Hall effect sensor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2012)

The magnetic piston (1) in this pneumatic cylinder will cause the Hall effect sensors (2 and 3) mounted on its outer wall to activate when it is fully retracted or extended.

Engine fan with Hall Effect sensor.

Commonly used circuit symbol.

1

A Hall effect sensor is a transducer that varies its output voltage in response to a magnetic field. Hall effect sensors are used for proximity switching, positioning, speed detection, and current sensing applications. In its simplest form, the sensor operates as an analog transducer, directly returning a voltage. With a known magnetic field, its distance from the Hall plate can be determined. Using groups of sensors, the relative position of the magnet can be deduced. Electricity carried through a conductor will produce a magnetic field that varies with current, and a Hall sensor can be used to measure the current without interrupting the circuit. Typically, the sensor is integrated with a wound core or permanent magnet that surrounds the conductor to be measured. Frequently, a Hall sensor is combined with circuitry that allows the device to act in a digital (on/off) mode, and may be called a switch in this configuration. Commonly seen in industrial applications such as the pictured pneumatic cylinder, they are also used in consumer equipment; for example some computer printers use them to detect missing paper and open covers. When high reliability is required, they are used in keyboards.

Hall sensors are commonly used to time the speed of wheels and shafts, such as for internal combustion engine ignition timing, tachometers and anti-lock braking systems. They are used in brushless DC electric motors to detect the position of the permanent magnet. In the pictured wheel with two equally spaced magnets, the voltage from the sensor will peak twice for each revolution. This arrangement is commonly used to regulate the speed of disk drives.

[edit] Hall probe

A Hall probe contains an indium compound semiconductor crystal such as indium antimonide, mounted on an aluminum backing plate, and encapsulated in the probe head. The plane of the crystal is perpendicular to the probe handle. Connecting leads from the crystal are brought down through the handle to the circuit box. When the Hall Probe is held so that the magnetic field lines are passing at right angles through the sensor of the probe, the meter gives a reading of the value of magnetic
2

flux density (B). A current is passed through the crystal which, when placed in a magnetic field has a Hall effect voltage developed across it. The Hall effect is seen when a conductor is passed through a uniform magnetic field. The natural electron drift of the charge carriers causes the magnetic field to apply a Lorentz force (the force exerted on a charged particle in an electromagnetic field) to these charge carriers. The result is what is seen as a charge separation, with a build up of either positive or negative charges on the bottom or on the top of the plate. The crystal measures 5 mm square. The probe handle, being made of a non-ferrous material, has no disturbing effect on the field. A Hall Probe is enough to measure the Earth's magnetic field. It must be held so that the Earth's field lines are passing directly through it. It is then rotated quickly so the field lines pass through the sensor in the opposite direction. The change in the flux density reading is double the Earth's magnetic flux density. A hall probe must first be calibrated against a known value of magnetic field strength. For a solenoid the hall probe is placed in the center.

[edit] Hall effect sensor interface

Hall effect sensors may require analog circuitry to be interfaced to microprocessors. These interfaces may include input diagnostics, fault protection for transient conditions, and short/open circuit detection. It may also provide and monitor the current to the hall effect sensor itself. There are precision IC products available to handle these features.

[edit] Further reading

Ed Ramsden (2006). Hall-effect sensors: theory and applications (2, ilustrated ed.). Elsevier. ISBN 0-7506-7934-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=R8VAjMitH1QC&printsec=frontcover#v= onepage&q=&f=false. R. S. Popovi (2004). Hall effect devices (2, ilustrated ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 0-7503-0855-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=_H5n5sO5BAC&pg=PA1&dq=hall+effect+sensor#v=onepage&q=hall%20effect% 20sensor&f=false. Classical Hall effect in scanning gate experiments: A. Baumgartner et al., Phys. Rev. B 74, 165426 (2006), doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.74.165426

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hall_effect_sensor&oldid=522613709" Categories:

Magnetic devices

Hidden categories:

Articles lacking sources from April 2012 All articles lacking sources

2.1.3 The Hall Effect This subchapter introduces two important topics: The Hall effect as an important observation in materials science and at the same time another irrefutable proof that classical physics just can't hack it when it comes to electrons in crystals. The Hall effect describes what happens to current flowing through a conducting material - a metal, a semiconductor - if it is exposed to a magnetic field B. We will look at this in classical terms; again we will encounter a fundamental problem. The standard geometry for doing an experiment in its most simple form is as follows:

A magnetic field B is employed perpendicular to the current direction j, as a consequence a potential difference (i.e. a voltage) develops at right angles to both vectors. In other words: A Hall voltage UHall will be measured perpendicular to B and j. In yet other words: An electrical field EHall develops in y-direction That is already the essence of the Hall effect.

