Multi-channel magnetic sensor device

Abstract

A method and system for rotating a non-contact potentiometer device, the device including one or more sensors, such as Hall effect sensors. The sensors are mounted on one or more substrates, such as a printed circuit board (PCB). In an example, each sensor channel is electrically isolated on the substrate. The sensors are arranged within the range of a magnetic field, such as from a magnet that can rotate about an axis. The potentiometer device is housed in a frame to reduce stray magnetic interference.

Description

[0001] Claiming priority / incorporation by reference

[0002] This application hereby claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 728,886, entitled “MULTI-CHANNEL MAGNETICSENSOR DEVICE,” filed on December 27, 2019. The entire contents of the above-mentioned U.S. application are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to multi-channel magnetic sensor devices. More specifically, some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a rotary non-contact potentiometer using one or more three-channel Hall effect sensors, each sensor having one or more wirings, two or more redundant channels, DC input and output, and a ratiometric linear voltage output. Background Art

[0004] In many sensing applications, contact potentiometers are used because they provide an inexpensive way to track and measure motion, among other things. For example, a contact potentiometer is a device that utilizes a contact brush to contact a resistor track to provide a measurement and output signal. However, the contact elements in a potentiometer sensor can wear out over time, shortening the life of the device and potentially causing failure during critical operations. Additionally, contact potentiometers cannot be used reliably in high vibration environments. Therefore, a solution for using contact potentiometers in sensing applications is needed.

[0005] Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to those skilled in the art by comparing these systems to the present disclosure, as set forth in the remainder of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings. Summary of the invention

[0006] A system and / or method for rotating a non-contact potentiometer device is provided, the device including one or more multi-channel sensors, such as Hall effect sensors. The sensors are mounted on one or more substrates, such as a printed circuit board (PCB). In an example, each sensor channel is electrically isolated on the substrate. The sensor is arranged within a magnetic field, such as a magnetic field from a magnet that can rotate about an axis. The potentiometer device is mounted in a frame to reduce stray magnetic interference.

[0007] In a disclosed example, a non-contact potentiometer device includes a plurality of sensors mounted on one or more substrates, each sensor being configured to measure a change in a magnetic field and being physically and electrically isolated from another sensor. A ring magnet is spaced a distance from the one or more sensors such that the one or more sensors are within the magnetic field of the magnet.

[0008] In some examples, the plurality of sensors include one or more Hall effect sensors. In an example, each of the plurality of sensors is aligned with a central magnetic axis of the magnetic field.

[0009] In some examples, the change in the output signal is proportional to the change in the input signal.In an example, each sensor detects an angular change relative to a reference position based on rotation of the magnet about an axis.

[0010] In some examples, the one or more substrates are one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs). In an example, two or more PCBs are physically separated by a predetermined distance. In an example, the annular magnet can rotate around an axis.

[0011] In some examples, the housing is used to accommodate one or more sensors, magnets, or shafts, wherein rotational motion about the shaft is facilitated by one or more ball bearings, bushings, tracks, or rotating support structures. In an example, the housing includes a panel that provides access to a substrate, one or more sensors, and / or magnets. In an example, the housing includes a material that blocks stray magnetic fields.

[0012] In a disclosed example, a rotation sensing device configured to sense an angular change of a rotation sensor includes a plurality of sensors mounted on one or more substrates, each sensor configured to measure a magnetic field change and electrically isolated from another sensor. A magnet is located a distance from the one or more sensors so that the one or more sensors are within a range of a magnetic field from the magnet, wherein each sensor is configured to detect an angular change relative to a reference position based on the rotation of the magnet.

[0013] In some examples, each of the one or more sensors are equally spaced from each other and offset from a magnet center of the magnet by a predetermined distance. In an example, the magnet is a ring magnet.

[0014] In an example, each of the one or more sensors includes a power input for receiving a DC voltage and an output for providing a signal corresponding to a change in a magnetic field.

