Hall sensor array for measuring a magnetic field with offset compensation

US6768301B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Hans-Peter Hohe · Heiligenstadt, DE
• Norbert Weber · Pocking, DE
• Josef Sauerer · Herzogenaurach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 12, 2002
• Grant date: Jul 27, 2004
• Expiry date: Nov 24, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R33/07
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A Hall sensor array for offset-compensated magnetic field measurement comprises a first and at least one additional pair of Hall sensor elements. Each Hall sensor element has four terminals, of which two act as power supply terminals for supplying an operating current and two act as measurement terminals for measuring a Hall voltage. Respective first supply terminals of each Hall sensor element are connected together and to a first terminal of a common voltage source and respective second supply terminals of each Hall sensor element are connected together and to a second terminal of the common voltage source so that the common voltage source supplies an operating current for the Hall sensor elements. The Hall sensor elements are operated in the spinning current mode so that the offset voltages of the Hall sensor elements approximately cancel one another out in a revolution so that the Hall signal contributions which actually depend on the magnetic field remain.