Relevant vectors; the current is carried by electrons

It is relatively easy to calculate the magnitude of the Hall voltage UHall that is induced by the magnetic field B. First we note that we must also have an electrical field E parallel to j because it is the driving force for the current. Second, we know that a magnetic field at right angles to a current causes a force on the moving carriers, the so-called Lorentz force FL, that is given by

FL = q (vD B)

We have to take the drift velocity vD of the carriers, because the other velocities (and the forces caused by these componentes) cancel to zero on average. The vector product assures that FL is perpendicular to vD and B. Note that instead the usual word "electron" the neutral term carrier is used, because in principle an electrical current could also be carried by charged particles other then electrons, e.g. positively charged ions. Remember a simple but important picture given before! For the geometry above, the Lorentz force FL has only a component in y - direction and we can use a scalar equation for it. Fy is given by

Fy = q vD Bz

We have to be a bit careful, however: We know that the force is in y-direction, but we do longer know the sign. It changes if either q, vD, or Bz changes direction and we have to be aware of that. With vD = E and = mobility of the carriers, we obtain a rather simple equation for the force

Fy = q Ex Bz

It is important to note that for a fixed current density jx the direction of the Lorentz force is independent of the sign of the charge carriers (the sign of the charge and the sign of the drift velocity just cancel each other). This means that the current of carriers will be deflected from a straight line in y-direction. In other words, there is a component of the velocity in y-direction and the surfaces

perpendicular to the y-direction will become charged as soon as the current (or the magnetic field) is switched on. The flow-lines of the carriers will look like this:

The charging of the surfaces is unavoidable, because some of the carriers eventually will end up at the surface where they are "stuck". Notice that the sign of the charge for a given surface depends on the sign of the charge of the carriers. Negatively charged electrons (e- in the picture) end up on the surface opposite to posively charged carriers (called h+ in the picture). Notice, too, that the direction of the force Fy is the same for both types of carriers, simply because both q and vD change signs in the force formula The surface charge then induces an electrical field Ey in y-direction which opposes the Lorentz force; it tries to move the carriers back. In equilibrium, the Lorentz force Fy and the force from the electrical field Ey in ydirection (which is of course simply q Ey) must be equal with opposite signs. We obtain

q Ey = q Ex B z

Ey = E x B z

The Hall voltage UHall now is simply the field in y-direction multiplied by the dimension dy in y-direction. It is clear then that the (easily measured) Hall voltage is a direct measure of the mobility of the carriers involved, and that its sign or polarity will change if the sign of 6

the charges flowing changes. It is customary to define a Hall coefficient RHall for a given material. This can be done in different, but equivalent ways. In the link we look at a definition that is particularly suited for measurements. Here we use the following definition:

Ey RHall = Bz j x

In other words, we expect that the Hall voltage Ey dy (with dy = dimension in y-direction) is proportional to the current(density) j and the magnetic field strength B, which are, after all, the main experimental parameters (besides the trivial dimensions of the specimen):

Ey = RHall Bz jx

The Hall coefficient is a material parameter, indeed, because we will get different numbers for RHall if we do experiments with identical magnetic fields and current densities, but different materials. The Hall coefficient, as mentioned before, has interesting properties: RHall will change its sign, if the sign of the carriers is changed because then Ey changes its sign, too. It thus indicates in the most unambiguous way imaginable if positive or negative charges carry the current. RHall allows to obtain the mobility of the carriers, too, as we will see immediately. RHall is easily calculated: Using the equation for Ey from above, and the basic equation jx = Ex, we obtain for negatively charged carriers:

 Ex B z RHall = Ex B z =

= qn

qn

The blue part corresponds to the derivation given in the link; n is (obviously) the carrier concentration. If one knows the Hall coefficient or the carrier concentration, the Hall effect cna be used to measure magnetic field strengths B ( not so easily done otherwise!). Measurements of the Hall coefficient of materials with a known conductivity (something easily measurable) thus give us directly the mobility of the carriers responsible for the conductance. The minus sign above is obtained for electrons, i.e. negative charges. If positively charged carriers would be involved, the Hall constant would be positive. Note that while it is not always easy to measure the numerical value of the Hall voltage and thus of R with good precision, it is the easiest thing in the world to measure the polarity of a voltage. Let's look at a few experimental data:

Material

Li

Cu

Ag

Au

Al

Be

In

Semiconductors (e.g. Si, Ge, GaAs, InP,...)

R ( 1024) cgs units

1,89

0,6

1,0

0,8

+1,136

+2,7

+1,774

positive or negative values, depending on "doping"

Comments: 1. the positive values for the metals were measured under somewhat special conditions (low temperatures; single crystals with special orientations), for other conditions negative values can be obtained, too. 2. The units are not important in the case, but multiplying with 9 1013 yields the value in m3/Coulomb

Whichever way we look at this, one conclusion is unavoidable: In certain materials including metals, the particles carrying the electrical current are positively charged under certain conditions. And this is positively not possible in a classical model that knows only negatively charged electrons as carriers of electrical current in solids! Again we are forced to conclude:

There is no way to describe conductivity in metals and semiconductors with classical physics!

Fragebogen / Questionaire
Multiple Choice Fragen zu 2.1.3

Hall Effect
If an electric current flows through a conductor in a magnetic field, the magnetic field exerts a transverse force on the moving charge carriers which tends to push them to one side of the conductor. This is most evident in a thin flat conductor as illustrated. A buildup of charge at the sides of the conductors will balance this magnetic influence, producing a measurable voltage between the two sides of the conductor. The presence of this measurable transverse voltage is called the Hall effect after E. H. Hall who discovered it in 1879. Note that the direction of the current I in the diagram is that of conventional current, so that the motion of electrons is in the opposite direction. That further confuses all the "right-hand rule" manipulations you have to go through to get the direction of the forces.

