F/SOP/FYDP 02/01/00

Department of Electronic Engineering

EL-401 Final Year Design Project
Proposal for the Final Year Design Project

Fluxgate Magnetometer
Title

Domain Domain 1 Domain 2 Domain 3 Domain 4 Domain 5 Domain 6

Electrical Instrumentatio Space and Earth and Physics and Earth and
engineering n and technology environmental Geophysics environmental
measurement science science

1. Nature of Project [Tick all that applicable]

✘ New Project OR Extension of Existing Project ✘ Industrial Collaboration ✘ Funded

Other Academic Institution

Other Department Collaboration Collaboration
(If yes) Department Name________________ (If yes) Institution Name_______________

2. Brief Outline (Problem Identification and Significance)

In a rapidly advancing technological landscape, Pakistan seeks to reduce its dependence on costly
imported scientific instruments, such as the Fluxgate Magnetometer. This tool is essential for
precise magnetic field measurements and finds applications in research and space exploration.
Moreover, Earth's magnetic field serves as a silent guardian, enveloping our planet and playing a
pivotal role in safeguarding life as we know it. This invisible shield, generated by the planet's
molten iron core, extends far into space, creating a protective cocoon around Earth. It is vital to
monitor any changes in the magnetic field for shielding against space blasts and protection from
solar flares. This project aims to design and construct an indigenous Fluxgate Magnetometer,
addressing economic challenges, fostering innovation, and strengthening collaborations with
institutions like the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO).
Our endeavor represents a crucial step toward achieving self-sufficiency, fostering technological
growth, and attaining scientific excellence in Pakistan.

Problem Statement: The issue at hand is the heavy dependence on imported sensors and equipment
for various applications in Pakistan, which not only escalates costs but also impedes the growth of
local industries and technological innovation. These imported scientific instruments impose a
financial burden on the national economy. Furthermore, the absence of indigenous magnetometer
production hinders the efficient development of infrastructure in the country. Additionally, there is
a critical need for magnetometers in various scientific endeavors, including those undertaken by
organizations like SUPARCO. Space weather monitoring, satellite missions, and other research
projects necessitate reliable and precise magnetometers. Relying solely on foreign imports for
these instruments hampers Pakistan's ability to carry out these vital projects effectively and
efficiently. Monitoring Earth's magnetic field holds profound significance for Pakistan,
particularly in terms of safeguarding against the impact of space weather disturbances like solar
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flares. By developing a local one-axis Fluxgate Magnetometer as part of our project, Pakistan
gains a critical tool to fortify its resilience. The magnetometer's ability to detect and track
magnetic field variations directly contributes to early warning systems for solar flares, offering
crucial time for response and mitigation. This capability is invaluable for safeguarding Pakistan's
power grids, communication networks, and navigation infrastructure from potential disruptions
caused by space weather events. Furthermore, it empowers Pakistan to actively participate in
global efforts to monitor and mitigate space weather effects, bolstering the nation's technological
self-sufficiency and enhancing its preparedness in an increasingly space-dependent world. In
summary, the problem addressed by this project is the high cost and reliance on foreign imports of
fluxgate magnetometers, which inhibits economic growth and technological advancement while
also hindering critical scientific research and magnetic field monitoring efforts in Pakistan.

Resolving the Problems and Our Solution: The development of an indigenous Fluxgate
Magnetometer holds the key to resolving the challenges outlined in the problem statement. Our
project's comprehensive methodology addresses these challenges in several ways.