[0015] In an example, two of the one or more Hall effect sensors are located on a first side of a common substrate, and one or more Hall effect sensors are located on a second side of the substrate. In an example, both Hall effect sensors located on the first side of the substrate are equidistant from a central magnetic axis of the magnetic field. In an example, the one or more Hall effect sensors located on the second side of the substrate are arranged on the central magnetic axis.

[0016] In disclosed examples, a method of programming a non-contact potentiometer device includes disposing a first magnetic sensor on a substrate; aligning the first magnetic sensor with a magnetic field corresponding to a given rotation angle of a rotatable control device; programming the first magnetic sensor with linearization data corresponding to the given rotation angle; disposing a second magnetic sensor on the substrate, aligning the second magnetic sensor with the first magnetic sensor; and programming the second magnetic sensor with linearization data corresponding to the given rotation angle. In some examples, the method includes replacing a rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT) with the non-contact potentiometer device.

[0017] These and various other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present disclosure, as well as details of illustrative embodiments thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a side view of a multi-channel sensor device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 1A According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 A perspective view of a multi-channel sensor arrangement.

[0020] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C A schematic diagram of a multi-channel sensor according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 3 is a side view of another multi-channel sensor device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 3A A schematic diagram of a printed circuit board including a multi-channel sensor according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Figure 4 is a side view of another multi-channel sensor device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 4A and Figure 4B A schematic diagram of a printed circuit board including a multi-channel sensor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a multi-channel sensor according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a control circuit for controlling a multi-channel sensor according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] Figure 7An example method of programming a contactless potentiometer device including a multi-channel sensor according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0028] The drawings are not necessarily to scale. Where appropriate, similar or identical reference numbers are used to indicate similar or identical components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] As used herein, "and / or" refers to any one or more items in a list connected by "and / or". For example, "x and / or y" means any element of the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. Similarly, "x, y and / or z" means any element of the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. As used herein, the term "module" refers to a function that can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination of one or more thereof. As used herein, the term "exemplary" refers to a function used as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration.

[0030] Figure 1 An illustration of an example rotary non-contact potentiometer device 10 is provided. The potentiometer device 10 includes one or more sensors 12A, 12B, 12C, such as multi-channel Hall effect sensors. The sensors 12A-12C may be mounted on one or more substrates 20, such as a printed circuit board (PCB). Figure 1 The potentiometer device 10 in the example includes three PCBs 20A, 20B, 20C, each of which is stacked in a manner with a given distance from the magnet 16. The sensors 12A~12C can be arranged within the magnetic field range, and the magnetic field comes from the magnet 16 (for example, a rotatable magnet). In some examples, the magnet 16 is a permanent magnet that can rotate around the axis 14. The rotational movement around the axis 14 is facilitated by a ball bearing 24, a bushing, a track or a rotating support structure. The potentiometer device 10 can be housed in a frame or housing 18. In some examples, the housing 18 includes a panel 22, which provides access to the PCB 20 to allow the components therein to be disassembled and / or maintained.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, each PCB 20 supports one of the Hall effect sensors 12A-12C. The Hall effect sensor on each of the PCBs 20A-20C is arranged directly on the axis of the magnet shaft 14 and the magnet center 26, and is therefore aligned with the offset sensor arrangement (such as Figure 3 and Figure 420B, and PCB 20B is closer to magnet 16 than PCB 20C, thus reducing nonlinearity in sensor output. However, because PCB 20A is closer to magnet 16 than PCB 20B, and PCB 20B is closer to magnet 16 than PCB 20C, sensor 12A is subjected to a stronger magnetic field than sensor 12B, and sensor 12B is subjected to a stronger magnetic field than sensor 12C. For example, each sensor channel is physically and electrically isolated on a separate circuit board 20A-20C, thereby reducing common mode failures. As disclosed herein, programming is provided to optimize signal fidelity from each output in view of the relative strength of the magnetic field at each sensor. Figure 1A Provided Figure 1 An illustration of a perspective view of a three-channel Hall effect sensor 10 is shown.

