Method for error detection of a position sensor and position sensor

A method for error detection of a position sensor,

• wherein the position sensor detects the movement of a target relative to a sine receiver coil and a cosine receiver coil and generates a corresponding sine signal and a corresponding cosine signal,
• the method comprising the steps of:
• monitoring the sine signal and cosine signal of the position sensor over at least one full period;
• determining a sine offset by calculating an average of the monitored sine signal;
• determining a cosine offset by calculating an average of the monitored cosine signal;
• determining an amplitude of the sine signal by subtracting the minimum value of the monitored sine signal from the maximum value of the monitored sine signal;
• determining an amplitude of the cosine signal by subtracting the minimum value of the monitored cosine signal from the maximum value of the monitored cosine signal;
• determining an amplitude mismatch by subtracting the amplitude of the sine signal from the amplitude of the cosine signal and dividing the result by 2 or by subtracting the amplitude of the cosine signal from the amplitude of the sine signal and dividing the result by 2;
• determining an offset error factor by dividing a first coefficient by the determined amplitude of the sine signal or the determined amplitude of the cosine signal or an average of the determined amplitude of sine signal and the cosine signal;
• determining an amplitude error factor by dividing a second coefficient by the determined amplitude of the sine signal or the determined amplitude of the cosine signal or an average of the determined amplitude of sine signal and the cosine signal;
• determining an offset error of the position sensor by adding the absolute value of the determined sine offset and the absolute value of the determined cosine offset and multiplying the sum with the determined offset error and dividing the result by a third coefficient;
• determining an amplitude error of the position sensor by multiplying the absolute value of the determined amplitude mismatch by the determined amplitude error;
• and
• determining the overall error of the position sensor by adding the determined offset error and the determined amplitude error.