A 3-Axis Miniature Magnetic Sensor Based on a Planar Fluxgate Magnetometer with an Orthogonal Fluxguide
<p>(<b>a</b>) Conceptual schematic of the planar fluxgate structure with an orthogonal fluxguide; (<b>b</b>) the PCB-based tri-axis fluxgate magnetometer. Note that all pick-up coils are implemented on the back side of the PCB.</p> "> Figure 2
<p>Flux line diagrams illustrate the sensing principle of the planar fluxgate only with a cruciform core and the cross-section is along the longitudinal core: (<b>a</b>) in X-axis sensing direction; (<b>b</b>) in Z-axis sensing direction.</p> "> Figure 3
<p>Flux line diagrams illustrate the sensing principle of the planar fluxgate with a cruciform core and an orthogonal fluxguide, and the cross-section is along the longitudinal core: (<b>a</b>) in X-axis sensing direction; (<b>b</b>) in Z-axis sensing direction.</p> "> Figure 4
<p>The theoretical magnetic flux density along the magnetic core <span class="html-italic">vs.</span> the distance from the core junction with respect to various wire width.</p> "> Figure 5
<p>The theoretical magnetic flux density along the longitudinal core <span class="html-italic">vs.</span> the distance from the core junction with respect to various core width.</p> "> Figure 6
<p>A 3-D model of a planar excitation coils and its simulated result with a 2-mm cruciform ferromagnetic core under the excitation current of 5 A.</p> "> Figure 7
<p>A 3-D modeling and simulation result of a tri-axis planar device with a 2-mm cruciform ferromagnetic core and a fluxguide (<b>left</b>); The variation of magnetic flux density along the core is also available and the magnetic fields in Z-axis is 40 A/m (<b>right</b>).</p> "> Figure 8
<p>A schematic diagram of the fluxgate magnetometer setup for characterization measurement.</p> "> Figure 9
<p>In-plane sensor responsivity (e.g., X-axis) <span class="html-italic">vs.</span> the excitation current at 25 kHz and 50 kHz, respectively.</p> "> Figure 10
<p>The orthogonal sensor responsivity (<span class="html-italic">i.e.</span>, Z-axis) <span class="html-italic">vs.</span> the excitation current at 25 kHz and 50 kHz excitation frequencies, respectively.</p> "> Figure 11
<p>Field noise spectra of the magnetometer with 2-mm core width under different excitation frequencies in X- and Z-axis: (<b>a</b>) at 25 kHz; (<b>b</b>) at 50 kHz.</p> "> Figure 12
<p>Comparison of the maximum field noise spectral density results under different excitation frequencies in X- and Z-axis.</p> "> Figure 13
<p>The frequency response result of the fluxgate with regard to the external field frequency.</p> "> Figure 14
<p>The V-B diagram close to zero magnetism at different excitation frequencies in X-axis.</p> "> Figure 15
<p>The geomagnetic measurement results of the planar fluxgate magnetometer as an electric compass under a excitation frequency of 25 kHz.</p> "> Figure 16
<p>The error distribution of geomagnetic measurement for the in-plane axes with respect to the azimuth angle.</p> ">
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Design of the Fluxgate Magnetometer
2.1. Tri-Axis Fluxgate Sensor with an Orthogonal Fluxguide
2.2. Design and Analytic Simulation of the Fluxgate Magnetometer
Condition | Under a X-Axis Field (50 G) | Under a Y-Axis Field (50 G) | Under a Z-Axis Field (50 G) | Non-Orthogonality (%) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Measurement | ||||||
Pick-Up Voltage Vx (X-axis sensing mode) | 2.21 (V) | 5.6 (mV) | 16.8 (mV) | 0.25 (X-Y plane) | 0.76 (X-Z plane) | |
Pick-Up Voltage Vz (Z-axis sensing mode) | 16.4 (mV) | 16.1 (mV) | 204 (mV) | 8.04 (X-Z plane) | 7.89 (Y-Z plane) |
2.3. Simulation and Analysis for Excitation Coils and Core Magnetization
3. Device Characteristic Results
3.1. Responsivity Measurement of the Fluxgate
3.2. Orthogonality Analysis of the Axes
3.3. Noise Measurement and Frequency Response
3.4. Linearity Characterization and Geomagnetic Fields Detection
4. Concluding Remarks
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Lu, C.-C.; Huang, J. A 3-Axis Miniature Magnetic Sensor Based on a Planar Fluxgate Magnetometer with an Orthogonal Fluxguide. Sensors 2015, 15, 14727-14744. https://doi.org/10.3390/s150614727
Lu C-C, Huang J. A 3-Axis Miniature Magnetic Sensor Based on a Planar Fluxgate Magnetometer with an Orthogonal Fluxguide. Sensors. 2015; 15(6):14727-14744. https://doi.org/10.3390/s150614727
Chicago/Turabian StyleLu, Chih-Cheng, and Jeff Huang. 2015. "A 3-Axis Miniature Magnetic Sensor Based on a Planar Fluxgate Magnetometer with an Orthogonal Fluxguide" Sensors 15, no. 6: 14727-14744. https://doi.org/10.3390/s150614727