Chopped Hall Sensor and Method for Measuring at Least One Hall Voltage

A method for measuring at least one Hall voltage, in which method at least one Hall sensor element is made available, which element comprises a plurality of connection pairs for imprinting a supply current or applying a supply voltage and for capturing detection signals, wherein the method has the following steps:

• a) imprinting the supply current onto the Hall sensor element or applying the supply voltage to the Hall sensor element, in such a manner that the supply current flows from the first to the second connector of one of the connection pairs for a predetermined period of time;
• b) while imprinting the supply current or applying the supply voltage, capturing a detection signal between the first and the second connector of a further connection pair of the Hall sensor element;
• c) repeating steps a) and b) once or multiple times, using connection pairs and/or connectors that are interchanged according to an orthogonal switching principle or a spin current principle, once or multiple times, so as to capture at least one further detection signal,
• d) determining the Hall voltage from the detection signals,
• e) repeating steps a) to d) and, if applicable, e),
• wherein in step e), the predetermined time period is changed, and the steps mentioned in step e) are repeated with the changed time period.

A chopped Hall sensor having at least one Hall sensor element that has a plurality of connection pairs for imprinting a supply current and for capturing detection signals, and having a control and evaluation apparatus for the Hall sensor element, which has

• at least one current or voltage supply source for generating the supply current,
• a switching device, and
• a control device that has a pulse generator, for the switching device,
• wherein the switching device has
• connection contact pairs that are connected to the connection pairs of the Hall sensor element by way of electric lines,
• supply connectors that are connected to the current or voltage supply source, and
• signal connectors for capturing the detection signals,
• and wherein the switching device, the control device, and the pulse generator are configured for carrying out the following steps:
• a) for a predetermined time period, connecting a connection pair of the Hall sensor element to the supply connectors, so as to imprint a supply current onto the Hall sensor element, which current flows from the first to the second connector of the connection pair,
• b) connecting a further connection pair of the Hall sensor element to the signal connectors, so as to capture a detection signal present between the first and the second connector of the further connection pair while imprinting the supply current onto the Hall sensor element;
• c) repeating steps a) and b) once or multiple times, using connection pairs and/or connectors that are interchanged according to an orthogonal switching principle or a spin current principle, once or multiple times, so as to capture at least one further detection signal, and
• d) determining the Hall voltage from the detection signals,
• wherein the switching device, the control device and the pulse generator are configured in such a manner that during at least one of the repetitions mentioned in step c), the predetermined time period is changed and used during repetition of steps a) and b).

A chopped Hall sensor having at least one Hall sensor element that has a plurality of connection pairs for imprinting a supply current and for capturing detection signals, and having a control and evaluation apparatus for the Hall sensor element, which has

• at least one current or voltage supply source for generating the supply current,
• a switching device, and
• a control device that has a pulse generator, for the switching device,
• wherein the switching device has
• connection contact pairs that are connected to the connection pairs of the Hall sensor element by way of electric lines,
• supply connectors that are connected to the current or voltage supply source, and
• signal connectors for capturing the detection signals,
• and wherein the switching device, the control device, and the pulse generator are configured for carrying out the following steps:
• a) for a predetermined time period, connecting a connection pair of the Hall sensor element to the supply connectors, so as to imprint a supply current onto the Hall sensor element, which current flows from the first to the second connector of the connection pair,
• b) connecting a further connection pair of the Hall sensor element to the signal connectors, so as to capture a detection signal present between the first and the second connector of the further connection pair while imprinting the supply current onto the Hall sensor element;
• c) repeating steps a) and b) once or multiple times, using connection pairs and/or connectors that are interchanged according to an orthogonal switching principle or a spin current principle, once or multiple times, so as to capture at least one further detection signal, and
• d) determining the Hall voltage from the detection signals;
• e) repeating steps a) to d) and, if applicable, e),
• wherein the switching device, the control device and the pulse generator are configured with the changed time period for changing the predetermined time period in step e) and for repeating the steps mentioned in step e).