AUTOCALIBRATION OF SILICON HALL DEVICES

A new method for eliminating sensor defects is presented. The autocali bration method uses an on-chip actuator that generates a reference sig nal to correct the sensor characteristics, ensuring reliable and accur ate measurements. Autocalibration also eliminates the need for calibra tion during manufacturing or during the lifetime of the sensor, which considerably reduces the cost of mass-produced sensors. The on-chip ac tuator also provides the user with diagnostic information by providing a self-test feature. To illustrate the effectiveness of this method, the principle is successfully applied to a silicon Hall device, which is known for its unstable sensitivity.