Hybrid Magnetic–Inductive Angular Sensor with 360° Range and Stray-Field Immunity

Magnetic and inductive sensors are the dominant technologies in angular position sensing for automotive applications. This paper introduces a new angular sensor: a hybrid concept combining the magnetic Hall and inductive principles. A magnetic Hall transducer provides an accurate angle from 0° to 180°, whereas an inductive transducer provides a coarse angle from 0° to 360°. For this novel concept, a hybrid target with a magnetic and inductive signature is also needed. Using the two principles at the same time enables superior performances, in terms of range, compactness and robustness, that are not possible when used separately. We realized and characterized a prototype. The prototype achieves a 360° range, has a high accuracy and is robust against mechanical misalignments, stray fields and stray metals. The measurement results demonstrate that the two sensing principles are completely independent, thereby opening the doors for hybrid optimum magnetic–inductive designs beyond the usual trade-offs (range vs. resolution, size vs. robustness to misalignment).