The Hall voltage is given by Show

The Hall effect can be used to measure magnetic fields with a Hall probe. Hall probe for magnetic field measurement

2. Hall Effect Experiment

This part describes the Hall Effect apparatus, as well as the procedures for computer control and data collection.

2.1 Apparatus & Equipment List

Figure 1: The Hall Effect Apparatus.

10

Figure 2: Hall Probe Detail Equipment 1. Alpha water-cooled magnet and power supply (Turn on water before turning on power supply. Do not exceed 10 A magnet current). 2. Hall Probe, Indium Arsenide (InAs), red and black current leads, green and white Hall voltage leads, installed in oven, with stand. 3. Extra Hall Probe for examination, with stand. 4. Oven, to heat Hall probe. 5. Digital thermometer with thermocouple and display. 6. DC Power Supply to furnish current to Hall probe; adjust only the "voltage" control; probe current not to exceed 0.4 A. 7. Variac to control AC current to oven; blocked to restrict temperature to 100C. 8. Ammeter, to measure Hall probe current. 9. Voltmeter, high input impedance, to measure Hall voltage. 10. Magnetic Compass, to determine direction of magnetic field. 11. Gaussmeter to measure magnetic field. 12. Hall effect probe and calibrated control unit with stand for probe. 13. Computer and data acquisition board.

2.2 Precautions
Personal

The magnet power supply can furnish large currents at dangerous voltage levels; do not touch exposed magnet coil contacts. The oven gets hot. AC leads from Variac to oven can be dangerous; they should not be exposed.

Apparatus

Never suddenly interrupt or apply power to a large magnet. Large inductive voltage surges may damage the insulation. Start with controls set for zero current and gradually increase current. When turning off, smoothly decrease current to zero and then turn off. Turn on water before turning on magnet coil. Do not exceed magnet current of 10 A. Do not exceed Hall probe current of 0.4 A

11

Do not exceed an oven temperature of 100C (a few degrees more for a brief time will do no harm). Do not leave the magnet current at a high setting for any length of time beyond the minimum needed for data acquisition - it affects the monitor (obviously).

2.3 Procedure
The steps listed below outline the procedure for taking the data using the computer to investigate both the Hall and magnetoresistance effects. Complete sets of data should be taken at three temperatures: room temperature, between 65-70C, and 100C. The Notes Section contains a figure that will assist in finding the appropriate variac settings. The temperature needs to reach equilibrium before you begin taking data. Data Steps for Collecting Hall Effect Data: Measure the Hall voltage (VHall) for each of four probe currents (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 A) for each of five magnet currents (1,3,5,7, and 9 A). At each magnet current, use the gaussmeter to determine the magnetic field. In order to make the field measurements, the Hall probe - oven - thermometer assembly must be removed and replaced by the gaussmeter probe. The Hall probe-oven assembly is not very sturdy, handle it carefully. Data Steps for Collecting Magnetoresistance Effect Data: For each of the five magnet currents listed above and zero magnetic field strength (remove the Hall probe from the magnet to minimize any stray fields), measure the resistance of the Hall probe. Procedure for Controling the Apparatus and Collecting Data Runs 1. Before doing anything, turn the cooling water on so that the magnet does not over heat! 2. Turn Computer on. (the password for the login is "taisgood"). 3. Run the program Hall Effect shown on the desktop. 4. Set the temperature to desired amount using the Temperature Variac. Dont forget to write this value down. 5. Make sure "Magnetic Current" on the computer screen is set to zero amps. 6. On the Power Supply for the "Magnetic Current", flip the switch to "on". 7. Both Screens on the "Magnetic Current" display should read zero (or something very close) 8. Back to the computer: With the mouse, point to a button in the upper left-hand corner of the screen (a little below the word "File" in the menu bar) that has a pop up balloon that says "Run Continuously." Click on this button.

12

9. Wait for the error screen. Click "Continue." Note: this error message doesnt mean anything important, so dont worry about it. 10. Click once on the "Do it!" button so that the green light on the button lights up. 11. Raise Magnetic Current to your desired amount of amps. (dont forget to write down what the value for the Magnetic Field is off of the gaussmeter) (Youll need this later) (also, note the units on the gaussmeter. The Analysis portion of the lab calls for them to be in tesla) Note: Watch the right screen on the Power Supply for the "Magnetic Current" rise as you increase the Magnetic Current on the computer screen. This is obviously the current going through the magnet. Dont raise this too fast or past 9 amps because the Power Supply will shut down and lock up. If this happens, turn the Power Supply off for a moment and go back to step number 5. 12. Go to the "Get I-V Curve" menu screen and set the parameters for the experiment. Set the Current Max to 0.4A Set the Current to step up in increments of 0.1A Set the number to average the experiment to 20 (the higher this number is, the more accurate the data, but the slower the experiment will run...20 is a good number). 13. While still displaying the "Get I-V Curve" menu screen, click on "Do it!" twice so that the light goes off then comes back on. 14. Wait while the computer runs the test. 15. Watch the red "Probe Current and Voltage" display (where the red and black wires are connected to) as the computer runs the test. Notice how the program pauses at each step of current and takes the specified number of measurements at that amount of amps. Also watch as the Hall Voltage readout changes (where the white and green wires are connected to) as the computer runs the test. 16. After the program has ran its test, save the file to a location in the computer. (When you run the file to do the analysis part of the lab later, it should be opened in Microsoft Excel or some other program of similar type that will put

13

the data into tables and columns. Once opened, four columns of data with five rows each will be in the saved file: o The first column is the Hall Voltage in volts. o The second column is the corresponding Probe Current in amps. It should read from 0.0 to 0.4 in steps of 0.1. o The third column is the resistance across the Hall Probe in Ohms, which is the voltage across the probe divided by the probes corresponding current (column 4 divided by column 2). The fourth column is the voltage across the Hall Probe (the Probe Voltage) in volts due to the current carriers (ie. the voltage on the red digital read-out from the Hall Probe Current).

