Displacement measurement using various Hall effect sensor-magnet configurations

Broad implementation of industry 4.0 in manufacturing capabilities requires mass integration of digital technologies into production environments. Mass integration of digital technologies requires sensors that have low cost with high sensitivity and range. This paper evaluates displacement measurement for four configurations of low-cost Hall effect sensor-magnet combinations. Two axial configurations, where the magnet motion is aligned with the sensor axis, and two lateral configurations, where the magnet motion is perpendicular to the sensor axis, are studied. The difference for the axial configuration is the presence of a back biasing magnet. The difference for the lateral configuration is the use of one or two magnets, where the poles are aligned in opposite directions for the two-magnet option. The sensitivity and linear range were determined for each configuration as well as the variation in these parameters with translational misalignment between the magnet(s) and sensor.