Hall Effect Sensor

Overview

A Hall effect sensor is a transducer that varies its output voltage in response to changes in magnetic field density. Hall sensors are used for proximity switching, positioning, speed detection and current sensing applications. In its simplest form, the sensor operates as an analog 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.

References

Wikipedia, "Hall Effect Sensor", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_effect_sensor