17. Click on the red stop sign (the "Abort Execution") in the top left menu bar (next to the "Run Continuously" button from step 6). If this is not done, the experiment keeps running continuously and will ask multiple times to save data. 18. Congratulations, youve run your first test. 19. Go back to the first menu screen. 20. Go back to step 8 to run another test, setting new temperature, magnetic current, or both to desired values.

2.4 Notes

The gaussmeter zero needs to be monitored and adjusted as needed. To do this, remove the gaussmeter probe well away from the magnet and check the zero for the scale that is in current use. The zero may shift when the scale is changed. To detect the effect of a stray field, observe the zero as the probe orientation is change by about 90 degrees. During the experiment investigate the geometry of the set-up. Note the direction of the magnetic field, probe current, and Hall voltage this will help in the analysis. The extra probe is available to help with this (see also Figure 2). Use MKSC units consistently. Magnetic fields should be expressed in Teslas (T = Ns/mC = kg/Cs). The physics literature often expresses magnetic fields in gauss, with 1 T = 10,000 gauss. Pay attention to the units on the gaussmeter. Always record data in the same units as used by the measuring instrument, but with the units noted on your data sheet. Make necessary conversions later. Ohm = Js/C2; units of conductivity are (ohm-m)-1. Use Figure 3 to help determine the correct Variac setting for the desired probe temperature:

14

Figure 3. Probe Temperature vs. Variac Setting

ent Amps using a Hall Effect Current sor Transducer

to using hall effect current sensors transducers:

er high voltage electrical system which eliminate risk to delicate safety concerns. In other words this sensor only detects the no electrical contact between the sensor and the wire. This is a itoring shunt precision resistor. getting the resolution you want, you can simply loop the wire s as you want to double, triple, or quadruple the sensitivity or if your current signal is only .03 Amps, you could loop the wire nal would by 10X stronger and would appear as 0.3 Amps. which can have thermal temperature heat dissipation issues, the hot. Even when measuring 50 Amps!

e CLSA2CD Sensor Sold HERE on Amazon.com. [Enlarge]

15

wall adapter supplying voltage to a 8 Volt regulator. y stable DC voltage. This is very important because per Amp that it measures, so if the voltage you are ta will get lost in the noise. The ground is shared nt these components on a small piece of proto board nt to get one already assembled take a look at the one

PPLICATIONS
SOLAR
[ENLARGE]

HYDRO
[ENLARGE]

16

ORKS

ship between current and sensor output d on a circuit board.

C from an on board regulator. You can see he large red wire, the sensor simply 2 = 4.0 Volts output).

wire, the voltage output from the sensor

from Volts to Amps is as follows:

sensor - 4.0) / 0.033

Volts, then your measured current would be something like:

V)/ 0.033 = 30 Amps

17

tion Go To http://measure-current.com

BATTERY CHARGING APPLICATION

sor for a solar panel / battery charging application. The green e red trend line has been converted to Amps using the r - 4.0) / ~33mV

o the batteries rising from 4 Volts DC to 4.5V DC. This p to 16 Amps shown in red on the right side of the graph.

c appliance then the current goes negative down to 2.6 Volts om the batteries into the House AC inverter which could be hing machine. A value of 2.6 Volts DC output converts to a batteries are setup in a 24 Volt configuration, then you could how much power your batteries are putting out. In this case it e inverter.

X 45A = 1080 Watts)

18

mount a this current transducer on a circuit board. n for this device click HERE.

lamp off the shelf to measure AC and DC current for Or you can build your own.

model because it puts out a linear voltage signal , and C current. You can buy this sensor on Amazon.com

details about this sensor:

ata sheet:
MANUFACTURER - HONEYWELL

ng

19

on from input pation ted only by conductor size ce and built-in temperature compensation ion sing

e range -25 C to 85 C r

stems

n power supplies

gement systems

ensors incorporate our 91SS12-2 and SS94A1 linear

T). The sensing element is assembled in a printed

is housing is available in four configurations. Normal 40 screw and square nut (not provided) inserted in the w. The combination of the sensor, flux collector, and mbly. These sensors are ratiometric.

sducer requires a DC voltage to operate. For the hook up an excitation voltage anywhere from 5.4 Volts build a power sequencing test rack for computers and P power supplies which provided 3V, 5V, and 12V to the . LabVIEW would read these Hall Effect sensors for ph the exact current that the computers and servers were consuming.

loop they put out about half of the voltage you are ied to this sensor, you will see about 5VDC coming out cquisition box like the LabJACk and use a software ms like an Oscilloscope gives you. Here is a software data acquisition box. The picture shows 5th grade
20

ng against each other and seeing how much power each generator created:

If you want to use an off the shelf solution you devices below. BEWARE - many of these clamps me specifications to make sure it says AC/DC like these current clamps are more expensive than

This is a inexpensive hall effect transducer clamp and voltage meter. The Loop that you "Clamp".

