A broadband two axis flux-gate magnetometer

By P Palangio

(1998)
Volume: 41, Issue: 3, Pages: 499-509

ISSN: 03652556
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Abstract
A broadband two axis flux-sate magnetometer was developed to obtain high sensitivity
in magnetotelluric measurements. In magnetotelluric sounding, natural low frequency
electromagnetic fields are used to estimate the conductivity of the Earth's interior.
Because variations in the natural magnetic field have small amplitude (10-100 pT) in
the frequency range 1 Hz to 100 Hz, highly sensitive magnetic sensors are required. In
magnetotelluric measurements two long and heavy solenoids, which must be installed,
in the field station, perpendicular to each other (north-south and east-west) and levelled
in the horizontal plane are used. The coil is a critical component in magnetotelluric
measurements because very slight motions create noise voltages, particularly
troublesome in wooded areas; generally the installation takes place in a shallow trench.
Moreover the coil records the derivative of the variations rather than the magnetic field
variations, consequently the transfer function (amplitude and phase) of this sensor is not
constant throughout the frequency range 0.001-100 Hz. The instrument, developed at
L'Aquila Geomagnetic Observatory, has a flat response in both amplitude and phase in
the frequency band DC-100 Hz, in addition it has low weight, low power, small volume
and it is easier to install in the field than induction magnetometers. The sensivity of this
magnetometer is 10 pT rms.

CSM-05 stations of three component fluxgate magnetometer

Larger photo of CSM-05 stations of three component fluxgate magnetometer

Country/Region: China
Product Description

CSM-05 stations of three component fluxgate magnetometer

CSM-05 stations of three component fluxgate magnetometer Products

CSM-05 stations of three component fluxgate magnetometer Beijing Geological Instrument Factory is the
latest development of the stations of equipment, applicable to the geomagnetic observation stations to
long-term changes in the magnetic field.
Main Features
Compensation coil sensors and structural stability, little affected by temperature.
Geomagnetic wide scope of compensation. Y and Z component weight were 12 stalls and 22 stalls of
compensation. Each file 2000 nT, and a small compensation, the compensation more accurate.
RS485 interfaces with output, long-distance data transmission.
With Ethernet interface to facilitate the transmission network, data query.
12-volt power supply and DC power can automatically switch.
When the GPS system.
Main Specifications
Geomagnetic scope of compensation: Y component 24000 nT
Z-component 44000 nT
Range: 0 ~1000nT
Resolution: 0.1 nT
Noise level: 0.1 nT
Data storage: 1 / sec sampling rate, not less than 15 days
The working environment temperature: -10~ 50
Power: DC, 9 ~ 18 V
Host Size: 49090370mm
Measuring Circuit chassis size: 25080220mm
Sensor Size: 230340mm
Host to measure the distance between the chassis circuit: 100 m
Measuring Circuit chassis to probe the distance: 6 m

Fluxgate Magnetometers
Our laboratory has been involved in the design and build of radiation hardened Fluxgate
Magnetometers for over twenty years. During this time we have optimised the design to
produce one of the most stable and low noise models in-flight to date.

HOW DO THEY WORK ?

Fluxgate sensors are typically ring cores of a highly magnetically permeable alloy
(usually a few cm diameter for the low noise levels demanded by space applications).
Two coil windings are wrapped around these cores: the drive winding and the sense
winding (as shown in the figure). Some sensors will also have a third feedback
winding, if the sensor is to operate in closed loop. Typically, there is one ring core to
measure the field in each of the 3 axes.

- A periodic bi-polar current pulse is injected into the drive winding to drive the
material around its B-H loop and deeply saturating the core in alternate directions (i.e.
magnetised - unmagnetised - inversely magnetised - unmagnetised - magnetised etc.).
- The sense winding placed around the sensor picks up an induced voltage caused by
changing flux within the coil as a result of an external field. This induced voltage
appears as a signal at twice the drive frequency.