[0032] The potentiometer device 10 disclosed herein improves sensor accuracy by coupling a magnet 16 to one or more sensors in one of several arrangements. The potentiometer device 10 is configured to linearize the voltage output of each sensor using programmable calibration. This also allows for design scalability for more / fewer channels and a universal power conditioning board to accommodate different input requirements. Therefore, the disclosed potentiometer device 10 has advantages over other systems that include Hall effect sensors in a mechanical layout, which generally fail to improve system accuracy or require the use of electronic packaging architectures that are susceptible to common mode failures.

[0033] In the disclosed examples, the rotary non-contact potentiometer device 10 includes a sensor having multiple wires (e.g., three or four wires), multiple redundant channels associated with each sensor 12A-12C. In some examples, the device operates using a DC input and a DC output with a proportional linear voltage output. In the disclosed examples, the potentiometer device 10 is suitable for side stick applications to sense pilot commands corresponding to desired angles of the aircraft pitch axis and / or roll axis.

[0034] For example, in an aircraft cockpit environment, a sidestick or sidestick controller is an aircraft control column (or joystick) located on the pilot's side console. Only one hand is required to operate the sidestick, which makes the sidestick a simple and intuitive tool for controlling the pitch and / or roll of the aircraft. Although examples are provided regarding sidestick applications, aircraft controls mounted in a control column may be arranged in the center of the cockpit. Additionally, applications outside of aerospace and control mechanisms are contemplated.

[0035] During operation, the device 10 is designed to meet or exceed the sidebar accuracy requirements. In addition, the device is designed to operate in a ratiometric manner so that changes in the output signal are proportional to changes in the input signal (eg, voltage).

[0036] Conventional technology uses either a rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT) or a contact potentiometer with a contact brush coupled to a resistive track. Although RVDTs are more reliable than contact potentiometers and have higher resolution, they are limited by AC input / output. This limitation prohibits the use of RVDTs as an alternative to conventional systems that use contact potentiometers, which use DC inputs and outputs. In addition, RVDTs are expensive and complex to manufacture compared to contact potentiometers, requiring complex drive signals and output decoding.

[0037] The disclosed rotary non-contact potentiometer device 10 is designed to emulate the electrical characteristics of a contact potentiometer, but employs non-contact technology to improve performance and extend device life. For example, the potentiometer device 10 has multiple redundant channels (e.g., three), each with isolated electrical outputs, that meet or exceed regulatory guidelines for sensor redundancy in sidestick applications.

[0038] Additionally or alternatively, a ring magnet may be used, which has a higher accuracy than other types of magnets. A ring magnet with sensors disposed above or below the ring magnet is more accurate due in part to improved symmetry of the magnetic field experienced by sensors 12A-12C relative to magnet center 26.

[0039] Other types of magnets contemplated in place of the example ring magnets may be, for example, disc magnets, asymmetric magnets, quadrupole magnets, etc. Different magnet types may provide different operating results, for example, asymmetric magnets or quadrupole magnets may provide improved linearization and / or electromagnetic noise immunity.

[0040] As described herein, the potentiometer device 10 can be used as a replacement for a conventional RVDT sensor (e.g., in an aircraft sidestick application). Thus, the potentiometer device 10 can be constructed as a retrofit device, designed to fit into the footprint of a conventional device and to accept an input (e.g., a DC voltage) and provide an output (e.g., a proportional DC voltage) consistent with the device being replaced. The potentiometer device 10 can be designed to simulate the output signal of an RVDT / rotary transformer. This can provide a direct replacement of a channel, and / or can be achieved through configurable and / or additional circuitry. In some examples, the housing 18 of the device 10 is constructed to be similar to the housing of an RVDT. The annular magnet 16 can be secured to the shaft 14 using one or more fasteners (e.g., bolts, custom washers, threaded shaft ends, etc.). The PCBs 20A-20C can be secured by fasteners or other means, such as an end cap 22, which can apply an axial load to the sensor housing 18.

[0041] exist Figure 1In some examples, each PCB is separated by one or more spacers 28 or other mounting devices to ensure that the PCBs and / or sensors are physically isolated. In some examples, the spacers 28 have substantially similar sizes so that the distance between each PCB is approximately equal. In other examples, one or more spacers 28 have different sizes so that the distance between the two PCBs is different.