To use it, just push down on the lever show the clamp opens. Then you put it over one o from the generator. Power = voltage times amps. S measure the amps going through the wire, then mult much voltage is coming out of your generator. That This fluke current clamp can be used to do continuo

current monitoring either with your digital multi-meter or you can also use a USB data a like the LabJACK U12 (shown below) which will allow software to act as a power monitor software oscillo download the free software for this LabJACK, it co voltage monitoring applications called "LJstream1" a This will plot and data log your power generated. LJsimplelog will log data from 8 Analog input channels at a rate of 25 samples per second. This LJsimplelog is usually fine for most DC power applications, but is too low of a sample rate for AC power which usually runs at 60 hertz or more. If you want a faster data logging program, i can write one for you using LabVIEW. Send

21

me an email at support@scienceshareware.com

FYI: For current voltage and power data logging to tab delim recorder, you will want to do continuous analog voltage sign logger so you can monitor current or power over a few hours The graph shown in the image below and on the projector w room activity is giving what they call "Real Time" voltage / data. Power = Amps X Volts so you have to monitor curren multiply them times each other to get Watts.

This would allow you to calculate KW Hours to see h power has been used or created. IF you want this LabVIEW software send an email to support@scienceshareware.com

Below are a few configurations showing what you can monitor with the hall effect current transducer.

22

23

 About me Bristol VA/TN E-Mail Hobby Electronics Arduino Microcontroller

Using Hall Effect Switches and Sensors

by Lewis Loflin Hall effect sensors are solid state magnetic devices used as either magnetic switches or to measure magnetic fields. There are three basic types I'm concerned with here: The Hall effect switch, the Hall effect latch, and the ratiometric or analog sensor. For more on the general operation see my You Tube video above. Here I'm concerned with illustrating various electronic circuits and how to connect the sensors and use them. A Hall effect switch will turn on in the presence of south magnetic field on its face or north magnetic field on the opposite side. It will turn off when the magnet is removed. A Hall effect latch works like a switch, but will stay on when the magnet is removed. It will turn off if the north pole is applied to the face or the power is turned off. A ratiometric Hall effect sensor outputs an analog voltage proportional to the magnetic field intensity. The devices I will use on a separate page are unipolar and in general with no magnetic field applied the output is one-half the supply voltage. The voltage will increase with the south magnetic pole on the face or decrease with the north magnetic pole on the face. See Using Ratiometric Hall Effect Sensors

Pictured above are typical pin outs on three lead Hall sensors. The south pole of the magnet goes towards the 'face' turning the device on. The north pole on the face will have no effect unless the device is a latch, which it will turn off if it's already on.
Considering Magnets

The magnetic field typically produced by rare-earth magnets can be in excess of 1.4 teslas, whereas ferrite or ceramic magnets typically exhibit fields of 0.5 to 1 tesla. The Tesla is named in honor of the inventor, physicist, and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla. A smaller magnetic field unit is the Gauss (1 Tesla = 10,000 Gauss): 10-9 - 10-8 gauss: the human brain magnetic field;
24

0.31-0.58 gauss: the Earth's magnetic field on its surface; 25 gauss: the Earth's magnetic field in its core; 50 gauss: a typical refrigerator magnet; 100 gauss: a small iron magnet; 2000 gauss: a small neodymium-iron-boron (NIB) magnet; 15,000-30,000 gauss: a medical magnetic resonance imaging electromagnet. Above ref. Wiki. To find out more about rare earth magnets in general visit www.rare-earth-magnets.com. Magnets can be stacked (N to S) to form a more powerful magnet. Let's consider a UGN3013T five volt Hall effect switch. To trip the switch on requires typically 500 gauss to a max of 750 gauss. But to release or cut off is a typical 225 gauss to as low as 110 gauss. So we have a reasonable range of 275 that we need to stay in for reliable operation. So it's obvious even a small iron magnet may work well or has to be very close to the sensor. Note this is an old obsolete part I just happened to have. Newer units are much more sensitive. We can also use electromagnets.

Pictured above is a basic Hall effect switch. It consists of a Hall effect plate, amplifier, Schmidt trigger, and open-drain field effect transistor. (FET) The Hall effect plate produces a very small output that must be amplified, the Schmidt trigger will turn on when the amplifier output reaches a certain level, which will then turn on the FET. The FET is an electronic switch much like a mechanical light switch. When "ON" it completes the path to ground switching on an external device connected to positive VCC. A Hall Effect latch only differs in having some additional latching circuitry. When on uses the turn "HIGH" we men the FET is turned off breaking the path to ground. The voltage on the drain will climb to VCC. When we say "LOW" the FET is turned on it will "sink" the current to ground and the voltage on the drain goes to zero. This is true of almost all modern digital circuits. For more on the concept of sink/source see Basic Transistor Driver Circuits for Micro-Controllers

25

Pictured above is a Hall effect switch connected to a light emitting diode. (LED) In the off condition TP2 will be "HIGH" or 5 volts measured relative to ground. The LED will be off. When switched on by a magnet TP2 will measure about .5 volts and the LED will be on. This can be directly connected to the input port of a micro-controller or other 5-volt digital logic. The problem with the above circuit is that a Hall sensor is a low power device that can sink about 20 mA. Now we will look at a number of simple circuits to boost the power output of the device.

