Abstract: A device includes at least one layer stack including a ferromagnetic layer, at least one magnetic reference layer, and a layer arranged therebetween having a magnetic tunnel junction. The at least one magnetic reference layer has a fixed first magnetization direction, and the ferromagnetic layer has a variable second magnetization direction that is variable relative to the first magnetization direction based on a spin orbit torque effect. The device further includes a spin orbit torque conductor arranged on a first side of the layer stack adjacent to the ferromagnetic layer, and a control unit configured to provide the spin orbit torque conductor with a time-variant input signal with temporally varying polarity and at the same time to determine a conductance of the tunnel junction dependent on the time-variant input signal and, based on the conductance, to detect a magnetic field acting on the device externally.

Abstract: The innovative concept described herein relates to a sensor chip having at least two magnetic field sensors that are arranged adjacently to one another on the sensor chip and measure perpendicularly to the chip plane, wherein at least one of the magnetic field sensors has a planar coil arranged on it that is configured to generate a magnetic field directed perpendicularly to the chip plane. A controller is able to operate the magnetic field sensors in a calibration mode, in which the planar coil generates the magnetic field. For the purpose of calibrating the magnetic field sensors, a differential measurement may be taken that involves the response signal from one magnetic field sensor being subtracted from the response signal from the other magnetic field sensor.

Abstract: The described techniques are directed to inductive torque sensors that implement independent target coil and pickup coil systems. By utilizing the various principles of inductive angle sensors, and as a result of the specific physical arrangement of target coils, the inductive torque sensor may independently obtain a rotational position (i.e., mechanical angle) of the rotatable input shaft via one pickup coil system, and a rotational position (i.e., mechanical angle) of the rotatable output shaft via another pickup coil system. Combiner circuitry is also provided to calculate the torsion angle using the signals induced in each of two separate pickup coil systems. By using different k-fold symmetry periodicities in the target coils with respect to the coil configurations, the inductive torque sensor advantageously reduces or eliminates mutual coupling between the different target coil systems and provide robustness to stray or external electromagnetic fields.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for measuring a first electric current in a first printed conductor of a printed circuit board, which also includes a second printed conductor, wherein the ratio of electrical resistances between the first and second printed conductors is known. The apparatus includes a device for measuring a first electric voltage across the first printed conductor based on the first electric current in the first printed conductor, a device for injecting a known second electric current into the second printed conductor, a device for measuring a second electric voltage across the second printed conductor based on the known second electric current in the second printed conductor, and a device for determining the first electric current based on the first electric voltage, the second electric voltage, the known second electric current and the known ratio of electrical resistances between the first and second printed conductors.

Abstract: A rotation angle sensing device is provided, which comprises (i) a magnetic field source that is capable of being mechanically coupled to a rotatable shaft, wherein the shaft is rotatable around a rotation axis, wherein the magnetic field source provides a magnetization which is substantially parallel to the rotation axis and not rotationally symmetric to the rotation axis, wherein the magnet field source comprises or is a permanent magnet; and (ii) at least two magnetic field sensor elements arranged to detect the magnetic field of the magnetic field source, wherein the at least two magnetic field sensor elements are located out of shaft and are placed at the same radial distance from the rotation axis. Also, a method for sensing a rotational angle is suggested.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for measuring a first electric current in a first printed conductor of a printed circuit board, which also includes a second printed conductor, wherein the ratio of electrical resistances between the first and second printed conductors is known. The apparatus includes a device for measuring a first electric voltage across the first printed conductor based on the first electric current in the first printed conductor, a device for injecting a known second electric current into the second printed conductor, a device for measuring a second electric voltage across the second printed conductor based on the known second electric current in the second printed conductor, and a device for determining the first electric current based on the first electric voltage, the second electric voltage, the known second electric current and the known ratio of electrical resistances between the first and second printed conductors.

