By Nick Czarnecki, Global Marketing Manager for Magnetic Sensors, Melexis

Magnetism is a powerful force that enables a wide range of technologies making a huge difference in the world; without magnetism there would be no electric motors, for example. But it is also fundamentally sensitive to naturally-occurring and artificially-created fields, which gives it the scope to be used in sensors. One area where the properties of magnetism are fully exploitable is contactless position sensing. As all sectors continue to experience the march of modernisation, automation and electrification, contactless position sensors continue to offer a reliable and versatile approach to control, making the technology extremely influential in our world today.

Contactless position sensing is particularly beneficial in industrial and automotive applications, where the control mechanism used can be exposed to repetitive actions under harsh conditions. Of the many ways to implement contactless sensing, the Hall effect has established itself and is now a well-understood practice. By coupling this proven principle to advanced integrated circuitry, it is possible to develop sophisticated sensing solutions that meet the needs of a wide array of applications.