Outline of Our Solution: Our proposed solution involves the development of a one-axis Fluxgate
Magnetometer. This innovative instrument will be designed and constructed locally, reducing
import dependency and fostering technological self-sufficiency. The key features of this Fluxgate
Magnetometer include:
Precise Measurement of Earth's Magnetic Field: Our Fluxgate Magnetometer will have
exceptional sensitivity and accuracy, allowing it to precisely measure changes in Earth's magnetic
field. This capability is essential for various scientific applications, including geophysics and
space weather monitoring.
Advantages of Our Solution:
Our project offers a range of significant advantages that address the challenges outlined in the
problem statement and contribute to the advancement of Pakistan's technological capabilities:
1. Reducing Import Dependency: By locally designing and constructing a Fluxgate
Magnetometer, we aim to diminish Pakistan's reliance on costly imported instruments. This
approach results in substantial cost savings and fosters economic sustainability, alleviating
the financial burden on the national economy, as previously mentioned.
2. Promoting Technological Innovation: Our project emphasizes the integration of
advanced features such as signal processing, display, and actuation. This commitment to
technological innovation positions Pakistan as a global competitor in both scientific and
industrial domains. Moreover, it fosters the growth of local industries, strengthening our
technological prowess.
3. Magnetic Field Monitoring: Earth's magnetic field, a natural shield generated by our
planet's core, is a vital protector against space radiation and charged particles, deflecting
and channeling potential threats away from Earth, safeguarding astronauts, spacecraft, and
technological infrastructure. Monitoring the magnetic field is essential for early detection
of solar flares, which can disrupt power grids, communication systems, and navigation
equipment. This monitoring enhances our preparedness and resilience to space weather
disturbances. Moreover, the dynamic magnetic field provides insights into Earth's internal
dynamics, geophysical processes, and climate patterns, supporting scientific research and
the development of advanced navigation systems like GPS. In an increasingly space-
dependent world, Earth's magnetic field plays a pivotal role in preserving our way of life
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and understanding our planet's intricacies.
4. Collaboration with SUPARCO: Our partnership with the Pakistan Space and Upper
Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) underscores our commitment to
advancing scientific and technological excellence in Pakistan. This collaboration enhances
SUPARCO's capabilities in space weather monitoring and satellite missions, aligning with
the national goal of achieving technological self-sufficiency and self-reliance in space-
related endeavors.
In conclusion, our project's solution entails the development of a one-axis Fluxgate
Magnetometer equipped with key features such as the precise measurement of Earth's magnetic
field. This comprehensive solution not only addresses import dependency and fosters
technological innovation but also supports scientific research and strengthens collaborative efforts
with organizations like SUPARCO. Together, these advancements contribute significantly to the
enhancement of Pakistan's technological capabilities and scientific standing.

3. Objectives
Our project aims to conceive, construct, and deploy an advanced fluxgate magnetometer of
exceptional precision and functionality. At its core, this venture revolves around the creation of a
one-axis fluxgate magnetometer, applying electromagnetic physics principles. This innovative
design involves driving a magnetic core with symmetrical AC current around 0V, ensuring core
saturation for precise magnetic field detection. When exposed to external magnetic fields, the
outer coil undergoes current changes, generating a DC offset proportional to field strength.
Leveraging sophisticated phase demodulation circuitry, we extract the magnetic field signal,
affording us the ability to discern both its magnitude and direction. Our project encompasses the
development of critical components, including timing circuitry, current amplifiers for core
excitation, comparator circuit for phase demodulation, op-amp filtering, and amplification for
signal processing, and even incorporates ammeter functionality.

4. Scope
The project's scope encompasses the design and development of a Fluxgate Magnetometer,
specifically a one-axis fluxgate magnetometer, demonstrating proper functionality with toroidal
drive, sense coil signal extraction utilizing phase demodulation, signal display through MATLAB,
and signal actuation. A highly precise magnetic field sensor capable of measuring earth's magnetic
fields and resolving external magnetic field strengths less than 0.01% of that range. This
instrument is inspired by the core technology invented in 1936, initially for submarine detection
and later used in scientific endeavors, such as proving the theory of plate tectonics.

Primary Project Goals:

This project is driven by the following primary goals:

1. Design and construct a one-axis Fluxgate Magnetometer prototype that demonstrates the
innovative use of toroidal drive technology to manipulate magnetic fields.
2. Implement signal processing techniques, including phase demodulation, to ensure accurate
measurement and interpretation of magnetic field data.
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3. Incorporate ammeter functionality with a display, providing real-time feedback on magnetic
field measurements.

