• Speed sensors are divided into two classes

• Passive (no power required)

• VR – Variable Reluctance

• Active (requires a power source)

• Hall Effect

• Single (3 wires)

• Dual (4 wires)

• Current Loop (2 wires)

• AMR – Anisotropic Magneto Resistance

• Packaging differentiate product families

• Passive

• Thru-mold

• Adjustable

• Fixed Gap

•Overmold

• Fixed Gap

•Active

• Single Hall Effect

• Adjustable

• Fixed Gap

• Slip Head (obsolete)

• Dual Hall Effect

• Fixed Gap

•AMR

• Fixed Gap
Speed Sensors Product Families

Passive

Active

Thru-mold

Adjustable Gap Thru-mold Fixed Gap Over-mold Fixed Gap

Current Loop

Hall Effect

Single Hall Effect Dual Hall Effect

AMR

Passive Sensors

Also known as:

VR (Variable Reluctance)

Mag Pickup

Pulse Generator

Timing Probe

Crankshaft Position Sensor

General - Passive

• Passive sensors do not require any external electrical power

supply.

• Output signal is an alternating current.

• Wave form is function of the actuator.

• Generally, sinusoidal in nature

• Voltage and frequency are both proportional to surface speed of

the actuator as it passes the sensor’s pole piece.

Product Description - Passive

• Non-contact transducer that converts mechanical

motion into electrical signal

• Actuator must be ferro-magnetic material

• Carbon steel, magnetic stainless steel, or iron

• Commonly used actuators include

• Gears, slotted discs, shafts with keyways

• No moving parts

Shell

Lead

Wires

Molding

Material

Magnet

Pole

Piece

Coil

Principle of Operation - Passive

• Permanent magnetic field applied through coil of wire.

• Figures below illustrate how the magnetic field changes by the

approach and passing of a gear tooth, e.g. flux discontinuity

• Change in the magnetic field produces a voltage across the coil

• Just like on an electric generator

• Voltage and frequency are directly proportional to target speed.

Low Reluctance Position High Reluctance Position

Principle of Operation – Passive (cont.)

• All physical space exhibits a degree of opposition to the passage of

magnetic flux. This is called Reluctance.

• Ferrous materials provide low reluctance path

• Air provides high reluctance path

• In a Variable Reluctance (VR)system, the reluctance of the magnetic flux is

varied.

• The path loops through a coil of wire, which generates a voltage at the

terminals of the coil that is exactly proportional to the rate of change of

magnetic flux.

• Relationship:

dt

Ne φ

e= voltage generated

N= number of turns of wire in the coil

φ= magnetic flux

dt

dφ

= time rate of change of the flux

Principle of Operation – Passive (cont.)

• The flux is provided by a permanent magnet.

• The flux is directed through the coil by a ferrous core called a

pole piece.

• Most targets are spur gears.

• As a tooth of a gear comes in alignment with the pole piece, the

reluctance decreases so the magnetic flux increases.

• There are many factors which affect the voltage level, wave

shape, and frequency:

• Strength of magnet

• Shape of target

• Number of turns of wire in the coil

• Speed of target

• Air gap between pole piece and target

• Permeability of target

• Load impedance

Timing and Position Sensing - Passive

TARGET

X=0

X(-) X(+)

VR

SENSOR

(PASSIVE)

GEAR

TOOTH

X=0

+
-VOLTS

Zero crossing is

in the center of

the tooth!

Active Sensors

Hall Effect

• Single (3-wires)

• Dual (4-wires)

• Current Loop (2-wires)

AMR

General - Active

• Active sensors requirean external electrical power supply.

• Output signal is an alternating voltage.

• Wave form is function of the actuator.

• Square wave output

• Frequency is both proportional to surface speed of the actuator as it passes

the sensor’s tip.

• Zero speed detection

Product Description – Active Hall Effect

• Single Hall Effect sensors have 1 Hall element.

• Dual Hall Effect sensors have 2 Hall elements.

• Each element is spaced to provide two signals that are 90°apart.

• Rotor has to be designed to fit hall cell spacing

• This allow direction detection

• Signal A leads Signal B or vice-versa

• Current Loop

• Draws 4-8 mA in one state

• Draws 12-16 mA in other state

• State depends on direction of rotation of target

• In one direction, draws low currentover tooth & high over valley

• In reverse direction, draws high current over tooth & low over valley

• Allows diagnostics to detect if sensor is connected

Principle of Operation – Active Hall Effect

• A Hall element is semiconductor that outputs a voltage

proportional to magnetic flux density.

• Cat’s Hall effect sensors have a permanent magnet.

• This provides a magnetic flux field.

• A bias voltage is applied across the Hall element.

• Current through the Hall element varies with changes in flux

density

• When a gear tooth passes in front of the sensor, the flux density from the

permanent magnet changes similar to that of a VR sensor.

• This creates a differential voltage across the semiconductor.

• The differential voltage is directlyproportional to the rate of change of

magnetic flux.

• The differential voltage is amplified, filter, and then various peak detection

schemes are used to determine a tooth edge. All of this is done with an

integrated circuit (IC).

Principle of Operation – Active/Hall Effect

Vs+
Vo+ VoVsH

Hall Element

Vo

ZB

HV

Current in silicon sensor

Perpendicular Magnetic Field

Timing and Position Sensing - Active

Vsupply - 1V max

0 - 1V max

SIGNAL A

SIGNAL B

DUTY CYCLE & PHASE

ANGLE DEPENDANT ON

TARGET PROFILE

TARGET

Signal edge

is at the

tooth edge

Current Loop Hall Effect Speed Sensor

•2 –wires
• Fewer wires means better harness reliability

• Diagnostics - ability to detect if the sensor is connected or not

• Detects speed and direction

• Lowest cost speed sensor in our product line

• Requires ECM input circuitry currently available on A4E2

2-Wire Current Loop System

ECM

SENSOR

Ion

OUTPUT

VOLTAGE

SIGNAL

LO

=I

OFF

OFF

HL

=I

OFF

-I

ON

Product Families - Passive

• Thru-mold

• Sensor has an external metal housing.

