Hall Effect Sensor.

[scottm87]

Originally Posted by Nixterrimus

The 2005 kit came with something a Hall Effect Sensor, after a bit of looking I found the manual for it, it's actually a ATS665LSG made by Allegro Microsystems. Allegro desribes it as a True Zero Speed, High Accuracy, Gear Tooth Sensor. What does that mean? Is this the "gyro" for this year? And does this work in congunction with the accelerometer. There are two of Hall Effect sensors so it seems we need to use them in twos. Also the Allegro manual mentions gears and gear tooth length. So I'm a bit confused and a bit curious and maybe even a bit excited. Anybody know anything about the Hall effect?

Okay. A gear-tooth sensor sits in your gearbox and uses a magnetic field in order to sense each specific tooth go by. The Hall Effect is the concept that allows the integrated circuit to take a measurement of the magnetic field surrounding it. (Hall effect compasses are also popular) The amount of time that elapses between the each tooth gives the speed of the rotating gear, which can then be scaled to the speed of the wheel, etc.

This is not a gyro. A gyro returns your angular acceleration (NOT your angular heading... you would need to integrate the acceleration to get that)