Hall Effect Angular Sensor Analog Signal Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining the angular orientation of a magnetic field using the Hall effect are energy-intensive, time-consuming, and require complex components, making them inefficient and costly, especially in applications like the aircraft industry where software qualification is stringent.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system utilizing N ≥ 2 Hall effect devices aligned along a common axis, with a filtering-or-resonating unit that processes signals to emphasize a fundamental frequency while suppressing higher harmonics, allowing for precise and fast angular orientation sensing without the need for analog-to-digital converters or microcontrollers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If two orthogonally arranged Hall devices with analog-digital converters and microcontroller are used to determine angular orientation, then the angular orientation can be calculated using ATAN function, but energy consumption increases and time delay is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the microcontroller and analog-digital converters from the system. Instead of using complex computational components, the invention uses a purely analog signal processing approach with operational amplifiers to directly compute the tangent of the angle from the Hall device outputs, thereby removing the energy-consuming digital processing elements while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the software-based ATAN computation mechanism with an analog electronic circuit mechanism. Using operational amplifiers configured as differential amplifiers and integrators, the system directly computes the tangent value from the Hall device signals in the analog domain, substituting the mechanical/software computational approach with an electronic analog processing approach that consumes less energy.
2Measurement precision
If microcontroller is used to compute ATAN function, then angular orientation can be determined, but time delay increases due to initialization and software processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous analog signal processing without the discrete initialization and processing delays inherent in microcontroller operations. The operational amplifier circuit continuously computes the tangent value as the Hall device outputs change, providing real-time angular orientation measurement without the time delays associated with software execution and microcontroller initialization sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the software-based ATAN computation mechanism with an analog electronic circuit mechanism. Using operational amplifiers configured as differential amplifiers and integrators, the system directly computes the tangent value from the Hall device signals in the analog domain, substituting the mechanical/software computational approach with an electronic analog processing approach that eliminates software processing delays.
3Measurement precision
If software-controlled microcontroller is used in sensor system, then angular orientation can be processed, but qualification procedure becomes complex and stringent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the microcontroller and software components from the sensor system. By using purely analog operational amplifier circuits to compute the angular orientation, the invention removes the software that would require complex qualification procedures, especially in regulated industries like aerospace, while maintaining the ability to accurately determine angular orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the software-based ATAN computation mechanism with an analog electronic circuit mechanism. Using operational amplifiers configured as differential amplifiers and integrators, the system directly computes the tangent value from the Hall device signals in the analog domain, substituting the mechanical/software computational approach with an electronic analog processing approach that eliminates software processing delays.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables high-precision, high-speed angular orientation sensing with simple components, reducing energy consumption and eliminating the need for complex components, thus improving measurement accuracy and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
N ≥ 2 Hall effect devices, each having a detection direction and comprising a first and a second pair of connectors, wherein, in presence of said magnetic field, a flow of an electric current between the connectors of said first pair allows to pick up a Hall voltage between the connectors of the second pair induced by said magnetic field
Data Source
Figure 1~10
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The sensor for sensing an angular orientation of a magnetic field of a magnet comprises - N > 2 Hall effect devices (HD1, HD2,...), each having a detection direction and comprising a first and a second pair of connectors, wherein, in presence of the magnetic field, a flow of an electric current between the connectors of the first pair allows to pick up a Hall voltage between the connectors of the second pair induced by the magnetic field, unless a magnetic field component of the magnetic field along the detection direction is zero, wherein the N Hall effect devices are aligned such that they have a common detection direction lying along an axis; - a filtering-or-resonating unit (F) comprising an input and an output, wherein a signal outputted from the output is referred to as filtered signal; - a wiring unit (W) operationally connected to the respective second pair of connectors of each of the N Hall effect devices, structured and configured for selectively operationally connecting the connectors of the second pairs to the input of the filtering-or-resonating unit; - a control unit (L) structured and configured for controlling the wiring unit in such a way that during a first time period of a duration Tf and in a fixed sequence of the N Hall effect devices, each of the N Hall effect devices is, with its second pair of connectors, successively operationally connected to the input of the filtering-or-resonating unit; - an output unit (4) operationally connected to the output of the filtering-or- resonating unit structured and configured for obtaining from a filtered signal an output signal related to the angular orientation and outputting the output signal; wherein the filtering-or-resonating unit (F) is structured and configured like a band pass filter having a fundamental frequency f = 1 / Tf.