I emailed Nathan suggesting a magnetometer breakout board last nite, geez he’s a quick replier, much faster than other electronics sales departments.
I recommended the Honeywell HMC6052 Integrated Compass Sensor, because it’s a small (3.5mm by 3.5mm LCC package) dual axis with internal signal conditioning for ease of implementation.
It is good to see you guys (Spark Fun) are now offering Honeywell’s [HMC1052L.
If your breakout boards for the HMC1052L will have the recomended low noise amplifier circuit on them, and still cost less than the internally amplified [HMC6052 Integrated Compass Sensor, then I think you will have much success.
Otherwise, if the HMC6052 on a simple breakout board works out cheaper, I would recomend you offer this sensor instead.
Good job keeping your eyes and ears open. The new 6052 from honeywell looks pretty nice. The engineering samples aren’t even available for another couple months, but they hope to have production late 2006.
Because of the slow delivery, we took the plunge with the 1052s. The breakout is just a pin breakout so that zany engineers can eval it for any purpose. I’m also working on a dev board with the dual-channel LNA and MOSFET reset circuit. Bit larger with a ton of 0603 components, but it shouldn’t be too expensive. Probably ~$30.
We’d love to make a tri-axis all inclusive, but it gets pretty ugly with right-angle PCBs and lots of ICs, etc. Someday we’ll see a MEMs triple-axis package the size of the ADXL330. Someday.
If you want to make an tri-axis version available, why not use HMC1043 or HMC1053 (they both seem to be the almost(?) the same), both are three axis sensors (only not amplified) and won’t need right-angle PCBs.
HMC1051Z/HMC1051ZL could be used together with the 1052 as well without right-angle PCBs, if the tri-axis versions are not available or too expensive.
Wrong, z-component (because of magnetic inclination) can become significant even if you are very far away from one of the magnetic poles (see http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/geomag/field/chart_e.php). So for more precise measurements 3D compass can be useful. If you don’t have to tilt your sensor for the measurements its better.
However you are right for many applications 2D measuring (maybe with some tilt compensation) is okay.
The honeywell sensor sucks due to the GMR sensor design employed and analog circuitry. I would rather buy PNI’s MS2100 integrated IC with digital SPI interface and NO offset drift and NO need to flash the sensors with magnetic fields for reset. Actually, even the magnetometer on its carrier board (already offered by sparkfun) is better than the honeywell - though larger. I suggest they’d also offer the smaller 7x7mm MS2100 integrated sensor instead of the honeywell-headache.
Both companies seem to be on the leading edge of sensing. PNI is still a bit expensive (each axis can sensor is $4 in multiple k qty), and the way that you sense the magnetic field is by the number of oscillations the cans put out. This can be a good thing, but also a very slow thing. Analog sensors like the HMC line can be monitored as quickly as you can do your ADC.
Now that we are in development of the 6DOF v3, we want to spit out as much data as possible. The PNI sensors just couldn’t keep up.
HMCs on the other hand - jeesh, what an external circuitry mess. I can’t wait for them to get the reset and amp circuits inside the IC.
We’ll stock the PNI eval kits in June when they are released.
is your statement on honeywell sensors derived from practical experience or is it just because some external circuitry is needed? External circuitary is not so good, but would be somebody else’s problem if bought on carrier board with amplifier and reset >:). I haven’t used them so far.
Btw. are there any other magnetometer sensors worth to mention (other than PNI and honeywell)?
What about the HMC1043’s? They are only $5 more than the HMC1052, but have 3 axis. I haven’t studied the datasheet closely, but they look almost the same as the HMC1053. I’d be interested in a HMC1043 evaluation board.
