Contactless magnetic position sensors are used in countless industrial and automotive applications. However, as a consequence of the electrification trend the sensors can be exposed to parasitic magnetic stray fields, and their desired robustness may be compromised. In this paper we publish for the first time how this challenge is addressed and constructively solved using a complete paradigm change leaving conventional magnetic field measurement behind and entering into the realm of magnetic field gradient measurement. Our novel sensor system consists of an integrated Hall sensor realized in 0.18 μm CMOS technology with magnetic concentrators and a four-pole permanent magnet. The intrinsic angular accuracy was assessed comparing the rotary position of the permanent magnet with the sensor output showing angle errors below 0.3°. Additional end-of-line calibration can be applied using built-in memory and processing capability to further increase the accuracy. Finally, we demonstrate the immunity against stray fields of 4000 A/m which led to errors below 0.1°, corresponding to 0.06% of the sensors fullscale angular range. In conclusion, this novel sensor system offers a compact and flexible solution for stray-field immune rotary position measurement in harsh environment.

We present a new Hall sensor design for the accurate and robust measurement of linear displacement. Implemented in CMOS, the sensor is based on a novel gradient measurement concept combining Hall elements with integrated magnetic concentrators. In typical applications with practical Ferrite magnets, the peak output voltage of the Hall transducers is only around 1.7 mV at the maximum operating temperature of 160℃, and thus requires high-performance low-offset readout electronics. Over its 15-mm linear displacement range, the sensor's total error is 1% including manufacturing tolerances, trimming accuracy, temperature, aging effects, and practical magnet constraints. In addition, the sensor is immune to magnetic stray fields up to 5 mT, complying with the most stringent automotive norm.

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