Temperature compensated Hall effect device
AssigneeEaton Corporation
InventorCharles E. Ward
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a Hall effect device which generates an electrical output signal upon exposure to a magnetic field. An operating current for the Hall effect device is varied by input circuitry to maintain the output signal from the Hall effect device constant with variations in temperature of the Hall effect device while the magnetic field to which the Hall effect device is exposed remains constant. The input circuitry includes a temperature responsive element which is maintained at a temperature which varies as a function of variations in the temperature of the Hall effect device. The temperature responsive element is a silicon diode.
Claims10
An apparatus comprising a Hall effect device for generating an electrical potential upon exposure to a magnetic field, output means for conducting from said Hall effect device an output signal which varies as a function of variations in the electrical potential generated by said Hall effect device, and input means for supplying operating current to said Hall effect device through a range of temperatures of said Hall effect device, said input means including means for varying said operating current independently of said output signal to maintain said output signal from said Hall effect device constant with variations in temperature of said Hall effect device through the range of temperatures while the magnetic field to which said Hall effect device is exposed remains constant.
An apparatus comprising a Hall effect device for generating an electrical potential upon exposure to a magnetic field, output means for conducting from said Hall effect device an output signal which varies as a function of variations in the electrical potential generated by said Hall effect device, and input means for supplying operating current to said Hall effect device through a range of temperatures of said Hall effect device, said input means including means for varying said operating current to maintain said output signal from said Hall effect device constant with variations in temperature of said Hall effect device through the range of temperatures while the magnetic field to which said Hall effect device is exposed remains constant, said means for varying said operating current includes a temperature responsive element which is separate from said Hall effect device and is maintained at a temperature which varies as a function of variations in temperature of said Hall effect device, said temperature responsive element having an electrical characteristic which varies as a function of variations in temperature of said temperature responsive element, said electrical characteristic of said temperature responsive element varies with variations in temperature in a manner which is a function of the manner in which the output signal of said Hall effect device varies with variations in temperature while the magnetic field to which said Hall effect device is exposed remains constant and while the operating current to said Hall effect device remains constant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.