In the example above we used 1/6 of a 7406 HEX inverter to drive an N-channel MOSFET such as the IRF630. With the Hall effect switch (U3) off, TP1 is five volts, TP2 is 0 volts, and TP3 is 12 volts with the lamp off. Apply magnet: TP1 = 0 volts; TP2 = 12 volts; TP3 = 0 volts and lamp is on.

26

R1 is 4.7k and R2 is 10k. To use a 12-volt Hall effect switch or a latch such as a SS466 from Honeywell, change the 7406 to a 74C906 and R1 to 10k. Note the IRF630 is an enhancement mode MOSFET.

In the above example we used a N-channel depletion mode MOSFET. When U4 is off, TP4 and TP5 each = 12 volts and the lamp is off. When a magnet switches U4 on TP4 and TP5 both go to 0 volts and the lamp is on.

Voltage Isolation

27

In the above sample circuit we use a 5-volt Hall switch to operate a 24-volt relay circuit to operate a high-voltage AC circuit. All of the voltages are electrically isolated from each other and even the common ground between the 5 and 24 volt supplies can be severed. With the Hall switch off we note the following meter readings: TP1 = 5 volts; TP2 = 24 volts; indicator LED D3 is off; relay K1 is de-energized, contacts open; the voltage across K1's contacts is 120 VAC; and lamp B1 is off. When Hall switch U2 is turned on by a magnet:

TP1 = 0 volts; TP2 = 0 volts; indicator LED D3 is on; relay K1 is energized, contacts close; the voltage across K1's contacts is 0 VAC; and lamp B1 is on. R1 can be 330 ohms while R2 can be 1000 ohms. D2 is a general purpose silicon diode used for spike suppression when the relay coil is de-energized.

In our final circuit we use a 5-volt Hall switch and a MOC30XX type opto-coupler to operate a high voltage triac circuit. When Hall switch U4 is turned on TP1 goes to zero volts and the lamp turns on. R1 is still 330 ohms and R4 is 180

28

ohms. Triac Q1 should be at least 200 volts. This completes my introduction to Hall Effect switches. Our next section we will look into ratiometric sensors, circuits, and uses. From there we will connect a Hall sensor to a micro-controller. To purchase Hall sensors or explore the many varied types of sensors see www.allegromicro.com. If one wants a kit of parts to perform the above experiments contact me at lewis@bvunet.net for information.
Using Hall Effect Sensors with Alternating Current Using Hall Effect Switches and Sensors Using Ratiometric Hall Effect Sensors Using Hall Effect Sensors with the Arduino-ATMEGA168 TL173C 12-Volt Ratiometric Hall Sensor (PDF file) UGN3503 5-Volt Ratiometric Hall Effect Sensor (PDF file) SS466 Hall Latch (PDF file) Added January 2012: PICAXE Micro-controller Projects!

The PICAXE series of micro-controllers rank as the easiest and most cost effective way to use Microchip processors. I wanted an easier and less expensive way to introduce my students to the "PIC" micro-controller. Here I hope to get those starting out past poorly written literature and lack of simple working code examples.
Exploring the PICAXE Micro-Controller Understanding Micro-Controller Input/Output Ports Using the 74HC165 Shift Register with the PICAXE Micro-Controller Connecting the 74HC595 Shift Register to PICAXE Micro-controller Using 7-Segment Displays with the PICAXE Micro-Controller Potentiometers and Analog-to-Digital Conversion with the PICAXE PWM Motor Speed Control and the PICAXE Micro-Controller Connecting the PICAXE to the DS1307 Real Time Clock Connecting the PICAXE to an External EEPROM (24LC08) Connecting a Servo to a PICAXE Connecting the TLC548 ADC to the PICAXE Connecting the AD5220 Digital Potentiometer to the PICAXE

The next groups of links below go to specific electronic/electrical devices on how to use and test them.
Build a Thermocouple Amplifier Build a Potato battery Testing a Diac Basic Triacs and SCRs Solid State AC Relays with Triacs Light Activated Silicon Controlled Rectifier (LASCR) Basic Transistor Driver Circuits for Micro-Controllers Opto-Isolated Transistor Drivers for Micro-Controllers Build a H-Bridge Motor Control with Power MOSFETS Series/Parallel batteries Using a CdS Photocells Voltage Comparator Information And Circuits

29

Resistive Humidity Sensors Reed Switches Diodes and Rectifiers Transformers and misc. topics ATMEGA168 Arduino Micro Controller Projects Using Hall Effect Sensors with the Arduino-ATMEGA168 Connecting the Arduino to the TMP37 Centigrade Temperature Sensor Connecting the ATMEGA168/Arduino to MCP23016 and LCD Display Display Time/Date with Arduino, LCD Display, and DS1307 RTC Controlling Low-Voltage Driveway Lights with the ATMEGA168/Arduino Hatching Chicken Eggs with ATMEGA168/Arduino The TSL230R Light to Frequency Converter and Arduino/ATMEGA168 Interfacing the ATMEGA168/Arduino to the MCP23016 I/O Expander Using the ATMEGA168/Arduino with a DS1307 Real Time Clock Using a Unipolar Stepper Motor with a Arduino Using the ATMEGA168/Arduino with the TA8050 Motor Controller Using the ATMEGA168/Arduino with a 24LC08 Serial EEPROM Hardware Interrupts Demo and Tutorial for ATMEGA168/Arduino Micro-controller AC Power Control Using Interrupts

