Shaft rotation sensor with magnetic sensors angularly spaced apart with respect to a magnetic source

Abstract

Shaft rotation sensor, including: two directional magnetic sensors disposed with respect rotating magnetic source, to sense magnetic field vector component generated by magnetic source; the magnetic sensors being disposed to provide output signals, having a sineosine relationship, representing magnitude of magnetic field vector component. In another aspect of the invention, a shaft rotation sensor, including: first and second directional magnetic sensors disposed with respect to rotating magnetic source, such that first sensor senses, and provides first output representing, magnitude of first magnetic field component and second sensor senses, and provides second output representing, magnitude of second magnetic field component orthogonal to first magnetic field component; and first and second outputs being electrically connected in series to provide first output channel. First sensor also senses, and provides third output representing, magnitude of second magnetic field component, and second sensor also senses, and provides fourth output representing, magnitude of first magnetic field component; and third and fourth outputs being electrically connected in series to provide second output channel having output orthogonal to output of first output channel. In this latter aspect, the sensor provides rotation sensor which is immune to uniform external magnet field.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.