# Theoretical Simulation of Output Characteristics of an RTD-Fluxgate Sensor Under Sawtooth Wave Excitation

## TL;DR

This paper proposes using a sawtooth wave to improve the sensitivity of RTD-fluxgate sensors used in UAV aeromagnetic measurements.

## Contribution

The study introduces sawtooth wave excitation as a novel method to enhance sensor sensitivity in RTD-fluxgate sensors.

## Key findings

- The time-difference expression under sawtooth excitation is independent of coercivity.
- Sawtooth excitation produced a time difference 2 times higher than triangular and 3.3 times higher than trapezoidal waves.
- The method shows significant potential for improving aeromagnetic gradient detection in UAVs.

## Abstract

With the widespread application of RTD-fluxgate sensors in UAV aeromagnetic measurements, improving sensor sensitivity is essential for aeromagnetic gradient detection. The excitation waveform is one of the key factors affecting sensitivity. Under sinusoidal excitation, the output model shows poor linearity, and the time-difference expression needs to consider coercivity. Additionally, when triangular and trapezoidal waves are used, sensitivity improvement is limited. To address these issues, this paper proposed using a sawtooth wave as the excitation waveform for RTD-fluxgate sensors. The expressions for output time difference ΔT and sensitivity S were derived, and the sensor’s output characteristics under different excitations were compared. It was found that the time-difference expression under sawtooth wave excitation was independent of coercivity. The simulation results showed that under identical frequency and amplitude conditions, the time difference ΔT produced by sawtooth wave excitation was 2 times that of the triangular wave and 3.3 times that of the trapezoidal wave, significantly enhancing sensitivity. This excitation waveform offers advantages, providing new technical support for UAV aeromagnetic gradient detection and demonstrating broad application potential.