The magnetic piston (1) in this pneumatic cylinder will cause the Hall effect sensors (2 and 3) mounted on its outer wall to activate when it is fully retracted or extended.

A Hall effect sensor is a transducer that varies its output voltage in response to changes in magnetic field. Hall sensors are used for proximity switching, positioning, speed detection, and current sensing applications. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (421x697, 13 KB) Drawn by User:IMeowbot A pneumatic cylinder with Hall effect sensors attached to its outer wall to detect its extended and retracted positions. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (421x697, 13 KB) Drawn by User:IMeowbot A pneumatic cylinder with Hall effect sensors attached to its outer wall to detect its extended and retracted positions. ... A transducer is a device, usually electrical or electronic, that converts one type of energy to another. ... International safety symbol Caution, risk of electric shock (ISO 3864), colloquially known as high voltage symbol. ... This template is misplaced. ...

In its simplest form, the sensor operates as an analogue transducer, directly returning a voltage. With a known magnetic field, its distance from the Hall plate can be determined. Using groups of sensors, the relative position of the magnet can be deduced. An analog or analogue signal is any continuously variable signal. ... A transducer is a device, usually electrical or electronic, that converts one type of energy to another. ...

Electricity carried through a conductor will produce a magnetic field that varies with current, and a Hall sensor can be used to measure the current without interrupting the circuit. Typically, the sensor is integrated with a wound core or permanent magnet that surrounds the conductor to be measured. Lightning strikes during a night-time thunderstorm. ...

Frequently, a Hall sensor is combined with circuitry that allows the device to act in a digital (on/off) mode, and may be called a switch in this configuration. Commonly seen in industrial applications such as the pictured pneumatic cylinder, they are also used in consumer equipment; for example some computer printers use them to detect missing paper and open covers. When high reliability is required, they are used in keyboards. Electrical switches. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Keyboard construction, in four layers, of a typical notebook computer keyboard There are many types of keyboard, usually differentiated by the switch technology employed in their operation. ...

Hall sensors are commonly used to time the speed of wheels and shafts, such as for internal combustion engine ignition timing or tachometers. In the pictured wheel carrying two equally spaced magnets, the voltage from the sensor will peak twice for each revolution. This arrangement is commonly used to regulate the speed of disc drives. Image File history File links Drawn by User:IMeowbot Animated GIF showing a tachometer arrangement consisting of two magnets and a Hall effect sensor. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The ignition system of an internal-combustion engine is an important part of the overall engine system that provides for the timely burning of the fuel mixture within the engine. ... Tachometer showing engine RPM (revolutions per minute), and a redline from 6000 and 7000 RPM. A tachometer measures the speed of rotation of a shaft or disk (from Greek: tachos = speed, metron = measure), as in a motor or other machine. ... A disk or disc is anything that resembles a flattened cylinder in shape. ...

See also

• Hall effect