Patent ID: 9651354
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: G01B,G01R

Claim:
1. A method comprising: coupling a spherical magnet that produces pure dipole magnetic field to an object under test; providing a linear array of at least three Hall sensors, each configured to measure the magnetic field associated with the spherical magnet and to produce at least one Hall voltage reading that corresponds to the measured magnetic field associated with the spherical magnet; obtaining, via a multiplexer, the at least one Hall voltage reading from each of the linear array of at least three Hall sensors in a time-division manner; measuring, via a voltmeter, the at least one Hall voltage reading from each of the linear array of at least three Hall sensors in a time-division manner; fitting, via a controller, each of the at least one Hall voltage reading received from the multiplexer as a function of position along a line between the spherical magnet and the linear array of at least three Hall sensors; calculating, via the controller, a slope and an intercept associated with each of the fit Hall voltage readings; and computing, via the controller, a distance between the spherical magnet and the linear array of at least three Hall sensors based on the slope and the intercept.