speed and direction processing unit 16 changes the state of the output signal OUT2. Because the output signal OUT2 has an edge transition that is not synchronized with the edge transition of OUT1, the microcontroller 30 can detect the direction change based on analyzing the edge transition of OUT2 relative to the edge transition of OUT1.

[0124] Figure 6C An example of a change of direction is shown for the case where both signals Sx1' and Sx2' are above the BOP or both signals are below the BRP. Due to the change of direction, the measurement signal Sx2' has two consecutive crossings at the same switching threshold (i.e., at the BOP or BRP) with no intermediate crossings for the measurement signal Sx1' to the same switching threshold. Therefore, the speed and direction processing unit 16 detects the phase shift reversal and changes the state of the output signal OUT2.

[0125] Fig.6D An example of a change of direction is shown where both signals Sx1' and Sx2' lag behind. Due to the change of direction, the measurement signal Sx1' has two consecutive crossings at the same switching threshold (i.e., at the BOP or BRP), while the measurement signal Sx2' has no intermediate crossings for the same switching threshold. Therefore, the speed and direction processing unit 16 detects the phase shift reversal and changes the state of the output signal OUT2.

[0126] Figure 7 is a diagram of measurement signals and corresponding output signals when no fault occurs and when a fault occurs according to one or more embodiments. Figure 7 The top diagram of is a signal diagram representing the measured signal Sx2' of the oscillating magnetic field. The other signal diagrams show the corresponding output signals under different conditions, including: a direction change from counterclockwise to clockwise, no fault; a direction change from clockwise to counterclockwise, no fault; a direction change from counterclockwise to clockwise, a fault; and a direction change from clockwise to counterclockwise, a fault.

[0127] Combined with Figure 6A-6D Similar to the description, the direction change is detected and notified by the output signal OUT2, except that the direction change does not occur at the edge of the output signals OUT1 and OUT2. In this case, the output generator 17 generates a short pulse before realigning the edges of the output signals OUT1 and OUT2 to notify the microcontroller 30 of the direction change.

[0128] In these examples, the output signal OUT1 is used to indicate a fault. When a fault is detected and the output generator 17 is notified, the output generator 17 changes the state of the output signal OUT1 and places the signal in a stable state (i.e., a continuous stable signal). The speed signal S1 is no longer used for the output signal OUT1 and is ignored. In this example, when a fault is detected, the output signal OUT1 is in a high state. Thus, the output signal OUT1 is switched to a low stable state. The output generator 17 continues to provide the output signal OUT2 based on the direction signal S2 and the direction change protocol.

[0129] In general, the method can be used for other applications including analog rotation signals (sine) with orientation and diagnostics, angle sensors, and three-dimensional (3D) sensors with three output pins, but using the same approach.

[0130] Right now, Figure 8 3D magnetic sensor 40 is a schematic block diagram of a sensor system 300 including a 3D magnetic sensor according to one or more embodiments. The 3D magnetic sensor 40 is configured to measure three different orthogonal magnetic field components of a magnetic field and generate sensor signals in response to the measured three magnetic field components. The three sensor elements including sensor elements 13, 14 and 19 are provided with three different sensing directions. Each sensor element 13, 14 and 19 generates sensor signals Sx, Sy and Sz, respectively.

[0131] The sensor processing circuit 15 is configured to receive analog sensor signals from the sensor elements 13 , 14 and 19 and generate measurement signals Sx′, Sy′ and Sz′ according to the above description.

[0132] The speed and direction processing circuit 16 generates corresponding pulse output signals S1, S2 and S6 for each of the measurement signals Sx', Sy' and Sz', respectively, and has synchronous edge transitions according to the above description.

[0133] Therefore, if no error is detected, the output generator 17 receives the three pulse output signals S1, S2 and S6 and forwards them to the microcontroller 30 as output signals OUT1, OUT2 and OUT3, respectively. However, three different types of faults (each fault is mapped to one of the output signals OUT1, OUT2 and OUT3) can be detected by the fault detector 18 and notified to the output generator 17. In response to receiving the error signal S3, the output generator 17 is configured to set one of the output signals mapped to the detected fault to a stable state. The microcontroller 30 is configured to detect one of the output signals in a stable state, thereby detecting a fault, and further determine the fault type based on the mapping between the output signal and the fault type.

[0134] Therefore, the number of N output pins is equal to the number of N magnetic field components or dimensions that the magnetic sensor is configured to detect. When operating under normal conditions (i.e., no fault is detected), each output pin outputs corresponding sensor data. When a fault occurs, one output pin is used to indicate the fault, while the remaining output pins continue to provide their corresponding sensor data.

