Patent · US Expired

Pulse driver for flux gate magnetometer

US4447776A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
13References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 24, 1981
Grant dateMay 8, 1984
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 24, 2001

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R33/04
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A driver circuit for a fluxgate magnetometer has a repetition rate controble independent of the magnetometer core winding inductances, and a current-ON interval terminated only by core saturation. In this manner, power consumption is greatly reduced as compared to prior magnetometers without sacrificing low-noise operation. Previous drivers operated in a free-running flyback mode at high pulse repetition rates. The present driver reduces the oscillator repetition rate, and power consumption, by the use of a control loop from the flyback oscillator which signals the end of a current pulse as the magnetometer core rebounds from the saturated state.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.