How does a Hall current sensor work?

News | company news | Jan 13,2024

A Hall current sensor is a device that measures current through the Hall effect. The Hall effect means that when a current passes through a conductive material, a magnetic field perpendicular to the direction of the current causes the deflection of charge carriers, thereby generating a potential difference in the lateral direction. This potential difference is call the Hall voltage, and its relationship to current and magnetic fields can be use to measure current.

Electric current passes through conductive material: When electric current passes through the conductive material of the sensor, it generates current carriers.
Vertical magnetic field: There is a magnetic field around the sensor that is perpendicular to the direction of the current. This magnetic field can be provided by a built-in magnetic field source or externally.
Hall voltage generation: Due to the Hall effect, current carriers are deflect by the magnetic field, resulting in the generation of Hall voltage laterally. The magnitude of this voltage is proportional to the intensity of the current.
Voltage measurement: Circuitry inside the sensor measures the resulting Hall voltage and converts it into a current value. Typically, the sensor outputs a voltage or current signal that is proportional to the intensity of the current.
Output signal: The output signal of the sensor can be amplified and processed by the corresponding circuit to finally provide a readable current value.

Generally speaking, the Hall current sensor uses the principle of the Hall effect to indirectly measure the current intensity by measuring the Hall voltage generated laterally. This kind of sensor is usually widely use in fields such as power systems, electronic equipment, and industrial automation.

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