Abstract
We present the hardware of a cheap multi-sensor magnetometric setup, where a relatively large set of magnetic field components is measured in several positions by calibrated magnetoresistive detectors. The setup is developed to map the (inhomogeneous) field generated by a known magnetic source, which is measured and then discerned from the background (homogeneous) geomagnetic field. The data output from this hardware can be successfully and reliably used to retrieve the position and orientation of the magnetic source with respect to the sensor frame, together with the orientation of the frame with respect to the environmental field. Possible applications of the setup are briefly discussed, and a synthetic description of the methods of data elaboration and analysis is provided.
Highlights
Magnetic field measurements can be performed with a variety of sensors characterized by very broad ranges in terms of sensitivity, robustness, dynamicity, linearity, reliability, speed, simplicity, and cost
The state-of-art sensors in terms of sensitivity are based on the superconductor quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), which surpass the sensitivity level of 1fT/ Hz
The main drawback of SQUIDs is their need for cryogenics
Summary
Magnetic field measurements can be performed with a variety of sensors characterized by very broad ranges in terms of sensitivity, robustness, dynamicity, linearity, reliability, speed, simplicity, and cost. They are commonly based on spectroscopy in high quality vapor cells illuminated with laser sources, both features that render them expensive and not integrable in solid state devices When these extreme performances are not required, fluxgate technology offers an eligible alternative, on the basis of which different grades of sensors are produced with. Integrated circuits (ICs) containing one or more magnetoresistive elements have recently become very popular, and their cost has decreased by orders of magnitude over the last decade, thanks to large-scale production: nowadays two- or threeaxis devices are widely used as sensors for electronic compasses, such as those contained in smartphones and drones Other applications for these cheap sensors include virtual and augmented realities, navigation, non-destructive evaluation, and various industrial activities [6,8,9]. The requirements in terms of accuracy, precision, robustness and speed of the tracking procedure may change, and different methodologies can be applied
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