METHOD FOR OPERATING A ROTATION SENSOR AND CORRESPONDING ROTATION SENSOR

摘要

The invention relates to a method for operating a rotation sensor, comprising at least one magnetoresistive sensor element having a reference layer and a sensitive layer, which are designed in such way that the magnetization in the layer can be oriented only in the longitudinal direction. The sensor element is formed in a plane in the manner of a spiral having at least one complete turn, wherein the turns are concentric. In a turn, the sensor element is bent into various segments. Adjacent segments include an angle with each other. A domain wall generator connected to the sensitive layer in a first segment is formed of a ferromagnetic material having a thickness that enables free orientation of the magnetization. The sensor has a magnet, which can be rotated in order to change the magnetization in the sensitive layer of at least one of the segments. Pairs of adjacent segments are designed as groups having two outer electrical connections and a common central electrical connection. An outer electrical connection of the group is at ground and the other outer electrical connection is at a second potential having a defined potential difference with respect to the ground. For a group, a group voltage between the common central electrical connection and the ground is measured. The group voltages of all groups are recorded in order to analyze the state of the sensor.