High sensitive orthogonal fluxgate magnetometer using a metglas ribbon

In this paper, performance of an orthogonal fluxgate magnetometer with the use of a narrow Metglas 2714A ribbon is presented. The magnetometer operates in a fundamental mode. In this mode, a direct current bias is added to the alternating current excitation which increases a sensor's performance. Experimental results are shown for the U-shaped sensor head of 5 cm length constructed using a 1-mm-wide ribbon. Results are compared with the performance of the sensor head built using an amorphous wire of a similar cross section. High sensitivity as well as a good linearity of the input-output characteristic is observed. The electronic circuit for driving magnetometer is presented where direct current bias switching for reducing offset and drift is implemented to the circuit. Preliminary results of the sensor's performance driven by the circuit are presented.