Project Innovation:

The project aims to leverage the elegance of fluxgate magnetometer technology and manipulate
physical concepts to create a practical and precise sensor. The design incorporates toroidal drive,
advanced signal processing, and ammeter functionality, contributing to the ongoing evolution of
fluxgate magnetometers for diverse applications.

Project Significance:

The Fluxgate Magnetometer, known for its affordability, ruggedness, and compact design, has a
rich history of applications in both industry and academia. These applications include:
● Observing small changes in the Earth's magnetic field for solar flare warning and
protection from space blasts.
● Detecting solar phenomena on Earth.
● Advancing space exploration through technology, as exemplified by NASA's CubeSat
units employing fluxgate magnetometers for magnetic field measurement and noise
reduction.

Project Boundaries:

The project primarily focuses on hardware development, with a particular emphasis on:
1. Implementing toroidal drive technology for magnetic field manipulation.
2. Signal processing, featuring phase demodulation, to ensure accurate data capture.
3. Integration of an ammeter with a display for real-time magnetic field measurements.

Project Deliverables:

The project will deliver:

1. A fully functional Fluxgate Magnetometer prototype showcasing toroidal drive
technology, signal processing with phase demodulation, and ammeter functionality with a
display.
2. Comprehensive technical documentation outlining the design, construction, and
functionality of the prototype, enabling future replication and integration.

Project Risks:

There are several risks associated with our project:

● Implementation of phase demodulation may be challenging, as it is can be extensive, and
phase-sensitive detection and demodulation can be inherently complex.
● Achieving multiple axes implementation, which is a future goal, may pose difficulties due
to potential crosstalk generation.
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Project Constraints:

The project operates within resource and technical constraints:

● Resource limitations may include considerations of power consumption, size, and weight
for efficient operation.
Technical challenges may involve achieving high sensitivity while addressing interference,
environmental noise, and calibration requirements.

5. Proposed Methodology
Project Overview:
A fluxgate magnetometer is a highly precise magnetic field sensor. Its typical sensitivity range is
fit for measuring earth's magnetic fields, but it is also capable of resolving external magnetic field
strengths less than .01% of that range. The fluxgate elegantly manipulates a physical concept to
create an extremely practical and precise sensor. Our team has decided to design and construct a
fluxgate magnetometer that demonstrates toroidal drive, signal processing, and display of the
signal with actuation and through MATLAB, observe Figure 1.

Figure 1. Fluxgate Magnetometer High Level Block Diagram

1. Toroid and Coil Construction:

The system employs a toroidal core for magnetic control due to its cancellation properties. A sense
coil with 500 turns detects external fields. The drive coil saturates the core using a high-frequency
square wave signal. Saturation reduces the core's inductance to zero, enabling precise field
detection at 1.5 kHz. The drive coil's turn count is optimized experimentally, aiming for fewer
turns to reduce current requirements. The metallic glass core with a high permeability of 20,000 is
chosen for efficient saturation, requiring only around 50 mA of AC current, in contrast to lower-
permeability ferrite cores. This design ensures effective magnetic field control and detection, as
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visualized in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Sense and Drive Coil Depiction.

2. Timing and Excitation Circuitry:

To make the system operational, the core must saturate in both positive and negative directions.
This is achieved using a periodic square wave controlled by a 555 astable oscillator. The oscillator
generates a saw tooth curve with adjustable frequency (1 KHz to 10 KHz) and duty cycle (50%).
A comparator (LM311) is employed to convert the curve into a square wave, allowing precise duty
cycle adjustment via Vref as shown in Figure 3. Ensuring a zero average voltage across the coils
maintains a zero average magnetic field, preventing output signal offset. The square wave is then
further processed to achieve full saturation, with additional components to prevent undesirable
current flow.