[0042] The potentiometer device 10 provides a low-cost, high-precision and reliable alternative to other solutions such as RVDTs, resolvers and / or contact brush potentiometers. RVDTs are the most common non-contact solution to the problems described in cockpit applications. They use a magnetic rotor in a wound and laminated stator. In some examples, the output signal of the potentiometer device 10 can be manipulated so that the device can be directly replaced with a traditional sensor (e.g., an RVDT). Previous solutions cannot simulate the output signal of an RVDT or resolver and therefore cannot be directly replaced.

[0043] Furthermore, although examples are provided with respect to applications in cockpits (e.g., sidestick applications), the technology and platform may be useful in a variety of applications in aerospace, manufacturing, automotive, rotational sensing, e-sports, virtual gaming, or transportation, to name a few. In an example, the disclosed sensing technology may be used in joystick applications, such as large industrial equipment (e.g., construction, agriculture, etc.), gaming, or other applications that employ rotational control.

[0044] Another implementation of the disclosed technology is direct integration into the intended application (e.g. embedding the Hall Effect sensor into the sidebar, without the need for an isolated package, but directly into the rotating component therein). This can further reduce costs, which is an impractical solution for wound components (such as RVDT / resolver).

[0045] Additionally or alternatively, the disclosed Hall effect sensor advantageously reduces interference from stray magnetic fields through a magnetically shielded housing design. In some examples, the operating power of signals within the device 10 can be limited to reduce stray magnetic fields emitted outside the housing 18.

[0046] In some examples, the magnet can be arranged between the two plates so that one or more magnetic sensors are located above the magnet and one or more magnetic sensors are located below the magnet. Thus, each magnetic sensor above and below the magnet is subjected to the same strength of magnetic field.

[0047] Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2CThree physically and electrically isolated magnetic sensor circuits are shown that emulate conventional potentiometers (e.g., contact potentiometers). For example, each magnetic sensor circuit corresponds to one of sensors 12A-12C. Each sensor includes programming access points 48A-48C that can be used to program and / or calibrate the sensor relative to the magnet center 26. Magnetic sensor circuits 50A-50C include components that respond to and / or measure changes in the magnetic field from magnet 16. For example, these changes are output to the circuit and / or controller via three electrically isolated channels. Magnetic sensor circuits 50A-50C may also include a writable memory that is programmed with linearization data corresponding to a given rotation angle (e.g., a reference or zero position) of the rotatable control device, for example after a calibration process.

[0048] In some examples, each multi-channel sensor has independent differential outputs 44A-44C relative to 46A-46C and independent differential inputs 40A-40C relative to 42A-42C having a bias voltage of about 6.0V DC or 30.0V DC. In an example, the output is a proportional output with a proportional factor within a configurable range. Each Hall effect sensor 12A-12C is designed to draw a limited amount of power (e.g., 5mA to 15mA per sensor channel) in an effort to minimize input current and / or stray magnetic field emissions.

[0049] although FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C Three potentiometer circuits (eg, sensors) are shown, but one or more than three potentiometer circuits may be used in the design of the rotary potentiometer device disclosed herein.

[0050] Figure 3 An illustration of another example rotary non-contact potentiometer device 10 is provided. The potentiometer device 10 includes one or more sensors 12A, 12B, 12C, such as multi-channel Hall effect sensors. The sensors 12A-12C can be mounted on a substrate 20, such as a printed circuit board (PCB). The sensors 12A-12C can be arranged within a magnetic field, such as from a magnet 16 (e.g., a rotatable magnet). In some examples, the magnet 16 is a permanent magnet that can rotate around an axis 14. The rotational movement of the axis 14 is facilitated by one or more bushings or ball bearings 24. The potentiometer device 10 can be housed in a frame or housing 18. In some examples, the housing 18 includes a panel 22 that provides access to the PCB 20 to allow the components therein to be removed and / or maintained.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, the potentiometer device 10 uses magnets 16 (assisted by ball bearings 24) on a dual bearing support. Figure 3AThe example arrangement shown employs three electrically isolated Hall effect sensors 12A-12C arranged on a PCB 20. For example, the Hall effect sensors may be spaced 120 degrees apart from one another and offset a predetermined distance relative to the magnet center of the magnet 16. This arrangement may be informed by the size of the Hall effect sensors 12A-12C, the size of the housing 18, the particular application (e.g., as an aircraft sidestick), etc.