Sample Arduino code for the above video:

/* LiquidCrystal Library as a voltmeter Demonstrates the use a 16x2 LCD display. The LiquidCrystal library works with all LCD displays that are compatible with the Hitachi HD44780 driver. There are many of them out there, and you can usually tell them by the 16-pin interface. connect the ouput of the Hall sensor to analog(0). The circuit: * LCD RS pin to digital pin 12 * LCD R/W to GND * LCD E pin to digital pin 11 * LCD D4 pin to digital pin 5 * LCD D5 pin to digital pin 4 * LCD D6 pin to digital pin 3 * LCD D7 pin to digital pin 2 * 10K pot: * ends to +5V and ground * wiper to LCD VO pin (pin 3) */ // include the library code: #include "LiquidCrystal.h" int sensorValue; float volts = 5.0 / 1023; // volts per step on ADC float temp = 0; // initialize the library with the numbers of the interface pins

30

LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2); void setup() { // set up the LCD's number of columns and rows: lcd.begin(16, 2); // 16 char by 2 lines lcd.noCursor(); // Hides the LCD cursor. } void loop() { temp = analogRead(0) * volts; lcd.setCursor(0, 0); lcd.print(temp); delay(100); } // end loop

Web site Copyright Lewis Loflin, All rights reserved. If using this material on another site, please provide a link back to my site.

Hall Effect Sensor

Navigation
--- Select a Tutorial Page ---

Reset

Tutorial: 6 of 6

The Hall Effect Device

We could not end this section on Magnetism without a mention about magnetic sensors and especially the Hall Effect Sensor. Magnetic sensors convert magnetic or magnetically encoded information into electrical signals for processing by electronic circuits, and in the Sensors and

Transducers tutorials we looked at inductive proximity sensors and the LDVT as well as solenoid and
relay output actuators.

Magnetic sensors are solid state devices that are becoming more and more popular because they can be used in many different types of application such as sensing position, velocity or directional

31

movement. They are also a popular choice of sensor for the electronics designer due to their noncontact wear free operation, their low maintenance, robust design and as sealed hall effect devices are immune to vibration, dust and water.

One of the main uses of magnetic sensors is in automotive systems for the sensing of position, distance and speed. For example, the angular position of the crank shaft for the firing angle of the spark plugs, the position of the car seats and seat belts for air-bag control or wheel speed detection for the anti-lock braking system, (ABS). Magnetic sensors are designed to respond to a wide range of positive and negative magnetic fields in a variety of different applications and one type of magnet sensor whose output signal is a function of magnetic field density around it is called the Hall Effect Sensor.

Hall Effect Sensors are devices which are activated by an external magnetic field. We know that a magnetic field has two important characteristics flux density, (B) and polarity (North and South Poles). The output signal from a Hall effect sensor is the function of magnetic field density around the device. When the magnetic flux density around the sensor exceeds a certain preset threshold, the sensor detects it and generates an output voltage called the Hall Voltage, VH. Consider the diagram below.

Hall Effect Sensor

Hall Effect Sensors consist basically of a thin piece of rectangular p-type semiconductor material such as gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium antimonide (InSb) or indium arsenide (InAs) passing a continuous current through itself. When the device is placed within a magnetic field, the magnetic flux lines exert a force on the semiconductor material which deflects the charge carriers, electrons and holes, to either

32

side of the semiconductor slab. This movement of charge carriers is a result of the magnetic force they experience passing through the semiconductor material.

As these electrons and holes move side wards a potential difference is produced between the two sides of the semiconductor material by the build-up of these charge carriers. Then the movement of electrons through the semiconductor material is affected by the presence of an external magnetic field which is at right angles to it and this effect is greater in a flat rectangular shaped material. The effect of generating a measurable voltage by using a magnetic field is called the Hall Effect after Edwin Hall who discovered it back in the 1870's with the basic physical principle underlying the Hall effect being Lorentz force. To generate a potential difference across the device the magnetic flux lines must be perpendicular, (90 ) to the flow of current and be of the correct polarity, generally a south pole.
o

The Hall effect provides information regarding the type of magnetic pole and magnitude of the magnetic field. For example, a south pole would cause the device to produce a voltage output while a north pole would have no effect. Generally, Hall Effect sensors and switches are designed to be in the "OFF", (open circuit condition) when there is no magnetic field present. They only turn "ON", (closed circuit condition) when subjected to a magnetic field of sufficient strength and polarity.

Hall Effect Magnetic Sensor

The output voltage, called the Hall voltage, (VH) of the basic Hall Element is directly proportional to the strength of the magnetic field passing through the semiconductor material (output

H). This output

voltage can be quite small, only a few microvolts even when subjected to strong magnetic fields so most commercially available Hall effect devices are manufactured with built-in DC amplifiers, logic switching circuits and voltage regulators to improve the sensors sensitivity, hysteresis and output voltage. This also allows the Hall effect sensor to operate over a wider range of power supplies and magnetic field conditions.