• During manufacturing, nylon is injected throughthe housing to mold over the magnet and

coil; hence, “thru-mold”.

• High Output

• Lower accuracy

• 5/8-18, ¾-16, M18x1.5 threads

•Low Output

• Higher accuracy

• 5/8-18, ¾-16, M16x1.5threads

• Pigtail

• Fixed gap

• Adjustable w/ jam nut –NOT RECOMMENDED FOR NEW DESIGNS

•Overmold

• Injection molded nylon directly overthe magnet and coil; hence, “overmold”.

• High Gain Output

• Lower accuracy

• Low Gain Output

• Higher accuracy

• Bolt-n-go

Applications - Passive

• Low Gain Output Speed Sensors

• High position accuracy

• Lower output voltage

• Typical applications
• Crank

• Timing applications

• TC, TIS, and intermediate transmission speed sensors

• High Gain Output Speed Sensors

• Less accuracy in position

• Higher output voltage, i.e. lower RPM detection

• Typical applications

•CAM

•TOS

Key Characteristics - Passive

• Output voltage decreases with decrease of RPM

• Output voltage decreases with increase of air gap

2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5

10

air gap

Peak to Peak

50

100

150
set speed

25C

Product Families – Active/Hall Effect

• Single Hall Effect

• One Hall cell

• One output

•3-wires

• Dual Hall Effect

• Two Hall cells

• Quadrature output

• Phase shift indicates direction

• 4-wires (power, return, two signals)

• Current loop dual Hall effect

• One Hall cell

• Requires current source be provided by ECM

• Polarity change indicates direction

•2-wires

Applications - Active

• Used where zero speed or near-zero speed

detection is required.

• Transmission Output Speed

• Traction Control Systems

• Steering

• Speed / Timing

• Perkins compact common rail

• LEC engines

• Century Propulsion Motor

Key Characteristics - Active

• Tooth profile

• Engines – edge accuracy

• Transmissions – duty

cycle

BC

A = 3 MIN TOOTH HEIGHT

B = 2.5 OR 3 MIN TOOTH WIDTH

C =B TOOTH SPACING

D = 6 OR 10 MIN GEAR THICKNESS

ACTUAL VALUES ARE SENSOR AND

APPLICATION DEPENDENT

Active/Hall Effect vs Passive

• Passive

• Speed Range

• Low Output 200 Hz – 45 kHz typ

• High Output 50 Hz – 15 kHz typ

• Application dependent

•Air Gap

• 0.5mm min

• Application dependent
•Seal

• Thru-mold – not sealed

• Overmold – 5 psi

• Direction

• Requires 2 sensors located 90 degrees

electrically apart

• Sensor’s Housing material

• Thru-mold

•Aluminum

• SST

•Overmold

•Nylon

• Active – Hall Effect

• Speed Range

•0 –15 kHz

• Application dependent

•Air Gap

• 0.5mm min.

• Application dependent

• Seal

• 100-150 psi

•Direction

• Dual Hall Effect

•2-wire

• Phase shift is application dependent

• Sensor’s Housing material

•Brass

• SST

•Nylon

Anisotropic Magneto Resistance - AMR

• AMR presents a new opportunity to achieve

higher speed resolution than previously available

at Cat

• Two levels of resolution

• 1x: 96 ppr(pulses per revolution)

• 8x: 768 ppr

• Excellent duty cycle & phase shift accuracy

• Air gap performance >2x hall effect

• Zero speed detection

Anisotropic Magneto Resistance - AMR

• Permalloy thin film technology

• 2-Part Encoder

• Hi/Lo Resolution Sensor

• Magnetic Ring

AMR Functional Description

• AMR (Anisotropic Magneto Resistance) occurs in thin, ferrous films.

• Preferred axis of magnetization is in the long direction.

• External field (Hy) applied perpendicular to the long axis causes the

magnetization vector (M) to rotate through the angle (θ).

• Resistance of the strip of material changes with the angle of the

magnetic field.

Hy

Ix

ΔR = (1 - COS2

θ)ΔRmax

AMR measures

magnetic angle

Ring Magnet

• Acts similar to teeth on a rotor

VALLEY

TOOTH

Rotor

NSN

NSS

Cross Sections

Ring magnet

emulates

traditional rotor

AMR Ring Magnet Encoder Design

• Cat’s hall effect sensors contain a magnet to back bias the hall cell

• Ferrous rotor passes in front of sensor interrupting the magnetic field

• AMR senses a magnetic ring

• Magnetic poles rotate in front of the sensor

Magnetic poles

emulate rotor’s teeth

DHP w/ Rotor DHP Rotor vs AMR Ring AMR w/ Magnetic Ring

AMR Advantage

• With hall effect, you get one pulse

for each tooth/valley or pole pair.

• AMR outputs 2 Pulses for every

pole pair

• Due to cosine square function of

angle to sensor

• Allows bigger magnetic poles for

same resolution of ppr

• Bigger magnets means stronger

magnets

• Increases air gap performance

ΔR = (1 - COS2

θ)ΔRmax

Sensor

Magnet Rotation

0123456

Flux Density resistance

Wider air gap

performance than

hall effect