A new method of fluxgate signal extraction

Abstract

Using dedicated high-frequency measuring system the distribution of the Barkhausen jumps intensity along a reversal magnetization cycle was investigated for low noise fluxgate sensors of various core shapes. It is shown that Barkhausen (reversal magnetization) noise intensity is strongly inhomogeneous during an excitation cycle. In the traditional second harmonic fluxgate magnetometers the signals are extracted in the frequency domain, as a result, some average value of reversal magnetization noises is contributed to the output signals. In order to fit better the noise shape and minimize its transfer to the magnetometer output the new approach for demodulating signals of these sensors is proposed. The new demodulating method is based on information extraction in the time domain taking into account the statistical properties of cyclic reversal magnetization noises. This approach yields considerable reduction of the fluxgate magnetometer noise in comparison with demodulation of the signal filtered at the second harmonic of the excitation frequency.