Motion and tilt have long hindered the accuracy, reliability, and response of magnetic detection systems. Perturbations in the magnetic field reading resulting from motion cause degradation of the output signal, compromising the performance and reliability of the magnetometer system. The purpose of this document is to describe the development, construction, and testing of a tilt-stabilized three-axis magnetic field sensor. The sensor is implemented as a three-axis general-purpose magnetic field sensor, with the additional capability of being implemented as a compass. Design and construction of system hardware is discussed, along with software development and implementation. Finite impulse response filters are designed and implemented in hardware to filter the acquired magnetic signals. Various designs of median filters are simulated and tested for smoothing inclination signal irregularities and noise. Trigonometric conversions necessary for tilt-compensation are calculated in software using traditional methods, as well as the Coordinate Rotation Digital Computer (CORDIC) algorithm. Both calculation methods are compared for execution time and efficiency. Successful incorporation of all design aspects leads to detection and output of stable earth magnetic fields, sinusoidal signals, and aperiodic signatures while the magnetometer system is subject to significant tilt motion. Optimized system execution time leads to a maximum detectable signal bandwidth of 410 Hz. Integration of azimuth angle calculation is incorporated and is successfully tested with minimal error, allowing the system to be used as a compass. Results of the compensated system tests are compared to non-compensated results to display system performance, including tilt-compensation effectiveness, noise attenuation, and operational speed.

Master of Science