Current sensor

A current sensor comprising:

• a pair of magnetic balance sensors disposed so as to face each other with a conductor interposed therebetween, a measurement current flowing through the conductor, the pair of magnetic balance sensors comprising:
• a first magnetic balance sensor including:
• a first magnetic sensor circuit having a magnetic sensor element varying in characteristics due to an induction field caused by the measurement current, the first magnetic sensor circuit outputting a first voltage difference corresponding to the induction field;
• and
• a first feedback coil disposed near the first magnetic sensor element, the first feedback coil producing a first canceling magnetic field to cancel the induction field based on the first voltage difference;
• a second magnetic balance sensor including:
• a second magnetic sensor circuit having a magnetic sensor element varying in characteristics due to the induction field caused by the measurement current, the second magnetic sensor circuit outputting a second voltage difference corresponding to the induction field;
• and
• a second feedback coil disposed near the second magnetic sensor element, the second feedback coil producing a second canceling magnetic field to cancel the induction field based on the second voltage difference;
• and
• a switching circuit coupled to the first and second magnetic balance sensors, and configured to switch between a magnetic proportional detection mode and a magnetic balance detection mode, the switching circuit outputting, in the magnetic proportional detection mode, a voltage signal corresponding to a differential between the first and second voltage differences as a sensor output, and outputting, in the magnetic balance detection mode, a voltage value corresponding to differential between first and second currents flowing through the first and second feedback coils, respectively, as the sensor output when the induction field and the first and second canceling magnetic fields cancel each other so as to reach a balanced state in the first and second magnetic balance sensors, respectively, after the first and second feedback coils are energized based on the first and second voltage differences, respectively,
• wherein sensing axis directions of the first and second magnetic sensor elements are identical.