[0052] Because sensors 12A-12C are offset from the center of the magnet, each sensor output may experience nonlinearity. For example, nonlinearity in the Hall effect sensor output may become apparent when the sensor circuit is placed offset from the center of the magnet 26. As disclosed herein, nonlinearity can be substantially programmed using software; however, some electronic packaging solutions allow for greater accuracy than others. Therefore, the sensors are programmed using a linearization process that electrically aligns each sensor channel of sensors 12A-12C based on relative position to the magnetic axis 26, thereby avoiding the manual adjustments required by conventional techniques, which can be inaccurate, time consuming, and prone to error.

[0053] Figure 4 An illustration of another example rotary non-contact potentiometer device 10 is provided, wherein one or more sensors 12A-12C are arranged on a first side of a PCB 20, and one or more sensors 12A-12C are arranged on a second side of the PCB 20 opposite the first side. Figure 4A As shown, in the example where two sensors 12A and 12B are arranged on the first side, the sensors are offset 180 degrees about the magnet center 26. A third sensor 12C may be mounted on the second side, directly aligned with the magnet center 26. Figure 4A The arrangement of sensors shown in is designed to experience limited non-linearity because the sensors are arranged closer to the magnet center 26 and one sensor is arranged directly at the center of the magnet's rotation.

[0054] In some examples, the output signal of the Hall effect sensor is used to modulate the incoming input voltage to provide a ratiometric output over a wider input range than an unmodulated signal (e.g., about 4.5V to 30V). The extended range allows the contactless rotary potentiometer sensor to be used in potentiometer replacement applications operating from a variety of voltage rails, such as 10V, 12V, or 24V (e.g., common in industrial applications) and from 28V (e.g., common in aerospace applications).

[0055] In an example, the working range of the device (e.g., the movement of the response axis) is approximately + / -100 degrees relative to the zero position, but the range can be larger or smaller depending on the application or required performance. In addition, the arrangement of the sensors, the selection of sensor types, and / or the calibration process result in a low error rate during deployment (e.g., the full-scale error at the zero position is between + / -0.1% and + / -0.9%; the full-scale error at the extreme positions is between + / -1.0% and + / -3.0%).

[0056] In some examples, the potentiometer device 10 and associated multi-channel sensors are configured to operate within a temperature range of approximately -40°C to approximately +70°C, although the suitable operating temperature range may be extended depending on material type, sensor selection, or other engineering principles.

[0057] Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the example circuit of the non-contact potentiometer device disclosed herein is shown.As shown in the figure, the components of sensor 12A are provided in more detail.For example, magnetic circuit 50A includes Hall effect sensor integrated circuit 52A, which can be used to replace existing potentiometers (such as contact potentiometers) in some examples.The arrangement of voltage input terminals 40A and 42A, potentiometer contact brush 44A and potentiometer reference output terminal 46A makes it possible for magnetic circuit 50A to be connected to existing potentiometer input terminals, and to generate potentiometer outputs in the direct exchange of components.As shown in the figure, multistage filter / buffer 54A and midpoint buffer 56A ensure applicable output voltage.As shown in the figure, output impedance can be configured to be similar to existing potentiometer output, and noise filtering can also be provided.

[0058] Figure 6 FIG. 2 shows an application diagram of a control system 60 using a potentiometer device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6, the control system 60 may include a control circuit 62, which may also include a processor 64 for receiving input signals from one or more sensors 12A to 12C. These and other inputs may be received via one or more interfaces 70, which include a wired and / or wireless network interface 72. In some examples, the signal may be received via one or more communication transceivers 76, such as one or more dedicated receiver circuits 78 and / or transmitter circuits 80. The power conversion circuit 74 may be used to amplify or reduce the input or output signal for processing or transmission, etc. Advantageously, the circuit associated with the control system 60 is configured to receive signals from a conventional potentiometer contact brush output and / or reference input, and is similarly configured to receive signals from the Hall effect sensors 12A to 12C disclosed herein. Therefore, the control system 60 is configured to interface with the non-contact potentiometer device disclosed herein without modifying, adding and / or upgrading the circuit of such a highly sensitive and highly reliable Hall effect sensor.

