Magnetic Sensor & Coil FAQs

Magnetic Sensors Corp holds a comprehensive set of certifications supporting regulated and hazardous-location industries: ISO 9001:2015, AS9100D, SIL3, ITAR Registered, IECEx, ATEX, CSA, KC, and CCC. This combination covers quality management (ISO 9001, AS9100D), functional safety (SIL3), U.S. defense export compliance (ITAR), and hazardous-location/explosion-proof approvals for multiple global markets (IECEx, ATEX, CSA, KC, CCC).

AS9100D is the internationally recognized quality management standard for the aerospace, aviation, and defense industries. Built on the ISO 9001 framework, it adds industry-specific requirements around traceability, configuration management, risk management, and product safety. For a sensor supplier, holding AS9100D means the company's processes have been independently audited to meet the elevated documentation, consistency, and reliability standards that aerospace and defense programs require. MSC is certified to both ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D, and this certification backs every sensor and coil we build.

Yes. Our quality management system is certified to ISO 9001:2015, and we hold AS9100D certification as well for aerospace/defense-grade quality requirements. We combine this with in-house environmental and performance testing, plus collaboration with certified outside test labs when a project requires additional third-party validation.

ATEX is a European Union certification standard governing equipment used in explosive atmospheres, places where flammable gases, vapors, dust, or fibers may be present, such as oil and gas facilities, chemical plants, and mining operations. Equipment certified to ATEX has been tested to ensure it cannot become an ignition source in these environments. MSC holds ATEX certification and offers ATEX-certified explosion-proof Variable Reluctance (VR) speed sensors, engineered specifically for hazardous-location use in oil and gas, chemical processing, and mining applications. Our Hall Effect speed and direction sensors also list ATEX certification as a configurable option.

IECEx is an international certification scheme (administered by the International Electrotechnical Commission) for equipment used in explosive atmospheres. While ATEX is specific to the European Union, IECEx provides global recognition, helping streamline hazardous-location approvals across multiple countries without needing separate national certifications for each one. Many manufacturers pursue both since they cover overlapping but distinct regulatory markets. MSC holds both IECEx and ATEX certification, giving customers flexibility depending on which regional or international standard their project requires.

Yes. MSC holds CSA certification alongside ATEX and IECEx, covering explosion-proof sensors designed for hazardous environments involving methane gas, flammable liquids, airborne dust, or other explosive conditions, making them suitable for North American hazardous-location applications.

Yes. Magnetic Sensors Corp is ITAR Registered, and our Hall Effect sensors are also offered as NIST compliant for military applications. We actively supply Mil-spec magnetic speed sensors used in defense platforms such as the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, AAV7 Amphibious Assault Vehicle, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, as well as naval and aviation programs.

Yes. Magnetic Sensors Corp holds CCC (China Compulsory Certificate) certification, the mandatory conformity mark required for many products sold in the Chinese market, allowing us to support customers and OEM programs shipping into China.

Yes. Magnetic Sensors Corp holds KC (Korea Certification) mark certification, the mandatory conformity mark required for many electronic and electrical products sold in South Korea, similar in purpose to CE marking in the EU. This allows us to support customers and OEM programs shipping into the South Korean market.

SIL (Safety Integrity Level) is a measurement of a safety system's reliability defined under IEC 61508, the international functional safety standard. SIL levels range from SIL1 (lowest) to SIL4 (highest), rating how effectively a system reduces risk in safety-critical applications. SIL3 represents a high level of risk reduction, indicating the component is suitable for use in demanding safety-instrumented systems. Magnetic Sensors Corp holds SIL3 certification, supporting customers who need sensors verified as "suitable for safety applications" in critical monitoring or shutdown systems. Reach out to a product expert to learn more.

Not every application fits a catalog part. When you're working with extreme temperatures, tight space constraints, unusual mounting geometry, or a nonstandard target wheel, a custom sensor lets us match the design to your exact performance needs rather than asking your system to accommodate a generic part. Because MSC handles design, tooling, and manufacturing in-house from first sketch to final testing, custom projects benefit from tight quality control, faster turnaround, and a sensor that's engineered to work correctly the first time. No field modifications required.