[0135] It should be understood that Figure 5B , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The described direction change protocol may also be used in combination with any of the embodiments described above.

[0136] Fig. 9 FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a sensor system 400 including a magnetic sensor according to one or more embodiments. The sensor system 400 is similar to Figure 5B 4 is a schematic diagram of the sensor system 200B, except that the sensor system 400 uses one sensor element for speed sensing applications. Features that are the same or similar to those in the sensor system 200B will not be described again.

[0137] In this example, the sensor element 13 is a Hall sensor element. The sensor element 13 senses the sine of the magnetic field. The sensor processing circuit 15 is configured to receive an analog sensor signal from the sensor element 13 and perform signal processing and / or conditioning thereon, thereby generating a measurement signal Sx' according to the above description. In addition, the sensor processing circuit 15 generates an additional measurement signal Sx" as a copy of the measurement signal Sx'. Therefore, the measurement signals Sx' and Sx" are speed signals representing the moving speed (e.g., rotational speed or linear speed) of the target object.

[0138] The measurement signals Sx' and Sx" are output from the sensor processing circuit 15 and provided to the speed processing circuit 46. The speed processing circuit 46 performs similar functions as described with respect to the speed and direction processing circuit 16, except that the speed processing circuit 46 does not perform any direction processing or analysis. Therefore, the speed processing circuit 46 generates corresponding pulse output signals S1 and S2 with synchronized edge transitions for each of the measurement signals Sx' and Sx", respectively, according to the above description. Since the measurement signals Sx' and Sx" are the same, the pulse output signals S1 and S2 are also the same.

[0139] In order to generate the pulse output signal S1, the speed processing circuit 16 analyzes the measurement signal Sx' and generates the pulse output signal S1. Specifically, the speed processing circuit 46 may include a current modulator (also known as a protocol generator), which receives the measurement signal Sx' and generates the output signal S1 as an output current according to a programmed current switching protocol or rule set constructed by, for example, a comparator. In order to generate current pulses, the output current can be between two current values. The frequency of the current pulses is directly related to the speed of the target object. Using the same programmed current switching protocol or rule set, a similar analysis is performed on the measurement signal Sx" to generate the pulse output signal S2.

[0140] It is also conceivable that the sensor processing circuit 15 generates only a single measurement signal Sx' for the speed processing circuit 46. In this case, the speed processing circuit 46 can generate a pulse output signal S1 and then copy the pulse output signal S1 to generate the pulse output signal S2. In either case, the two pulse output signals S1 and S2 are identical, with synchronized pulse switching edges. The frequency of the pulses indicates the speed of the magnetic sinusoidal signal.

[0141] The magnetic sensor 10 further comprises an output generator 17 and a fault detector 18. The output generator 17 is configured to monitor an error signal S3 generated by the fault detector 18 in response to a fault detected in the magnetic sensor 10.

[0142] Under the first condition that the error signal S3 is not received, the output generator 17 can receive the pulse output signals S1 and S2 and transmit the signals to their corresponding output pins 11 and 12 with some or no additional signal processing or conditioning. Therefore, the first output signal OUT1 represents the pulse output signal S1, and the second output signal OUT2 represents the pulse output signal S2. As described above, the pulse output signal S1 and the pulse output signal S2 have simultaneous edge transitions. Similarly, the output signals OUT1 and OUT2 are pulse output signals with pulses that are synchronized with each other under the first condition. Therefore, when the error signal S3 does not exist, they switch between two states at the same time.

[0143] However, under the second condition that the output generator 17 receives the error signal S3, the output generator 17 may modify one of the pulse output signals S1 or S2 to indicate not only that a fault has occurred, but also the type of fault that has occurred. For example, the fault detector 18 may monitor two or more different types of faults or fault categories, and the fault detector 18 is configured to generate the error signal S3 including the fault information. The fault information indicates the type of fault that has occurred or the combination of faults that have occurred.

[0144] In some embodiments, the fault detector 18 may be used to monitor two specific faults and generate an error signal S3 when one of the specific faults is detected. Alternatively, the fault detector 18 may be used to monitor the occurrence of two specific combinations of possible faults and generate an error signal S3 when one of these fault combinations is detected. For example, the fault detector 18 may monitor a first type of fault or a first fault combination, and may monitor a second type of fault or a second fault combination. Thus, any type of fault detection based on two or more faults is possible.