Figure 3. 555(Oscillator) a3nd LM311(Comparator) Circuitry

3. Signal Extraction with Phase Demodulation:

To extract meaningful data from the magnetometer, we first saturate the toroidal core at frequency
'f,' causing the sensed external magnetic field to appear at twice this frequency. Since this field
signal is not symmetrical and carries a DC offset proportional to the magnetic field's strength, we
filter it through a band pass filter, isolating the desired frequency range of 5 KHz to 20 KHz. This
effectively eliminates unwanted noise, such as 60 Hz power line interference and MHz-range radio
frequency noise.
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The filtered signal then enters the phase demodulation stage, which extracts only those signals that
align with the drive frequency. We achieve this by comparing the signal with a reference sine
wave at 2f, adjusting for any phase shift due to sense coil pickup delays. This process eliminates
odd harmonics and other non-phase-aligned noise, providing clear voltage signals proportional to
the external magnetic field's strength.

Next, the phase-demodulated output goes through an integrator to derive the DC average,
representing magnetic field strength with directional information. Depending on the expected
sense coil signals, we might substitute the integrator with a rectification block to process positive
and negative signal half-cycles. The differential DC outputs are then amplified to produce the final
output signal.

4. Signal Display and Actuation:

To validate the sensor's functionality, we compare its data to confirmed reference data, such as
real-time Earth's magnetic field information. This enables us to scale and convert recorded voltage
readings into magnetic field values. The extracted magnetic field signal can be visualized on an
oscilloscope and recorded for analysis in MATLAB.

Additionally, we have a practical demonstration to showcase the magnetometer's accuracy and

applications. By designing circuitry to eliminate the Earth's magnetic field offset, we can precisely
measure the orientation of a distant magnet. Using known maximum magnitude values, we
determine the magnet's direction and translate it into an analog signal. This analog signal can then
be transformed into a variable duty cycle PWM signal to control a servo, aligning it with the
magnet's orientation. This concept could potentially be extended to three dimensions for broader
applications.

5. Active Current Feedback:

To enhance the precision of a fluxgate magnetometer, active current feedback can be utilized,
specifically in the "null field" mode. Here, the sense coil is driven to counteract and eliminate the
external magnetic field. The measure of the field's strength is determined by the amount of
feedback required to nullify the external field. The voltage output from the phase modulation stage
is directed into an integrator, progressively generating a DC magnetic field until it cancels out the
external field. When equilibrium is reached, the integrator's input becomes 0, and its output
reflects the DC voltage proportional to the magnetic field's strength. After amplification, this
signal can be processed by an ADC, resulting in a low-noise, highly precise magnetic field sensor.

6. Testing and Verification:

We will subject each component to individual testing, providing appropriate inputs or simulated
inputs to align with our desired parameters. We will then evaluate the output signals to ensure they
align with our expected outcomes. This step-by-step verification process will involve assessing the
functionality of each block and group of blocks independently before integrating them into the
final device.

Since fluxgate magnetometers inherently possess the sensitivity to detect Earth's magnetic field,
we will assess our final device's performance by comparing its real-time data, acquired through
MATLAB, with publicly available data from online magnetometers. This comparison will serve as
validation, demonstrating that our sensor's real-time trends closely mirror those observed in online
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magnetometer data, thereby confirming the effectiveness of our final design.

7. Risk Assessment and Contingency:

Identifying potential challenges and risks is a crucial part of our project strategy. We will
proactively analyze various scenarios that could pose obstacles to our progress. To ensure that our
project stays on track and meets its objectives, we will develop contingency plans tailored to
address each identified risk. These plans will outline specific steps and strategies to mitigate issues
and maintain project momentum, ultimately contributing to successful project execution.
Documentation and Reporting:

In this phase, our approach is to maintain meticulous documentation throughout the project. We
will keep detailed records covering the design, construction, and testing procedures of each project
component. This thorough documentation not only ensures transparency but also provides a
valuable resource for replicating our work. As a culmination of our efforts, we will prepare a
comprehensive final project report that encapsulates every aspect of the project, from design
specifics to construction details and testing methodologies.
Conclusion:
In closing, our project aims to address Pakistan's dependence on costly imported fluxgate
magnetometers, offering a locally designed and constructed solution. By creating an innovative
one-axis Fluxgate Magnetometer with advanced features, we seek to reduce import costs, foster
technological self-sufficiency, and strengthen collaborations with organizations like SUPARCO.

