SPEED SENSORS

Basic Operating Principles and Applications

Service Training Update 2008
Speed Sensors General Information
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)
MagPickup
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 sensors 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 voltageat the
terminals of the coil that is exactly proportional to the rate of change of
magnetic flux.
Relationship:
dt
d
N e

=

e =voltage generated
N =number of turns of wire in the coil
=magnetic flux
dt
d
=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
X
0
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 sensors 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 current over 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.
Cats 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 directly proportional 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 donewith an
integrated circuit (IC).
Principle of Operation Active/Hall Effect
Vs+
Vo+
Vo-
Vs-
H
Hall Element
I
Vo
H
Z
B
v
I
H
V
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
I
LO
=I
OFF
I
OFF
I
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, -16, M18x1.5 threads
Low Output
Higher accuracy
5/8-18, -16, M16x1.5threads
Pigtail
Fixed gap
Adjustable w/ jam nut NOT RECOMMENDED FOR NEW DESIGNS
Overmold
Injection molded nylon directly over the 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
8
6
4
2
0
air gap
P
e
a
k

t
o

P
e
a
k
2
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
B C
A
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
D
Active/Hall Effect vsPassive
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
Overmold5 psi
Direction
Requires 2 sensors located 90 degrees
electrically apart
Sensors 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
Sensors 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 ().
Resistance of the strip of material changes with the angle of the
magnetic field.
M

Hy
Ix
R = (1 - COS
2
)Rmax
AMR measures
magnetic angle
Ring Magnet
Acts similar to teeth on a rotor
VALLEY
TOOTH
Rotor
N S N
N S S
Cross Sections
Ring magnet
emulates
traditional rotor
AMR Ring Magnet Encoder Design
Cats 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 rotors 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
R = (1 - COS
2
)Rmax
Sensor
Magnet Rotation
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
FluxDensity resistance
Wider air gap
performance than
hall effect