Diagnostics in TMR sensors

A system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to perform a method comprising:
• detecting a short across a tunneling magnetoresistive sensor;
• measuring a change in resistance of the tunneling magnetoresistive sensor;
• measuring a change in voltage amplitude over a range for the change in resistance for the tunneling magnetoresistive sensor;
• dividing the change in voltage amplitude by the change in resistance to yield a ratio over the range;
• and
• responsive to the ratio being greater than a predetermined ratio threshold where the change in resistance is more positive than a predetermined resistance drop threshold, determining that the short is caused by a magnetic shunt.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

• detecting a short across a tunneling magnetoresistive sensor;
• measuring a change in resistance of the tunneling magnetoresistive sensor;
• measuring a change in voltage amplitude over a range for the change in resistance for the tunneling magnetoresistive sensor;
• dividing the change in voltage amplitude by the change in resistance to yield a ratio over the range;
• and
• responsive to the ratio being less than a predetermined ratio threshold where the change in resistance is more negative than a predetermined resistance drop threshold, determining that the short is caused by a magnetic shunt.