33

Hall Effect Sensor

Hall Effect Sensors are available with either linear or digital outputs. The output signal for linear (analogue) sensors is taken directly from the output of the operational amplifier with the output voltage being directly proportional to the magnetic field passing through the Hall sensor. This output Hall voltage is given as:

Where: VH is the Hall Voltage in volts RH is the Hall Effect co-efficient I is the current flow through the sensor in amps t is the thickness of the sensor in mm B is the Magnetic Flux density in Teslas

Linear or analogue sensors give a continuous voltage output that increases with a strong magnetic field and decreases with a weak magnetic field. In linear output Hall effect sensors, as the strength of the magnetic field increases the output signal from the amplifier will also increase until it begins to saturate by the limits imposed on it by the power supply. Any additional increase in the magnetic field will have no effect on the output but drive it more into saturation.

Digital output sensors on the other hand have a Schmitt-trigger with built in hysteresis connected to the op-amp. When the magnetic flux passing through the Hall sensor exceeds a preset value the output from the device switches quickly between its "OFF" condition to an "ON" condition without any type of

34

contact bounce. This built-in hysteresis eliminates any oscillation of the output signal as the sensor moves in and out of the magnetic field. Then digital output sensors have just two states, "ON" and "OFF". There are two basic types of digital Hall effect sensor, Bipolar and Unipolar. Bipolar sensors require a positive magnetic field (south pole) to operate them and a negative field (north pole) to release them while unipolar sensors require only a single magnetic south pole to both operate and release them as they move in and out of the magnetic field.

Most Hall effect devices can not directly switch large loads as their output drive capabilities are very small around 10 to 20mA. For large current loads an open-collector (current sinking) NPN Transistor is added to the output. This transistor operates in its saturated region as a NPN sink switch which shorts the output terminal to ground whenever the applied flux density is higher than that of the "ON" preset point. This output transistor can be either an open emitter, open collector or both providing a push-pull output configuration that can sink enough current to directly drive many loads, including relays, motors, LEDs, and lamps.

Hall Effect Applications

Hall effect sensors are activated by a magnetic field and in many applications the device can be operated by a single permanent magnet attached to a moving shaft or device. There are many different types of magnet movements, such as "Head-on", "Sideways", "Push-pull" or "Push-push" etc sensing movements. Which every type of configuration is used, to ensure maximum sensitivity the magnetic lines of flux must always be perpendicular to the sensing area of the device and must be of the correct polarity.

Also to ensure linearity, high field strength magnets are required that produce a large change in field strength for the required movement. There are several possible paths of motion for detecting a magnetic field, and below are two of the more common sensing configurations using a single magnet. Head-on Detection and Sideways Detection.

Head-on Detection

35

As its name implies, head-on detection requires that the magnetic field is perpendicular to the sensing device and that for detection, it approaches the sensor straight on towards the active face. A sort of "head-on" approach. This head-on approach generates an output signal, VH which in the linear devices represents the strength of the magnetic field, the magnetic flux density, as a function of distance away from the sensor. The nearer and therefore the stronger the magnetic field, the greater the output voltage and vice versa.

Linear devices can also differentiate between positive and negative magnetic fields. Non-linear devices can be made to trigger the output "ON" at a preset air gap distance away from the magnet for indicating positional detection.

Sideways Detection

The second sensing configuration is sideways detection. This requires moving the magnet across the face of the Hall element in a sideways motion.

Sideways or slide-by detection is useful for detecting the presence of a magnetic field as it moves across the face of the Hall element within a fixed air gap distance for example, counting rotational magnets or the speed of rotation.

Depending upon the position of the magnetic field as it passes by the zero field centre line of the sensor, a linear output voltage representing both a positive and a negative output can be produced. This allows for directional movement detection which can be vertical as well as horizontal. There are many different applications for Hall Effect Sensors especially as proximity sensors. They can be used instead of optical and light sensors were the environmental conditions consist of water, vibration, dirt or oil such as in automotive applications. Hall effect devices can also be used for current sensing.

We know from the previous tutorials that when a current passes through a conductor, a circular electromagnetic field is produced around it. By placing the Hall sensor next to the conductor, electrical currents from a few milliamps into thousands of amperes can be measured from the generated magnetic field without the need of large or expensive transformers and coils.

36

As well as detecting the presence or absence of magnets and magnetic fields, Hall effect sensors can also be used to detect ferromagnetic materials such as iron and steel by placing a small permanent "biasing" magnet behind the active area of the device. The sensor now sits in a permanent and static magnetic field, and any change or disturbance to this magnetic field by the introduction of a ferrous material will be detected with sensitivities as low as mV/G possible.

There are many different ways to interface Hall effect sensors to electrical and electronic circuits depending upon the type of device, whether digital or linear. One very simple and easy to construct example is using a Light Emitting Diode as shown below.

Positional Detector

This head-on positional detector will be "OFF" when there is no magnetic field present, (0 gauss). When the permanent magnets south pole (positive gauss) is moved perpendicular towards the active area of the Hall effect sensor the device turns "ON" and lights the LED. Once switched "ON" the Hall effect sensor stays "ON".

To turn the device and therefore the LED "OFF" the magnetic field must be reduced to below the release point for unipolar sensors or exposed to a magnetic north pole (negative gauss) for bipolar sensors. The LED can be replaced with a larger power transistor if the output of the Hall effect sensor is required to switch larger current loads.

37