Electronic circuit for automatically compensating for errors in a sensor with an analog output signal

An angular position sensor for sensing the angular position of a pivotally mounted device mounted in a predetermined housing comprising:

• a sensor housing adapted to be mechanically coupled to said predetermined housing;
• a circular magnet with a central aperture for generating magnetic flux defining a magnetic axis through opposing North and South magnetic poles;
• a drive arm, rotatably carried relative to said sensor housing, said drive arm including means for providing a mechanical coupling to said pivotally mounted device and means for carrying said magnet;
• means at least partially disposed within said central aperture of said magnet for sensing the magnetic flux density generated by said magnet, said sensing means disposed at a substantially constant air gap relative to said magnet;
• and
• means for enabling continuous mechanical adjustment of the sensitivity of said generating means.

An angular position sensor for sensing the angular position of a pivotally mounted device mounted in a predetermined housing about a predetermined pivot axis, said sensor comprising:

• a sensor housing adapted to be mechanically coupled to said predetermined housing, said housing including means for enabling rotatable coupling to said pivotally mounted device in said predetermined housing;
• means for providing magnetic signals that vary as a function of the angular position of said pivotally mounted device including means for providing a mechanical coupling to said pivotally mounted device and a magnet having north and south magnetic poles defining one or more magnetic axes therethrough;
• means responsive to said magnetic signals for generating electrical signals representative of said angular position of said pivotally mounted device, said generating means having a sensing plane for sensing said magnetic signals, said generating means having a predetermined offset voltage when said sensing plane is generally aligned with said magnetic axis;
• said generating spaced away from said providing means defining a predetermined substantially constant air gap;
• and
• sensitivity adjustment means for mechanically adjusting the sensitivity of said generating means.

An angular position sensor for sensing the angular position of a pivotally mounted device about a predetermined pivot axis disposed in a predetermined housing, said sensor comprising:

• a sensor housing adapted to be mechanically coupled to said predetermined housing and for enabling rotatable coupling with said pivotally mounted device;
• means for providing magnetic signals that vary as a function of the angular position of said pivotally mounted device including a magnet having opposing north and south magnetic poles defining one or more magnetic axes therethrough, said providing means including means for providing a rotatable coupling to said pivotally mounted device in said predetermined housing;
• and
• means responsive to said magnetic signals for generating electrical signals representative of the angular position of said pivotally mounted device, including a Hall effect device having a predetermined sensing plane, said sensing plane disposed substantially parallel with respect to said predetermined pivot axis.

An electronic circuit for automatically compensating errors in the output signal of a displacement type sensor which generates predetermined sensor output signals within a predetermined output range, the errors due to part to part variations said sensor, said electronic circuit comprising:

• a memory for storing ideal values for said output signals at predetermined points within said predetermined output range of said sensor:
• means for compensating said output signals to compensate for part to part variations in said sensor relative to said stored ideal values and generating compensated output signals corresponding to said sensor output signals:
• and
• means for compensating for errors due to temperature variations.