[0059] The memory 66 may store instructions 68 , which may include algorithms for performing programming and / or calibration techniques, monitoring and analyzing signals from sensor outputs, and / or transmitting data and / or commands based on input signals.

[0060] Figure 7 An example method 90 for programming a non-contact potentiometer device (e.g., device 10) to electrically align each sensor (e.g., sensors 12A-12C) to provide an output within a desired accuracy range is shown. In box 92, a first magnetic sensor (e.g., a Hall effect sensor) is placed on a substrate (e.g., PCB 20A to PCB 20C) on a test bench. The output of the first magnetic sensor is compared to an encoder output, which provides a shaft angle. In box 94, the first magnetic sensor is aligned with a magnetic field (e.g., from magnet 26) corresponding to a given rotation angle of a rotatable control device (e.g., rotatable shaft 14 of a side stick application). For example, an encoder bracket can be used to rotate the sensor to a given point, and the point can be written as a linearization point to a memory on the circuit of the corresponding sensor.

[0061] In block 96, the first magnetic sensor is programmed using linearization data corresponding to the given rotation angle (eg, stored in a memory of the magnetic sensor circuit). In some examples, sensor channels are individually programmed using a specific linearization scheme (eg, a linearization scheme provided in a programming GUI).

[0062] After programming the first channel of the first magnetic sensor, the second channel of the second magnetic sensor can be electrically aligned with the first channel. Therefore, in box 98, a second magnetic sensor (e.g., a Hall effect sensor) is placed on a substrate (e.g., PCB 20A to PCB 20C) on a test bench. In box 100, the output of the second magnetic sensor is compared with one or both of the encoder output (corresponding to the shaft angle) or the linearization data from the first magnetic sensor. In box 102, the second magnetic sensor is aligned with the magnetic field. This can be achieved by rotating the shaft angle to an electrical zero point and programming it as the electrical zero point of the second magnetic sensor channel. Therefore, in box 104, the second magnetic sensor is programmed using the linearization data corresponding to a given rotation angle relative to the position of the second magnetic sensor and / or the linearization data of the first magnetic sensor. In addition or alternatively, a non-contact potentiometer device can be used to replace the rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT) in box 106.

[0063] If desired, the method can be performed for another (e.g., a third) or more sensors to provide redundancy. In addition, the process can be automated so that there is no need to manually align the sensor channels to the electrical zero point.

[0064] Although several examples and / or embodiments are described with respect to Hall effect sensors, the principles and / or advantages disclosed herein may be employed with technologies that are not limited to a particular type of sensor. For example, magnetoresistive sensors and / or other types of contactless sensors may be used. Furthermore, although each of the multiple (e.g., three) sensors of the disclosed examples are described as Hall effect sensors, in some examples, one or more of the multiple sensors may be sensors of a first type, and another one or more of the multiple sensors may be sensors of a second type.

[0065] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt specific circumstances or materials to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from its scope. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but includes all embodiments within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A non-contact potentiometer device, comprising: A first sensor is mounted on the first substrate; a second sensor mounted on a second substrate, the first sensor and the first substrate being physically and electrically isolated from the second sensor and the second substrate, each sensor being configured to measure a change in a magnetic field, wherein each sensor includes an electrically isolated output channel to provide an output signal corresponding to the change in the magnetic field to a control circuit, wherein each sensor includes a magnetic sensor circuit having an independent differential input relative to a reference input and an independent differential output relative to a reference output to provide a signal to a corresponding electrically isolated output channel; and An annular magnet is located a first distance from the first sensor and a second distance from the second sensor such that each sensor is aligned with a central magnetic axis of the magnetic field and within the magnetic field of the magnet.

