Reduced power sensing apparatus having fluxgate and control method thereof

A sensing apparatus having a fluxgate, comprising:

• a fluxgate module configured to output an analog signal corresponding to terrestrial magnetism using a fluxgate including a magnetic substance core and a driving coil, the fluxgate being a 2-axis fluxgate of which axes cross at right angles;
• and
• an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter configured to convert an analog signal output from the fluxgate module into a digital signal,
• wherein the fluxgate module includes first and second current amplifiers connected to respective first and second ends of the driving coil, and a pulse restricting part configured to supply an output signal to operate the first and second current amplifiers, wherein the output signal is a driving pulse while the A/D converter is converting the analog signal and is no pulse when the digital signal is output from the A/D converter, wherein the fluxgate module further includes,
• an inverter configured to invert the output signal from the pulse restricting part and to supply an inverted output signal to the second current amplifier,
• the second current amplifier is configured to amplify the inverted output signal and to output an inversion pulse,
• an input switching part configured to selectively transmit the driving pulse and inversion pulse output from the first and second current amplifiers to the driving coils of the 2-axis fluxgate, and
• an output switching part configured to selectively transmit a detected signal from the 2-axis fluxgate.

A method of controlling a sensing apparatus which includes a fluxgate having a magnetic substance core and a driving coil, first and second current amplifiers which excite the magnetic substance core by applying pulses to first and second ends of the driving coil, a fluxgate module including a pulse restricting part which controls the operation of the first and second current amplifiers, and an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter which converts an analog signal output from the fluxgate module into a digital signal, the method comprising:

• generating an output signal from the pulse restricting part to operate the first and second current amplifiers;
• and
• A/D converting an analog-signal output from the fluxgate module and outputting a digital signal,
• wherein the output signal is a driving pulse during the A/D converting and is no pulse when the digital signal is output, generating the output signal further including
• generating the driving pulse,
• outputting a control pulse to control the operation of the fluxgate, and
• logically operating on the driving pulse and the control pulse and supplying the output signal according to the results of the logical operation to the first and second current amplifiers.