Abstract: A semiconductor circuit arrangement includes a substrate, at least two first stress-sensitive elements in a first region of the substrate and at least two second stress-sensitive elements in a second region of the substrate. The first stress-sensitive elements each have an electrical characteristic which is dependent on a first component and a second component of a mechanical stress tensor in the first region. The second stress-sensitive elements each have an electrical characteristic which is dependent on a first component and a second component of a mechanical stress tensor in the second region. The semiconductor circuit arrangement includes a measuring circuit configured, based on the respective electrical characteristics of the first stress-sensitive elements and of the second stress-sensitive elements, to determine a stress difference between the first components in the first and second regions and a stress difference between the second components in the first and second regions.

Abstract: The described techniques are directed to inductive torque sensors that implement independent target coil and pickup coil systems. By utilizing the various principles of inductive angle sensors, and as a result of the specific physical arrangement of target coils, the inductive torque sensor may independently obtain a rotational position (i.e., mechanical angle) of the rotatable input shaft via one pickup coil system, and a rotational position (i.e., mechanical angle) of the rotatable output shaft via another pickup coil system. Combiner circuitry is also provided to calculate the torsion angle using the signals induced in each of two separate pickup coil systems. By using different k-fold symmetry periodicities in the target coils with respect to the coil configurations, the inductive torque sensor advantageously reduces or eliminates mutual coupling between the different target coil systems and provide robustness to stray or external electromagnetic fields.

Abstract: A measurement arrangement includes a first soft magnetic element, a second soft magnetic element, a magnetic element which is mechanically coupled to the first soft magnetic element and is configured to produce a magnetic field, and a sensor arrangement for capturing the magnetic field, which sensor arrangement is arranged in such a manner that a relative movement between the first soft magnetic element and the sensor arrangement results in a change in the magnetic field at the location of the sensor arrangement. The sensor arrangement is configured to determine the change. The sensor arrangement and the magnetic element are arranged between the first soft magnetic element and the second soft magnetic element.

Abstract: A magnet for a magnetic angle sensing system, the magnet having a tapered geometry in parallel with a rotation axis of the magnet, and configured to be mounted to a rotatable member such that a thin end of the magnet is closer to a magnetic field sensing element located on the rotation axis than a broad end of the magnet.

Abstract: A device includes a substrate with an excitation coil configured to generate a magnetic field in reaction to an input signal fed in, and with a pickup coil arrangement configured to generate an output signal in reaction to a magnetic field. The excitation coil includes one or more turns arranged around the pickup coil arrangement in a ring-shaped manner in a plan view of the substrate plane. The device further includes a chip package comprising at least one electrical connection connected to the pickup coil arrangement by means of a signal-carrying conductor. In accordance with the concept described herein, the chip package is positioned on the substrate in such a way that the signal-carrying conductor and the one or more turns of the excitation coil do not overlap in a plan view of the substrate plane.

Abstract: A method for detecting a magnetic field using an apparatus including a plurality of magnetic field sensitive devices each having at least three terminals and grouped into N groups, with N>1, wherein each group k includes 2k-1 magnetic field sensitive devices, for 1?k?N, wherein the plurality of magnetic field sensitive devices are coupled such that, for 1<k?N, supply currents flowing through two magnetic field sensitive devices in group k flow through one magnetic field sensitive device in group k-1. The method includes providing a supply current independently through each magnetic field sensitive device of group N; tapping an output signal at at least one contact of at least one magnetic field sensitive device of each group k of the N groups; and combining each tapped output signal into an overall output signal representing a measurement of the magnetic field.

Abstract: An inductive angle sensor includes a stator component and a rotor component that is rotatable relative thereto about an axis of rotation. The rotor component has an inductive target with k-fold symmetry. The stator component has a first single pickup coil with k-fold symmetry and a second single pickup coil with the same k-fold symmetry. The first single pickup coil is rotated around the axis of rotation in relation to the second single pickup coil. The inductive target is stretched along a first axis that runs perpendicularly to the axis of rotation so that a contour outline, as seen in plan view, of the inductive target has an elliptical shape, and the first single pickup coil is stretched along a second axis that runs perpendicularly to the axis of rotation so that a contour outline, as seen in plan view, of the first single pickup coil has an elliptical shape.

