SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERPRETING A SIGNAL FROM A TRANSDUCER
The sensor system includes a transducer having an output and a microcontroller in communication with the output of the transducer. Generally, the transducer is a Hall effect device which is capable of measuring a magnetic field. The transducer outputs a transducer signal to the microcontroller. The transducer signal has a generally non-linear range. The microcontroller receives the non-linear transducer signal and is configured to output a signal based on the transducer signal that has been modified to have a linear range, as opposed to the non-linear range of the transducer signal.
1 . A sensor system comprising:
a first transducer having a first transducer output, the first transducer being configured to measure a parameter and output a first transducer signal to the first transducer output, the first transducer signal based on the parameter measured by the first transducer, the first transducer signal having a non-linear range; and
a microcontroller in communication with the first transducer output and having a microcontroller output, the microcontroller being configured to output a signal based on the first transducer signal, wherein the signal has a linear range.
2 . The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the first transducer is a Hall effect device and wherein the parameter to be measured is a magnetic field.
3 . The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller further comprises an analog to digital converter, the analog to digital converter being configured to convert the first transducer signal to a digital transducer value.
4 . The sensor system of claim 3 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured to filter the digital transducer value using a filter.
5 . The sensor system of claim 4 , wherein the filter is at least one of a median value filter and an infinite impulse response low-pass filter.
6 . The sensor system of claim 4 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured to linearize the digital transducer value to create a linearized transducer value.
7 . The sensor system of claim 6 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to linearize the digital transducer value by utilizing a lookup table, the lookup table containing conversion value for converting the digital transducer value to the linearized transducer value.
8 . The sensor system of claim 7 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured to convert the linearized transducer value to the signal outputted to the microcontroller output.
9 . The sensor system of claim 8 , wherein the signal outputted by the microcontroller output is at least one of a single edge nibble transmission signal, a pulse width modulated signal, and an analog signal.
10 . The sensor system of claim 8 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to apply a hysteresis algorithm to the digital transducer value for reminance cancellation.
11 . The sensor system of claim 10 , wherein the hysteresis algorithm utilizes the Jiles-Atherton model.
12 . The sensor system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second transducer having a second transducer output, the second transducer being configured to measure the parameter and output a second transducer signal to the second transducer output, the second transducer signal based on the parameter measured by the second transducer, the second transducer signal having a non-linear range; and
the microcontroller being in communication with the second transducer output, the microcontroller being configured to output a signal based on the first and second transducer signals, wherein the signal has a linear range.
13 . A method for interpreting a signal from a transducer, the method comprising:
receiving a first transducer signal from a first transducer, the first transducer signal based on the parameter measured by the first transducer, the first transducer signal having a non-linear range; and
outputting an output signal based on the first transducer signal, wherein the output signal has a linear range.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first transducer is a Hall effect device and wherein the parameter to be measured is a magnetic field.
15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising the step of converting the first transducer signal to a digital transducer value.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of filtering the digital transducer value using a filter.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the filter is at least one of a median value filter and an infinite impulse response low-pass filter.
18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of linearizing the digital transducer value to create a linearized transducer value.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of linearizing utilizes a lookup table, the lookup table containing conversion value for converting the digital transducer value to the linearized transducer value.
20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising the step of converting the linearized transducer value to the signal outputted to the microcontroller output.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the output signal is at least one of a single edge nibble transmission signal, a pulse width modulated signal, and an analog signal.
22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to apply a hysteresis algorithm to the digital transducer value for reminance cancellation.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the hysteresis algorithm utilizes the Jiles-Atherton model.
24 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving a second transducer having a second transducer output, the second transducer signal based on the parameter measured by the second transducer, the second transducer signal having a non-linear range; and
outputting the output signal based on the first and second transducer signals, wherein the output signal has a linear range.