For more details on how a fluxgate works click here

Schematic of a single axis of a fluxgate magnetometer sensor

Detecting the signal

The drive frequency 'f', is typically tens of kHz and thus the induced '2f' will be twice
that. Sense and detection electronics are required to extract magnitude and phase of
the very small field proportional signal, to determine the field magnitude and
direction. Signal amplification may be achieved either by use of a amplifier, tuning the
sense winding so its is more sensitive at 2f or a combination of both. In this
configuration we have what is known as an 'open loop' design. However usually the
signal will be integrated and fed into a feedback winding to null out the field in the
core for operation in 'closed loop ' which improves linearity. Gain-switching is also
employed to increase the dynamic range. Considerable effort is expended to remove the
presence of harmonics other than 2f which could result in an increase in the noise level
or cause unwanted offsets.

The Double Star EM Sensor: Square sense windings are visible wrapped around 2
cores fixed to a ceramic mounting

Double Star noise density spectra

CURRENT STATUS

Implementation of the sense electronics has traditionally been in the analogue domain,
however recent advances in embedded devices has seen progress in development
of digital fluxgates. For three axis measurement three rings cores are usually used but it
is possible to only use two rings cores (with dual sense winding) as in the case of
the Double Star instrument. Imperial College fluxgates have been shown to have very
good offset drift and noise performance (<5pT/√Hz @ 1Hz). A typical noise spectra is
shown in the figure opposite.

Fluxgate sensors will undergo a careful pre-launch calibration on ground usually in a

low field or magnetic coil facility so that the sensors transfer function is accurately
known and this provides an input into the in-flight calibration effort once the instrument
is in orbit

Calibration
To provide magnetometer data suitable for scientific study, the calibration step is
essential. The full calibration process involves a calibration campaign carried out on
the ground before launch followed by constant in-flight calibration after the launch.

The figures below show spectrograms for a complete orbit before and after adjustment
of the calibration parameters. In both cases, the instrument range is indicated by the
solid red or white line. For each orbit, the range transitions from 4->3->2->3->4, with
most of the time spent in Range 2.

Can you spot the difference?

In the first plot, unacceptable levels of spin-frequency signal and harmonics in Range 3
can be seen. The fundamental of the spin frequency is 0.25 Hz (1 revolution of the
spacecraft approximately every 4 seconds). This indicates that the calibration
parameters are not optimised. After adjustment, the spin-tone is reduced to an
acceptable level, as shown in the second plot.

Further details of the solutions to the main calibration issues which lead to final data
products of the highest quality can be found in the links below.

Description of Calibration Problem

The overall procedure for magnetometer calibration is the conversion of quantities
directly measured by the instrument which are in engineering units and delivered via the
spacecraft telemetry, into the physical units of nT. This process also involves the
conversion of the three components of the magnetic field vector into a standard
orthogonal coordinate system. The instrument model describes this calibration process
and the full description can be found, along with definitions of all parameters, in the
paper Balogh et al.(2001). The full instrument model contains calibration parameters
which are determined both on the ground before launch but also parameters which are
determined in-flight.

Equation 1

Calibration parameters:

• Elevation angles, θ
• Azimuthal angles, φ
• Gains, G
• Offsets, O

Coordinates:

• Sensor, S
• Orthogonal, x,y,z

After launch, the calibration problem can be represented by equation 1. This equation
shows the transformation between a magnetic field vector in the sensor coordinate
system and a magnetic field measured in nT in an orthogonal coordinate system. The
task of producing calibrated data then comes down to determining the parameters in this
calibration equation. There are six angles, three gains and three offsets. There is no
single calibration analysis that can be used to calculate all of these parameters. A
description of a set of calibration techniques that can be used is in the in-flight
calibration section.
Figure 1: The relation between the orthogonal and sensor coordinate systems. The
angles θ and φ for each sensor coordinate is defined in the same way. θ is measured
from the z-axis and φ is measured from the x-axis in the x-y plane.