Magnetic field sensor providing a movement detector

A magnetic field sensor for sensing a movement of a target object, the target object having a plurality of target features operable to move in response to the movement of the target object, the movement of each one of the plurality of target features in an x-z plane with x-y-z Cartesian coordinates with x, y, and z orthogonal axes, the target object having a rotation axis and capable of rotation about the rotation axis to a plurality of positions of the target object including a first target position, the rotation axis parallel to the y-axis, the magnetic field sensor comprising:

• a substrate having a major planar surface, wherein a line parallel to the major planar surface of the substrate intersects the rotation axis of the target object, and wherein the major planar surface of the substrate is within twenty degrees of parallel to the x-z plane;
• more than two magnetic field sensing elements disposed upon the major planar surface of the substrate, wherein an axis passing through any two of the more than two magnetic field sensing elements does not intersect the target object, the more than two magnetic field sensing elements having respective maximum response axes, each maximum response axis parallel to the major planar surface of the substrate, wherein each individual one of the more than two magnetic field sensing elements is responsive to each one of the plurality of target features as the target object moves, wherein the more than two magnetic field sensing elements are configured to generate a respective more than two magnetic field signals;
• and
• an electronic circuit disposed upon the substrate and coupled to the more than two magnetic field sensing elements, the electronic circuit comprising:
• at least one analog or digital comparator, wherein, when the target object is at the first target object position, the at least one analog or digital comparator is configured to compare each of the more than two magnetic field signals to a respective more than two different threshold values to generate more than two binary signals, respectively, wherein states of the more than two binary signals are each indicative of a position of the target object relative to the more than two magnetic field sensing elements for any movement speed of the target object including zero movement speed;
• a threshold calculation module coupled to receive the at least two magnetic field signals, the threshold calculation module configured to generate the more than two threshold values indicative of amplitudes of the more than two magnetic field signals, respectively;
• and
• a nonvolatile memory device operable to store the more than two threshold values as more than two stored threshold values, wherein, the non-volatile memory device is further operable to provide the more than two stored threshold values to the at least one analog or digital comparator.