Angle measurement is frequently required in both automotive and industrial applications. Contactless methods have the advantage that they are free of wear. If a magnetic field acts as the transmitter between the physical
value to be measured and the actual sensor, the magnetic system and the signal conditioning electronics can be encapsulated separately making such systems robust against dirt, dust and liquid as well as mechanical destruction. Among this class of measurement systems, those using the magnetoresistive effect (MR effect) are characterised by the additional feature that they evaluate the direction of the magnetic field and not the field strength. Therefore MR based systems tolerate variations in field strength caused by ageing or temperaturesensitivity of the magnet as well as mechanical tolerances. This recommends MR based systems for applications where robust, precise, and also cost-efficient solutions are required.