Hall sensors and sensing methods

摘要

Embodiments relate to multi-terminal sensor devices and operating methods thereof that can reduce or eliminate offset error. In embodiments, sensor devices can comprise three or fewer terminals, and multiple such sensor devices can be combined. The sensor devices can comprise Hall sensor devices, such as vertical Hall devices, or other sensor devices in embodiments. Operating modes can be implemented for the multi-terminal sensor devices which offer improvements over conventional spinning current techniques, including reduced residual offset.

主权项

1. A magnetic field sensor comprising:
a Hall region comprising no more than three terminals; and circuitry configured to selectively couple at least two of the no more than three terminals as supply terminals and two of the no more than three terminals as signal terminals in each of three operating phases, such that each of the no more than three terminals is coupled as a supply terminal in the same number of operating phases as the others of the no more than three terminals, and each of the no more than three terminals is coupled as a signal terminal in the same number of operating phases as the others of the no more than three terminals.