Abstract: A rotation angle sensing device is suggested, said device including: a magnetic field source that is mechanically coupled to a rotatable shaft; at least one conductive target that is mechanically coupled to the rotatable shaft; a magnetic angle sensor that is configured to detect the magnetic field of the magnetic field source; and at least one coil that is configured to excite an eddy current in the at least one conductive target and to receive a signal induced by the eddy current. Also, a corresponding method is provided.

Abstract: The innovative concept described herein relates to a sensor chip having at least two magnetic field sensors that are arranged adjacently to one another on the sensor chip and measure perpendicularly to the chip plane, wherein at least one of the magnetic field sensors has a planar coil arranged on it that is configured to generate a magnetic field directed perpendicularly to the chip plane. A controller is able to operate the magnetic field sensors in a calibration mode, in which the planar coil generates the magnetic field. For the purpose of calibrating the magnetic field sensors, a differential measurement may be taken that involves the response signal from one magnetic field sensor being subtracted from the response signal from the other magnetic field sensor.

Abstract: A Hall effect device includes a semiconductor region and at least three contacts to the semiconductor region, which are arranged in the semiconductor region substantially along a line or curve. The line or curve functionally separates the semiconductor region in a first region and a second region. The Hall effect device further including a first electrode that is electrically isolated against the first region and a second electrode that is electrically isolated against the second region. Two of the at least three contacts supply electric energy to the first region and to the second region, and the remaining at least one contact taps an output signal of the first region and/or the second region that responds to a magnetic field component.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an inductive angle and/or position sensor comprising a first sensor component and a second sensor component, which is movable relative thereto, wherein the first sensor component comprises an excitation coil and a receiving coil arrangement having two or more individual receiving coils, and wherein the second sensor component comprises an inductive target. The first sensor component comprises a semiconductor chip having an integrated circuit. The sensor comprises a housing, in which the semiconductor chip is arranged. The individual receiving coils of the receiving coil arrangement are configured in at least two structured metallization layers spaced apart from one another, which are arranged within the housing and/or outside on an outer surface of the housing.

Abstract: An inductive angle sensor includes an inductive target arrangement with k-fold symmetry and a first pickup coil arrangement with k-fold symmetry and a second pickup coil arrangement with k-fold symmetry. A combination apparatus is designed to combine signals of the first pickup coil arrangement with signals of the second pickup coil arrangement and, on the basis thereof, to ascertain an angle-error-compensated rotation angle. The single pickup coils of the first and second pickup coil arrangements are each rotationally offset about the axis of rotation R by a geometric offset angle ? relative to one another. Additionally, the entire first pickup coil arrangement is rotationally offset relative to the entire second pickup coil arrangement about the axis of rotation R by a geometric offset angle ?.

Abstract: The described techniques facilitate the use of a magnetic field sensor that implements the same magnetic layer stack for the detection of the x, y, and z components of an external magnetic field. The sensor advantageously is insensitive to orthogonal stray fields and operates with a reduced offset compared to conventional magnetic field sensors. The linear regime implemented by the sensor to facilitate magnetic field detection may also be adjusted per application by tuning the current strength.

Abstract: An inductive angle sensor for determining a rotational position of a rotor relative to a stator includes an exciter coil, at least one pickup coil arrangement having an m-fold symmetry and at least one conductive target having an m-fold symmetry. The exciter coil may excite the conductive target which, in turn, may induce an induced signal in the pickup coil arrangement. A signal analysis device may determine the rotational position of the rotor based on the induced signal. The inductive angle sensor may comprise a second pickup coil arrangement having an n-fold symmetry and a second conductive target having an n-fold symmetry. The exciter coil may excite the second conductive target which, in turn, may induce a second induced signal in the second pickup coil arrangement. The signal analysis device may determine the rotational position of the rotor based on the two induced signals according to a Vernier principle.