3.3.2 - Scalable linear magneto resistive sensor arrays

Abstract

The advancing digitalization of manufacturing (“smart factories”) will create a high demand of sensor solutions. Besides environmental monitoring, position sensing will play a key role in future production processes. The magneto resistive (MR) sensor technology provides cost effective and precise solutions for a variety of applications. Especially in pneumatics, short stroke measurements or end point determination are well covered by MR sensor technology due to its very compact size at highly precise detection. Expanding the target applications to hydraulics, level measurement or potentiometer replacement, magneto resistive sensor arrays have the ability to be used in a wide range of applications. Looking to the automotive world, break-pedal sensors or the determination of the clutch position are good examples for the applicability of scalable MR sensor systems, where they are focused to be a potential replacement for the today widely used inductive based PLCD (permanent magnetic linear contactless displacement) technology. In summary, a basic demand from all of the mentioned applications is modularity and scalability to different sensing lengths, environmental specifics like ferromagnetic pistons and spreading accuracy demands. Here we present a magnetic sensor system solution that is easy scalable for the application.