How is a magneto-inductive (MI) sensor different from a fluxgate?
To measure a magnetic field, a fluxgate needs to be driven into and out of saturation whereas PNI’s magneto-inductive sensor serves as the inductive element in a low-power L/R relaxation oscillator. This oscillator has an output that is directly proportional to the strength of the measured magnetic field. Since there is no need to drive the magneto-inductive sensor into and out of saturation the circuit design is far less complicated and the power consumption is greatly reduced. The inherently digital nature of the output signal has the additional benefit of removing the need for complex and costly signal conditioning and analog-to-digital circuitry.
