Polarity insensitive hall effect sensor

摘要

Non-contact positions sensors are desirable because they have lower failure rates than traditional potentiometers. However, using a Hall Effect sensor as a non-contact position sensor requires a particular input polarity. In an embodiment, a polarity insensitive Hall Effect sensor includes conversion sensors configured to produce outputs responsive to an input. The sensor also includes a semiconductor rectifier arranged to power a first conversion sensor and a second conversion sensor with a given polarity regardless of whether the input has a positive or negative polarity. The sensor also includes a semiconductor multiplexer circuit arranged to direct the first output to a common output port if the input has a positive polarity and direct the second output to the common output port if the input has a negative polarity. The polarity insensitive Hall Effect sensor provides an output representing a position without requiring a input polarity.

主权项

1. A linear or rotation sensor, comprising:
a first conversion sensor configured to produce a first output responsive to a given input; a second conversion sensor configured to produce a second output responsive to the given input, a sum of the first output and second outputs being constant regardless of whether the given input has a positive or negative polarity; a semiconductor rectifier arranged to power the first conversion sensor and the second conversion sensor with a given polarity regardless of whether the given input has a positive or negative polarity; and a semiconductor multiplexer circuit arranged to direct the first output to a common output port if the given input has a positive polarity and direct the second output to the common output port if the given input has a negative polarity.