Our objectives include the development of a high-precision magnetometer, driven by a dedicated

team, and adhering to a defined timeline. We acknowledge potential risks and constraints but are
committed to proactive problem-solving and thorough documentation.

In summary, our project aligns with Pakistan's technological growth and scientific excellence
aspirations, offering a cost-effective, locally produced magnetometer with extensive applications.

Thank you for considering our proposal, and we anticipate contributing to Pakistan's scientific and
technological advancement.

6. Resources Involved
The successful execution of our Fluxgate Magnetometer project relies on a range of critical
resources, including specialized materials and components such as magnetic core materials,
copper wire, precision resistors, capacitors, operational amplifiers, LM311 comparators, and 555
timer ICs, along with power supply units. These materials are essential for constructing the
magnetometer's analog circuitry. Additionally, access to well-equipped laboratory facilities is
paramount, providing the necessary tools and equipment for coil winding, soldering, and
comprehensive testing. Access to advanced electronic testing equipment like oscilloscopes and
signal generators is crucial for precise experimentation and validation. For schematic design and
circuit development, we will utilize specialized software tools. Furthermore, software resources
such as MATLAB will be indispensable for analyzing, visualizing, and interpreting magnetic field
data. In collaboration with the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
(SUPARCO), we will leverage their existing circuitry expertise and resources to enhance the
project's capabilities, fostering technological synergy.
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7. Description of Industrial Support (If any)
Our project benefits significantly from a collaborative partnership with the Pakistan Space and
Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), specifically with their esteemed Space
weather monitoring team. This collaboration not only enhances the scientific and technological
aspects of our Fluxgate Magnetometer project but also provides invaluable industrial support.
Through our association with SUPARCO, we have the unique opportunity to gain insights into
real-world applications and cutting-edge advancements in space weather monitoring. Additionally,
we anticipate conducting industrial visits to SUPARCO's facilities, affording our project team the
privilege of observing state-of-the-art equipment and methodologies in action. These visits serve
as a bridge between academic knowledge and practical industrial applications, enriching our
project experience and reinforcing our commitment to fostering technological growth in Pakistan.
Furthermore, SUPARCO's generous funding and support significantly contribute to the realization
of our project's objectives, ensuring its successful execution and our ability to deliver a high-
precision Fluxgate Magnetometer that benefits both scientific research and industry.

8. SDGs (If Applicable)

No Poverty Zero Hunger
Good Health and Well-Being ✘ Quality Education
Gender Equality Clean water and Sanitation
Affordable and Clean Energy ✘ Decent Work and Economic growth
✘ Industry, Innovations and Infrastructure Reduced Inequalities
Sustainable Cities and Communities Responsible Consumption and Production
✘ Climate action Life Below Water
Life on Land Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Partnerships
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9. Gantt Chart
Year 2023 to 2024

Months SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG
Research and
Literature
Review
Calculation and
Schematic
Design
Component
Design and
Selection

PCB Design

Phase
Demodulation
(Circuit design
and testing)
Timing And
Toroidal Drive
(Circuit design
and testing)
Sense Signal
Extraction
(Circuit design
and testing)
Toroid and
Sense coil
construction
(Circuit design
and testing)
Integrate final
versions of
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subsystems
Testing and
Verification

Documentation
and Reporting

Final Report
and
Presentation

10. Details of Project Team

i. Students
No. Name Seat No. Signature (s)
1 Alina Zafar EL-20046
Iman Naseem EL-20045
2
Samreen Hashmi EL-20058
3
Unaiza Waseem EL-20047
4

ii. Supervisors / Advisors

Name Designation & Address & Signature(s)
Department Contact
Supervisor
Taha Amjad RA, NCAI
Co-Supervisor
(If any)

Industrial Advisor
(If any)

For Office Use Only

Project Serial No.: __________

Dated: ______________ Signature Signature

Convener Steering Committee FYP Coordinator
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Proposal Approved Not Approved Returned for Clarification / Modification

Comments:
(if any)

(Signature of Chairperson)
Date: