Patent ID: 8626962
Filing Date: 2014-01-07
Classification: B63H,G01C,G05B,G06F

Abstract:
1. A tilt and trim sensor apparatus comprising: a housing; a shaft rotatably mounted to the housing; a magnet connected to one of the housing and the shaft; a transducer connected to another of the housing and shaft, the transducer disposed adjacent to the magnet for sensing the position of the magnet and outputting a signal representative of an angular position of the magnet; output circuitry including a terminal for connecting to one of an analog gauge display unit and a digital gauge display unit; and a microprocessor configured to ascertain a voltage at the terminal and determine whether the display unit is the analog gauge display unit or the digital gauge display unit based on the voltage, the microprocessor also being configured to receive the signal from the transducer and to operatively tailor the signal for the one of the analog gauge display unit and digital gauge display unit based on the voltage at the terminal; the apparatus receiving power via the terminal, the microprocessor being configured to determine whether the voltage at the terminal is above or below a threshold voltage when the display unit is connected to the terminal, the microprocessor ascertaining whether the display unit is the analog gauge display unit or the digital gauge display unit based on the voltage measured at the terminal, and causing the output circuitry to output a signal based on the output of the magnetoresistive transducer that is in accordance with said one of the analog gauge display unit and the digital gauge display unit.