Absolute position measurement using single magnet strip

An absolute position measurement system, comprising:

• a multipole magnet comprising alternating magnetic poles extending along a multipole extension direction, the alternating magnetic poles generating a magnetic field,
• wherein a relative position between the multipole magnet and a magnetic sensor has a linear changing configuration relative to a linear path, the magnetic field having a field strength that undergoes a sinusoidal change along the linear path due to the alternating magnetic poles and a linear change along the linear path according to the linear changing configuration relative to the linear path;
• and
• the magnetic sensor, the magnetic sensor comprising a first sensor element arrangement configured to generate a first sensor signal and a second sensor element arrangement configured to generate a second sensor signal that is phase shifted with respect to the first sensor signal,
• wherein the magnetic sensor further comprises a processing circuit configured to receive the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal and calculate an absolute position of the magnetic sensor based on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal.

An absolute position measurement system, comprising:

• a multipole magnet comprising alternating magnetic poles extending along a multipole extension direction that is coincident with a linear path along which a distance between the multipole magnet and a magnetic sensor is configured to change, wherein the multipole magnet is configured to produce a magnetic field;
• and
• the magnetic sensor,
• wherein the magnetic sensor comprises a first sensor element arrangement configured to generate a first sensor signal in response to the magnetic field and a second sensor element arrangement configured to generate a second sensor signal in response to the magnetic field,
• wherein, as the distance between the multipole magnet and the magnetic sensor changes along the linear path, the first sensor signal has a first sinusoidal waveform having a first linearly changing peak-to-peak amplitude and the second sensor signal has a second sinusoidal waveform having a second linearly changing peak-to-peak amplitude, wherein the second sinusoidal waveform is phase shifted with respect to the first sinusoidal waveform, and
• wherein the magnetic sensor further comprises a processing circuit configured to receive the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal and calculate an absolute position of the multipole magnet based on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal.

A method of measuring an absolute position of a magnetic sensor, the method comprising:

• generating, by a first sensor element arrangement of the magnetic sensor, a first sensor signal in response to a magnetic field;
• generating, by a second sensor element arrangement of the magnetic sensor, a second sensor signal in response to the magnetic field,
• wherein, as a distance between the magnetic sensor and a multipole magnet changes along a linear path, the first sensor signal has a first sinusoidal waveform having a first linearly changing peak-to-peak amplitude and the second sensor signal has a second sinusoidal waveform having a second linearly changing peak-to-peak amplitude, wherein the second sinusoidal waveform is phase shifted with respect to the first sinusoidal waveform;
• and
• calculating, by a processing circuit, an absolute position of the magnetic sensor based on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal.