Technology

Position Calculation is performed automatically inside CambridgeIC’s CTU chips. Resonant inductive position sensors use ratiometric calculations for immunity to resonator Q-factor, supply voltage and component variations.

The sensor coils of a Type 1 sensor are patterned to produce a SIN/COS variation of coupling factor with changes in position. The calculation of position (Pr in the figure below) is equivalent to the calculation of phase angle, and is performed with a 4-quadrant inverse tangent.
Type 1 sensor position calculation

Changes in temperature, supply voltage, target Q-factor and component variations all tend to affect the SIN and COS signals equally.  This means they remain in the same proportion, and the reported position Pr remains the same.

Many other sensor types use a similar underlying calculation.

CambridgeIC

Founded in 2007, CambridgeIC has developed single chip processors and a set of standard sensor designs and integration tools. These help customers embed resonant inductive sensing inside their products, by drawing on modular and well proven components.

Contact

Cambridge Integrated Circuits Ltd
21 Sedley Taylor Road
Cambridge
CB2 8PW
UK
+44 (0) 1223 413500
info@cambridgeic.com