SENSORS AND INSTRUMENTATION

ASSIGNMENT-3
R REDDAPPA REDDY
EC21B1114
Batch-2

Conversion phenomenon: HALL EFFECT

The Hall effect is a phenomenon in which a voltage difference is generated transversely to
an electric current in a conductor placed in a magnetic field perpendicular to the current
flow. The voltage difference is proportional to the magnetic field strength and the current,
and its sign depends on the direction of both. The Hall effect has various practical
applications, such as in magnetic field sensing, current sensing, and in determining the type
(n-type or p-type) of semiconductors.
Physical Quantity: Magnetic Field Strength
The magnetic field strength is a physical quantity that is used to describe the strength of a
magnetic field in a particular location. The unit of magnetic field strength is Tesla (T) or
Gauss (G).
Sensors available to measure magnetic field strength:
Hall effect sensors: These are devices that use the Hall effect phenomenon to measure
magnetic fields. They are widely used in various applications, including speed sensing,
position sensing, current sensing, and magnetic field sensing.
Magnetoresistive sensors: These are sensors that use the change in electrical resistance of
a material in a magnetic field to measure magnetic field strength. They are widely used in
various applications, including current sensing, magnetic field sensing, and in hard disk
drives.
Anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) sensors: These are a type of magnetoresistive sensor
that use the change in resistance of a magnetic material in a magnetic field to measure
magnetic field strength.
Fluxgate sensors: These are sensors that use the principles of electromagnetic induction to
measure magnetic field strength. They are widely used in various applications, including
navigation, magnetometry, and geophysical exploration.
Superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs): These are the most sensitive
type of magnetic field sensors, capable of detecting extremely weak magnetic fields. They
are widely used in various applications, including medical imaging, geophysics, and
fundamental physics research.
Key parameters that describe the performance of a sensors:
Span: The span of a sensor is the range of the physical quantity that it can measure.
Resolution: Resolution refers to the smallest change in the physical quantity that the sensor
can detect. It is usually expressed in units of the physical quantity per digital count.
Accuracy: Accuracy refers to the deviation of the sensor's measurement from the actual
value of the physical quantity. It is usually expressed as a percentage of the full-scale range
of the sensor.
Linearity: Linearity refers to the deviation of the sensor's output from a straight line. A
sensor with high linearity will produce an output that is proportional to the physical
quantity over its entire range of operation.
Sensitivity: Sensitivity refers to the proportionality constant between the physical quantity
and the output of the sensor. It is usually expressed in units of output per unit of the
physical quantity. A sensor with high sensitivity will produce a large output for a given
change in the physical quantity.
Hall Effect Sensors:
Span: ±5mT to ±50mT
Resolution: 0.5mT
Accuracy: ±1%
Linearity: ±1%
Sensitivity: 1.8mV/mT
Magnetoresistive Sensors:
Span: ±100mT to ±1000mT
Resolution: 2mT
Accuracy: ±0.5%
Linearity: ±0.1%
Sensitivity: 0.9mV/mT
Anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) sensors:
Span: micro to milli tesla
Resolution: 2mT
Accuracy: 10%-20% of original scale
Linearity: 10%-20% of original scale
Sensitivity: approx microV/T to mV/T
Superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs):
Span: micro to milli tesla
Resolution: 2mT
Accuracy: 5% of original scale
Linearity: 5% of original scale
Sensitivity: approx microV/T to mV/T

Fluxgate Sensors:
Span: ±200mT to ±5000mT
Resolution: 5mT
Accuracy: ±0.2%
Linearity: ±0.05%
Sensitivity: 0.6mV/mT

A sensor available in the market that can measure the highest value of magnetic field
strength is the Fluxgate sensor with a span of ±5000mT. The least value of magnetic field
strength that can be measured by Hall effect sensors and SQUIDs.