[0145] For example, the fault detector 18 includes an error signal generator 26 that monitors two different types of faults via fault signals S4 and S5, and generates an error signal S3 upon receiving one of the fault signals, the error signal S3 including fault information identifying the type of fault detected (i.e., based on whether the fault signal S4 or S5 is received). It should be understood that other types of faults or fault categories may be monitored by the error signal generator 26. The error signal generator 26 is configured to detect a particular type of fault or combination of faults, and trigger the error signal S3 in response to the detection thereof.

[0146] In response to receiving the error signal S3, the output generator 17 determines the fault type based on the fault information, and determines which output signal is modified based on the determined fault. For example, based on the occurrence of the first fault type, the output generator 17 may decide to modify the pulse output signal S1 so that the output signal OUT1 remains in a stable state (i.e., a continuous stable signal that no longer switches between output states).

[0147] Similarly, based on the occurrence of the second fault type, the output generator 17 may decide to modify the pulse output signal S2 so that the output signal OUT2 remains in a stable state.

[0148] The microcontroller 30 is configured to receive two output signals OUT1 and OUT2 at two corresponding input pins 21 and 22, and monitor faults based on the analysis and interpretation of the two output signals OUT1 and OUT2. Specifically, when a fault occurs in the magnetic sensor 10, the output generator 17 will purposefully process one of the two output signals OUT1 or OUT2 based on the error signal S3. The microcontroller 30 is configured to perform edge detection on both the output signals OUT1 and OUT2, and perform edge analysis at each detected edge of each output signal OUT1 and OUT2. If the microcontroller 30 detects that an edge transition occurs in one signal and a synchronous edge transition does not occur in the other signal, the microcontroller 30 determines that a fault has occurred.

[0149] The microcontroller 30 can determine the type of fault that has occurred based on further analysis to determine which output signal is in a stable state. The output signal in a stable state indicates the type of fault based on the mapping information stored in the microcontroller 30. Therefore, if the microcontroller 30 determines that the output signal OUT1 is in a stable state, the microcontroller 30 determines that a first fault type or a first fault combination has occurred. On the other hand, if the microcontroller 30 determines that the output signal OUT2 is in a stable state, the microcontroller 30 determines that a second fault type or a second fault combination has occurred. At the same time, one of the output signals still operates as a speed signal. Therefore, the microcontroller 30 can still use the other pulse output signal (i.e., OUT1 or OUT2) for speed information in speed applications. Appropriate troubleshooting or preventive measures can be initiated by the microcontroller 30 based on the determined fault type or fault combination.

[0150] Therefore, the magnetic sensor 10 may transmit at least two types of faults to the microcontroller 30 by using the two output signals OUT1 and OUT2 , and the faults may be detected and their types may be identified by the microcontroller 30 .

[0151] Fig. 10A is based on Fig. 9 Graphs of measurement signals and corresponding output signals of an embodiment when no fault occurs and when two faults occur. Fig. 10B is based on Fig. 9 Graphs of measurement signals and corresponding output signals of an embodiment when no fault occurs and when four faults occur. Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B The top diagram of FIG. 5 is a signal diagram representing a measurement signal Sx′ of an oscillating magnetic field (ie, a magnetic sinusoidal signal).

[0152] exist Fig. 10A , other signal diagrams show corresponding output signals under different conditions, including: synchronous output signals OUT1 and OUT2 under normal fault-free conditions; when output signal OUT1 is in a high state, a first fault type is notified via output signal OUT1; when output signal OUT1 is in a low state, a first fault type is notified via output signal OUT1; when output signal OUT2 is in a high state, a second fault type is notified via output signal OUT2; and when output signal OUT2 is in a low state, a second fault type is notified via output signal OUT2. The output signal remains in the state when its corresponding fault type is detected by the error signal generator 26 and notified by the error signal S3. Therefore, if it is in a high state, it remains high; if it is in a low state, it remains low. The fault can be detected and its type identified by the microcontroller 30.

[0153] exist Fig. 10B, other signal diagrams show corresponding output signals under different conditions, including: synchronous output signals OUT1 and OUT2 under normal fault-free conditions; when output signal OUT1 is in a high state, a first fault type is notified via output signal OUT1; when output signal OUT1 is in a low state, a second fault type is notified via output signal OUT1; when output signal OUT2 is in a high state, a third fault type is notified via output signal OUT2; and when output signal OUT2 is in a low state, a fourth fault type is notified via output signal OUT2. In response to detection by error signal generator 26 that it corresponds to one fault type and notified by error signal S3, the output signal is switched to a low state or a high state and maintained, asynchronously with the edge transition of the other output signal. The fault can be detected and its type identified by microcontroller 30.