2. The non-contact potentiometer device according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the first sensor and the second sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

3. The non-contact potentiometer device according to claim 1, wherein: The change in the output signal is proportional to the change in the input signal.

4. The non-contact potentiometer device according to claim 3, wherein: Each sensor detects an angular change relative to a reference position based on rotation of the magnet about an axis.

5. The non-contact potentiometer device according to claim 1, wherein: The first substrate and the second substrate are a first printed circuit board (PCB) and a second printed circuit board.

6. The non-contact potentiometer device according to claim 5, wherein: The first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board are physically separated by one or more spacers to maintain a predetermined distance between the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board, each printed circuit board having the magnetic sensor circuit.

7. The non-contact potentiometer device according to claim 5, wherein: The first printed circuit board is physically separated from the second printed circuit board by one or more spacers.

8. The non-contact potentiometer device according to claim 1, wherein: The annular magnet is rotatable about an axis.

9. The non-contact potentiometer device according to claim 1, further comprising a housing for accommodating one or more sensors, the magnet or the shaft, wherein: Rotational motion about the axis is facilitated by one or more of ball bearings, bushings, tracks, and rotational support structures.

10. The non-contact potentiometer device according to claim 9, wherein: The housing includes a panel for providing access to the substrate, the one or more sensors and / or the magnet.

11. The non-contact potentiometer device according to claim 10, wherein: The housing includes a material that blocks stray magnetic fields.

12. The non-contact potentiometer device according to claim 1 further comprises a third sensor, wherein the third sensor is mounted on a third substrate and aligned with the central magnetic axis of the magnetic field, and comprises an electrically isolated output channel to provide an output signal corresponding to the change of the magnetic field to the control circuit.

13. A rotation sensing device configured to sense an angular change in a rotation sensor, comprising: A first sensor is mounted on the first substrate; a second sensor mounted on a second substrate, wherein the first substrate is physically separated from the second substrate by a predetermined distance, each sensor being configured to measure a change in a magnetic field and being electrically isolated from another sensor; wherein each sensor includes an electrically isolated output channel to provide a signal corresponding to the change in the magnetic field to a control circuit, wherein each sensor includes a magnetic sensor circuit having a multi-stage filter and a midpoint buffer at an output end of each sensor to achieve an applicable output voltage and filter noise of the output voltage transmitted through the corresponding electrically isolated output channel; and a magnet positioned at a first distance from the first sensor and a second distance from the second sensor such that the sensors are within the magnetic field of the magnet, Each sensor is configured to detect an angular change relative to a reference position based on the rotation of the magnet.

14. The rotation sensing device according to claim 13, wherein: Each sensor of the one or more sensors is spaced apart from each other by the predetermined distance.

15. The rotation sensing device according to claim 13, wherein: The magnet is a ring magnet.

16. The rotation sensing device according to claim 13, wherein: Each of the one or more sensors further includes: a power input terminal for receiving a DC voltage; and The output channel is used to provide a signal corresponding to the change of the magnetic field to the control circuit.

17. The rotation sensing device according to claim 13, wherein: Each sensor is aligned with a central magnetic axis of the magnetic field where the first sensor is separated from the second sensor.

18. A method for programming a non-contact potentiometer device, comprising: disposing a first magnetic sensor on a first substrate; aligning the first magnetic sensor with a central magnetic axis of a magnetic field corresponding to a given rotation angle of the rotatable control device; programming the first magnetic sensor using linearization data corresponding to the given rotation angle; disposing a second magnetic sensor on the second substrate; aligning the second magnetic sensor with the first magnetic sensor and the central magnetic axis, the first magnetic sensor and the first substrate being physically and electrically isolated from the second magnetic sensor and the second substrate; as well as programming the second magnetic sensor using linearization data corresponding to the given rotation angle, Each sensor includes an electrically isolated output channel to provide a signal corresponding to the change in the magnetic field to the control circuit, wherein each sensor includes a magnetic sensor circuit having an independent differential input relative to a reference input and an independent differential output relative to a reference output to provide a signal through a corresponding electrically isolated output channel.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising replacing a rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT) with the non-contact potentiometer device.

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