Position sensor system and method

A method of determining a position of a sensor device movable along a predefined path relative to a magnetic source or vice versa, the magnetic source comprising a first plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a first track having a first periodicity, and comprising a second plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a second track having a second periodicity different from the first periodicity,

• wherein a code-free region is provided between the first track and the second track;
• and
• wherein centrelines of the tracks are spaced apart, the method comprising:
• a) measuring at least two orthogonal magnetic field components at a first sensor location, and measuring at least two orthogonal magnetic field components at a second sensor location, spaced from the first sensor location;
• b) determining the position of the sensor device based on at least some or all of the measured magnetic field components;
• wherein a first orthogonal projection of the first sensor location and a second orthogonal projection of the second sensor location are located on opposite sides of the code free region, or
• wherein one of the first orthogonal projection and the second orthogonal projection is located in the code free region, and the other is located outside of the code free region.

A position sensor device movable along a predefined path relative to a magnetic source or vice versa, the position sensor device comprising:

• a first sensor structure configured for measuring a first set of a least two orthogonal magnetic field components at a first sensor location;
• a second sensor structure configured for measuring a second set of at least two orthogonal magnetic field components at a second sensor location;
• wherein the first sensor location is spaced from the second sensor location by a predefined sensor distance;
• wherein the sensor device further comprises a processing unit configured for determining a position of the sensor device based on at least some or all of the measured signals, said position of the sensor device being relative to a magnetic source comprising a first plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a first track having a first periodicity, and comprising a second plurality of magnetic pole pairs arranged along a second track having a second periodicity different from the first periodicity, wherein a centreline of the first track is spaced from a centreline of the second track by a predefined track distance, and
• wherein a code-free region is provided between the first track and the second track;
• and
• wherein a first orthogonal projection of the first sensor location and a second orthogonal projection of the second sensor location are located on opposite sides of the code free region, or
• wherein one of the first orthogonal projection and the second orthogonal projection is located in the code free region, and the other is located outside of the code free region.