[0154] Although various embodiments have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made which will achieve some of the advantages of the concepts disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other components performing the same functions may be appropriately replaced. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It should be mentioned that features explained with reference to a particular figure may be combined with features of other figures, even if not explicitly mentioned. Such modifications to the general inventive concept are intended to be covered by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

[0155] In addition, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, where each claim may stand on its own as a separate exemplary embodiment. Although each claim may stand on its own as a separate exemplary embodiment, it should be noted that although a dependent claim may mention a specific combination with one or more other claims in that claim, other exemplary embodiments may also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each other dependent or independent claim. Unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended, such a combination is proposed herein. In addition, features of a claim are also included in any other independent claim, even if the claim is not directly dependent on the independent claim.

[0156] It is further noted that the methods disclosed in the specification or claims may be implemented by a device having corresponding actions for performing these methods. For example, the techniques described in this disclosure may be implemented at least in part in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. For example, various aspects of the described techniques may be implemented in one or more processors, including one or more microprocessors, DSPs, ASICs, or any other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits, as well as any combination of these components.

[0157] In addition, it should be understood that the disclosure of multiple actions or functions disclosed in the specification or claims cannot be interpreted as being in a specific order. Therefore, the disclosure of multiple actions or functions will not limit them to a specific order unless these actions or functions are not interchangeable due to technical reasons. In addition, in some embodiments, a single action may include or may be decomposed into multiple sub-actions. Unless explicitly excluded, such sub-actions may be included in a single action or as part of it.

Claims

1. A sensor device, comprising: at least one first sensor element having a first sensing direction and configured to generate at least one first sensor signal based on sensing a first magnetic field component of a varying magnetic field aligned along the first sensing direction; at least one second sensor element having a second sensing direction and configured to generate at least one second sensor signal based on sensing a second magnetic field component of the varying magnetic field aligned along the second sensing direction; a signal processing circuit configured to generate a first pulse signal based on the at least one first sensor signal and to generate a second pulse signal based on the at least one second sensor signal; a fault detector configured to detect at least one fault and, in response to detecting the at least one fault, generate an error signal indicative of the at least one fault; as well as an output generator configured to receive the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal, receive the error signal based on a first condition that the fault detector detects the at least one fault, and output a first output signal and a second output signal in parallel, wherein based on a second condition that the fault detector does not detect the at least one fault, the output generator is configured to output the first pulse signal as the first output signal and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal, wherein in response to the first condition being satisfied, the output generator is configured to maintain the first output signal in a stable state and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal, and The output generator is configured to output the first output signal from a first output pin, and to output the second output signal from a second output pin different from the first output pin.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein: The first pulse signal includes a plurality of first switching edges defining a plurality of first pulses, The second pulse signal includes a plurality of second switching edges defining a plurality of second pulses, and The plurality of first switching edges are synchronized with the plurality of second switching edges.

3. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein when the second condition is met: the first output signal comprises a plurality of first switching edges defining a plurality of first pulses, The second output signal includes a plurality of second switching edges defining a plurality of second pulses, and The plurality of first switching edges are synchronized with the plurality of second switching edges. 4 . The sensor device of claim 3 , wherein when the second condition is satisfied, each of the plurality of first transition edges is synchronized with a corresponding transition edge of the plurality of second transition edges.

5. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing circuit is configured to determine a phase shift direction of a phase shift between the at least one first sensor signal and the at least one second sensor signal, and generate the second pulse signal based on the determined phase shift direction.

6. The sensor device according to claim 5, wherein: When the first condition or the second condition is satisfied, the second pulse signal provides speed information indicating a speed at which the changing magnetic field changes and direction change information indicating a change in a direction of the changing magnetic field.

7. The sensor device according to claim 5, wherein: The first pulse signal indicates the speed at which the changing magnetic field changes, and The second pulse signal indicates a changing direction of the changing magnetic field.

8. The sensor device according to claim 7, wherein: The speed is the rotational speed, and The direction is the direction of rotation.

9. The sensor device according to claim 7, wherein the signal processing circuit is configured to determine whether the direction in which the changing magnetic field changes is in a first direction or a second direction, and in response to determining that the direction is in the first direction, generate the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal that are in phase with each other, and in response to determining that the direction is in the second direction, generate the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal that are 180° out of phase with each other.

10. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein: When the first condition is satisfied, the second output signal provides speed information indicating a speed at which the changing magnetic field changes and direction change information indicating a change in the direction of the changing magnetic field.

11. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device is a semiconductor chip, the semiconductor chip comprising the first output pin configured to output the first output signal from the semiconductor chip and the second output pin configured to output the second output signal from the semiconductor chip. 12 . The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the first sensing direction and the second sensing direction are the same direction or different directions.

13. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the output generator is configured to output the first output signal and the second output signal as separate signals.

14. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the first output signal and the second output signal are output via separate signal paths.

15. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the first output signal and the second output signal are digital signals.

16. A sensor system comprising: Sensor equipment, including: at least one first sensor element configured to generate at least one first sensor signal based on sensing a first magnetic field component of a varying magnetic field; at least one second sensor element configured to generate at least one second sensor signal based on sensing a second magnetic field component of the alignment of the varying magnetic field; a signal processing circuit configured to generate a first pulse signal based on the at least one first sensor signal and to generate a second pulse signal based on the at least one second sensor signal; a fault detector configured to detect at least one fault and, in response to detecting the at least one fault, generate an error signal indicative of the at least one fault; and an output generator configured to receive the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal, receive the error signal based on a first condition that the fault detector detects the at least one fault, and output a first output signal and a second output signal in parallel, wherein based on a second condition that the fault detector does not detect the at least one fault, the output generator is configured to output the first pulse signal as the first output signal, and wherein in response to the first condition being satisfied, the output generator is configured to maintain the first output signal in a stable state and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal; a microcontroller coupled to the sensor device, the microcontroller configured to receive the first output signal and the second output signal and detect the at least one fault based on the first output signal and the second output signal, and The output generator is configured to output the first output signal from a first output pin, and to output the second output signal from a second output pin different from the first output pin.

17. A sensor device comprising: at least one first sensor element configured to generate at least one first sensor signal based on sensing a changing magnetic field; at least one second sensor element configured to generate at least one second sensor signal based on sensing the changing magnetic field, wherein the at least one first sensor signal is phase shifted relative to the at least one second sensor signal; a signal processing circuit configured to generate a first pulse signal based on the at least one first sensor signal, determine a phase shift direction of a phase shift between the at least one first sensor signal and the at least one second sensor signal, and generate a second pulse signal based on the determined phase shift direction, wherein the signal processing circuit is further configured to detect a phase shift reversal of the phase shift, and switch a state of the second pulse signal in response to detecting the phase shift reversal; a fault detector configured to detect at least one fault and, in response to detecting the at least one fault, generate an error signal indicative of the at least one fault; as well as an output generator configured to receive the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal, receive the error signal based on a first condition that the fault detector detects the at least one fault, and output a first output signal and a second output signal in parallel, wherein based on a second condition that the fault detector does not detect the at least one fault, the output generator is configured to output the first pulse signal as the first output signal and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal, and wherein in response to the first condition being satisfied, the output generator is configured to maintain the first output signal in a stable state and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal, and The output generator is configured to output the first output signal from a first output pin, and to output the second output signal from a second output pin different from the first output pin.

18. A sensor device according to claim 17, wherein the signal processing circuit is configured to determine whether the direction of change of the changing magnetic field is in a first direction or a second direction, and in response to determining that the direction is in the first direction, generate the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal that are in phase with each other, and in response to determining that the direction is in the second direction, generate the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal that are 180° out of phase with each other.

19. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein: The at least one sensor element is configured to generate the at least one first sensor signal based on sensing a first magnetic field component of the varying magnetic field; and The at least one second sensor element is configured to generate the at least one second sensor signal based on sensing a second magnetic field component of the varying magnetic field, wherein the first magnetic field component and the second magnetic field component are projected in different directions.

20. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein: The at least one first sensor element is configured to generate the at least one first sensor signal based on sensing a first magnetic field component of the varying magnetic field, and The at least one second sensor element is configured to generate the at least one second sensor signal based on sensing the first magnetic field component of the varying magnetic field along the same sensing axis as the at least one first sensor element.

21. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein: When the second condition is met, the first output signal indicates a speed at which the changing magnetic field changes, and the second output signal indicates a direction in which the changing magnetic field changes, including a direction change indicating that the direction of the changing magnetic field changes, and When the first condition is satisfied, the first output signal indicates the first condition, and the second output signal indicates a speed at which the changing magnetic field changes and indicates a change in the direction of the changing magnetic field.

