A thin-ring-core fluxgate magnetometer for absolute field measurements
Abstract
A fluxgate sensor of 2.63 mV/nT sensitivity was developed using a single wrap of .0025 mm thick "Super C" Permalloy tape as the active element. The sensor
assembly, complete with the drive and sensing coils can be rotated through 360 deg about both horizontal and vertical axes for either component or net B-field
measurements at a point. The electronics for processing the signal field for display in digital form was designed and constructed to complete a portable, tripod-
mounted magnetometer which can measure to the nearest 0.1 μT.
Data obtained in the development of the sensor suggests that the sensitivity of fluxgates may be extended to its limit by using as active core a thin film of a high-
mu ferromagnetic alloy deposited on a ceramic or glass ring substrate.