Working Principle Of Crankshaft Sensor

The crankshaft sensors have different settings, but they tend to operate based on magnetic principles. Many crankshaft sensors are electronic sensors called Hall effect sensors. Hall effect sensors generate current when exposed to a magnetic field. In the crankshaft sensor, the gears rotating together with the crankshaft will damage the magnetic field. This will generate a switching mode in the Hall sensor, which can be interpreted as crankshaft speed. The faster the sensor opens and closes, the faster the crankshaft rotates.

Although these Hall effect sensors provide digital signals, some crankshaft sensors generate analog signals. However, they still operate by magnetic force. Sensors generate voltage based on fluctuations in the magnetic field. Fluctuations are caused by the movement of metal pins in the crankshaft. Faster rotation means more fluctuations and more voltage.

In any case, the timing components, pins, or teeth on the wheels must be evenly spaced to convey accurate speed measurements. However, there is usually a gap that matches when a piston is at top dead center. This gap allows the sensor to determine not only the speed of the crankshaft, but also the rotational position of the crankshaft.