22. A sensor device comprising: at least one first sensor element configured to generate at least one first sensor signal based on sensing a magnetic field component of a varying magnetic field; a signal processing circuit configured to generate a first pulse signal based on the at least one first sensor signal and to generate a second pulse signal replicating the first pulse signal; a fault detector configured to detect at least one first fault and to generate a first error signal indicative of the at least one first fault in response to detecting the at least one first fault; as well as an output generator configured to receive the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal, receive the first error signal based on a first condition that the fault detector detects the at least one first fault, and output a first output signal and a second output signal in parallel, wherein based on a second condition that the fault detector does not detect the at least one first fault, the output generator is configured to output the first pulse signal as the first output signal, wherein in response to the first condition being satisfied, the output generator is configured to maintain the first output signal in a stable state and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal, and The output generator is configured to output the first output signal from a first output pin, and to output the second output signal from a second output pin different from the first output pin.

23. The sensor device of claim 22, wherein: The fault detector is configured to detect at least one second fault and, in response to detecting the at least one second fault, generate a second error signal indicative of the at least one second fault, The output generator is configured to receive the second error signal based on a third condition that the fault detector detects the at least one second fault, When a fourth condition that the fault detector does not detect the first fault and the second fault is satisfied, the output generator is configured to output the first pulse signal as the first output signal and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal, and In response to satisfying the third condition, the output generator is configured to maintain the second output signal in a stable state and output the first pulse signal as the first output signal.

24. The sensor device of claim 23, wherein the at least one first fault and the at least one second fault are of different types.

25. The sensor device of claim 23, wherein the output generator stores a mapping that maps the at least one first fault to the first output signal and maps the at least one second fault to the second output signal.

26. The sensor device of claim 23, wherein: In response to satisfying the first condition, the output generator is configured to ignore the first pulse signal, and In response to the third condition being met, the output generator is configured to ignore the second pulse signal.

27. The sensor device of claim 23, wherein: When the fourth condition is met, the first output signal includes a plurality of first switching edges defining a plurality of first pulses, the second output signal includes a plurality of second switching edges defining a plurality of second pulses, and the plurality of first switching edges are synchronized with the plurality of second switching edges.

28. The sensor device of claim 22, wherein: The first pulse signal includes a plurality of first switching edges defining a plurality of first pulses, The second pulse signal includes a plurality of second switching edges defining a plurality of second pulses, and The plurality of first switching edges are synchronized with the plurality of second switching edges.

29. The sensor device of claim 22, wherein: The first pulse signal and the second pulse signal indicate a speed at which the changing magnetic field changes.

30. A sensor device comprising: at least one first sensor element configured to generate at least one first sensor signal based on sensing a magnetic field component of a varying magnetic field; a signal processing circuit configured to generate a first pulse signal based on the at least one first sensor signal and to generate a second pulse signal replicating the first pulse signal; a fault detector configured to detect at least one first fault and generate a first error signal indicative of the at least one first fault in response to detecting the at least one first fault, detect at least one second fault and generate a second error signal indicative of the at least one second fault in response to detecting the at least one second fault, detect at least one third fault and generate a third error signal indicative of the at least one third fault in response to detecting the at least one third fault, and detect at least one fourth fault and generate a fourth error signal indicative of the at least one fourth fault in response to detecting the at least one fourth fault; as well as an output generator configured to receive the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal, receive the first error signal based on a first condition that the fault detector detects the at least one first fault, receive the second error signal based on a second condition that the fault detector detects the at least one second fault, receive the third error signal based on a third condition that the fault detector detects the at least one third fault, receive the fourth error signal based on a fourth condition that the fault detector detects the at least one fourth fault, and output the first output signal and the second output signal in parallel, wherein based on a fifth condition that the fault detector does not detect the at least one first fault, the at least one second fault, the at least one third fault, and the at least one fourth fault, the output generator is configured to output the first pulse signal as the first output signal and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal, and wherein in response to the first condition being met, the output generator is configured to maintain the first output signal in a high stable state and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal, wherein in response to the second condition being satisfied, the output generator is configured to maintain the first output signal in a low stable state and output the second pulse signal as the second output signal, wherein in response to the third condition being satisfied, the output generator is configured to maintain the second output signal in a high stable state and output the first pulse signal as the first output signal, and wherein in response to the fourth condition being satisfied, the output generator is configured to maintain the second output signal in a low stable state and output the first pulse signal as the first output signal, and The output generator is configured to output the first output signal from a first output pin, and to output the second output signal from a second output pin different from the first output pin.

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