Scalar calibration of vector magnetometers

• Published in: Measurement science & technology 2000-02, Vol.11 (2), p.120-132
• Main Authors: Merayo, J M G, Brauer, P, Primdahl, F, Petersen, J R, Nielsen, O V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0957-0233; 1361-6501
• DOI: 10.1088/0957-0233/11/2/304

The calibration parameters of a magnetometer designed to carry out vector magnetic mapping are estimated by the use of a scalar reference magnetometer. The method presented differs from those previously reported in its linearized parametrization. This allows the determination of three offsets or signals in the absence of a magnetic field, three scale factors for normalization of the axes and three non-orthogonality angles which build up an orthogonal system intrinsically in the sensor. The advantage of this method lies in its linear least squares estimator. Therefore, a magnetometer may be characterized inexpensively in the Earth's magnetic field environment. This procedure has been used successfully in the pre-flight calibration of the state-of-the-art fluxgate magnetometers on board the magnetic mapping satellites Orsted, Astrid-2, CHAMP and SAC-C. By using this method, full-Earth, field range magnetometers can be characterized down to an absolute precision of 0.5 nT, non-orthogonality of only 2 arcsec and a resolution of 0.2 nT. (Original abstract - amended)