Hall Sensor testing
 

Is there any way to test a Hall Sensor with a multi-meter???:confused:

Since the job of a hall sensor is to put ground on the signal (white wire)lead, you should be able to see it with a meter. Maybe wire a lamp, with one side to battery and the other side to the signal lead. Good luck, red

Yes you can use a multimeter to see if the sensor detects the magnet as it moves past the sensor.
Some sensors are pole sensitive in that they only work with the north pole or south pole of a magnet.
Since most hall effect sensors have a open collector output, you need them to be in a circuit to test.
A simple circuit with a LED indicator works quite well actually. But one could substitute a multimeter to watch the voltage level go up and down as the magnet moves by. You can test the hall effect sensor on the engine by connecting the multimeter to the ground and signal wires coming out of the sensor. Then moving the magnet past it should cause the voltage level seen on the multimeter to go up and down.

http://note19.files.wordpress.com/20...ffect-led2.png

Spend $10 to $15 and buy the Rcexl sensor tester. Great little multi-purpose device and comes with a protractor to set timing.

For the original poster, see here for some great info from a pro and an easy process for checking all ignition components. (Post #36)
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/gas-...rmation-2.html

For earlwb: I don't understand the "pull up" resistor in your diagram. I know just enough about electronics to be dangerous, but it is fun to make simple circuits.

Truckracer: Yeah, those two ignition testing tools from RCEXL are cool and very handy. Makes setting timing a breeze too. (You don't have to get a whole ignition system set up to do so.)

Thanks,
AV8TOR

EarlWB is spot on with the circuit. The resistor labeled pullup is actually a current limiting resistor to protect both the hall sensor and the LED. When the hall sensor turns on it acts like a switch and the resistor limits (ohms law) the current through the LED and the hall sensor.
Specifications on the hall sensor I have reviewed are around 11 milliamps max. So with a 6 volt power source and a 1.6 volt drop across the LED a 1000 ohm resistor would limit the current flow to approximately 4.4 milliamps which is 50% of max and bright enough to see in the day light.

Thanks for the explanation. Actually, I understood the function of the resistor and how to calculate the necessary value, I just never heard it called "pull up" before, nor seen that particular schematic symbol. The LED would be fine alone, but a little buzzer in the circuit would be neat too, like the RCEXL units have. Simple enough to add...

AV8TOR

Build yourself a RC hall sensor tester. Very simple and it costs less than a dime. Here is how:

* Things you need to have: One servo cable, one 1k ohms resister, one LED and a solder iron, lead.

1. Connect 1K Ohms resistor to the signal wire ( White or Yellow )

2. Connect other end of the resistor to the Anode of the LED ( Long lead )

3. Connect the Cathode of the LED to the black wire

* Testing:

Connect your battery to the female connector and the male connector of the servo cable to the sensor. Rotate the crankshaft. The LED will light up when it