It starts with a Request a Quote submission describing your application. From there, our engineering team reviews your requirements,  housing geometry, connector configuration, sealing needs, operating temperature range, target wheel dimensions, and electrical output, and works with you through design, prototyping, and testing, all performed in-house at our Anaheim, CA facility. This keeps tolerances, materials, and timelines under our direct control from concept through production.

If your system uses a nonstandard target or you're unsure whether your ferrous wheel is compatible with our sensors, send us your specifications (target wheel diameter, tooth dimensions, mounting constraints, required output type, and operating environment). Our engineering team will review the details and confirm fit before you commit to a part number.

Yes, this is one of our core specialties. We regularly engineer direct replacements for obsolete, hard-to-find, or underperforming sensors and coils, whether the original manufacturer has discontinued the part, gone out of business, or simply can't meet current lead times. This applies across our magnetic pickup coils, custom coil assemblies, and heavy equipment sensor lines.

Pricing depends on the specifics of your design, materials, tolerances, testing requirements, and volume all factor in. We don't publish general pricing since custom work varies so much project to project; the best next step is to submit a Request a Quote so our team can provide pricing based on your actual specifications.

Yes. As a small business, we're built to respond quickly whether you need a single prototype unit or a production run of tens of thousands. We scale with your project rather than requiring you to fit into a fixed minimum order structure.

Yes. MSC serves customers worldwide, and our quoting process is set up to support international orders, including full country selection for shipping and contact details. Our IECEx, CCC, and KC certifications specifically support global OEM programs shipping into international and hazardous-location markets. Payment terms are handled in USD through a US bank account for international transactions.

ATEX is required for equipment used in explosive atmospheres within the European Union. CSA is the equivalent standard commonly required in Canada and widely recognized across North America. IECEx is an international scheme intended for broader global recognition beyond a single region, often accepted as a baseline that individual countries build additional local requirements on top of. MSC holds all three certifications, ATEX, IECEx, and CSA, so we can support hazardous-location sensor needs regardless of which regional or international standard your project requires. Our team can help confirm which certification applies to your specific market.

Our certification portfolio is built specifically to support regulated industries: ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D for aerospace/defense-grade quality systems, ITAR Registered status for U.S. defense programs, SIL3 for safety-critical applications, and ATEX, IECEx, CSA, KC, and CCC for hazardous-location and international market compliance. We also collaborate directly with certified third-party test labs when a project requires additional compliance verification beyond our in-house testing capabilities.

Yes. Our on-site engineering team works directly with customers to design tailored solutions, not just manufacture to a print. That includes in-house environmental and performance testing, so quality control happens throughout the process rather than only at final inspection.

We're based in Anaheim, California, and have been manufacturing there for over 40 years. Design, engineering, tooling, and manufacturing are all performed in-house at this single US facility.

A Hall effect sensor detects changes in a magnetic field using the Hall principle: when a current-carrying conductor is exposed to a magnetic field, it produces a measurable voltage. As a magnetic target (like a gear tooth) moves past the sensor, that voltage changes in a predictable way, allowing the sensor to translate motion into an electrical signal. Hall effect sensors are valued for high accuracy, fast response time, durability, and true zero-speed sensing capability.

A variable reluctance sensor is built like a coil wrapped around a magnet and pole piece. As a ferrous target, typically a gear tooth, passes near the sensor, it disturbs the magnetic field and generates a voltage pulse. The frequency of these pulses corresponds to the rotational speed of the target, with the target wheel's diameter and tooth dimensions factoring into the final speed calculation. VR sensors are self-generating (they require no external power source) and are known for durability in high-temperature, high-vibration, and harsh environments.

Generally speaking, VR sensors tend to excel in high-temperature, harsh, and airborne environments thanks to their rugged, self-powered design and tolerance for vibration and corrosive atmospheres. Hall effect sensors offer high accuracy, fast response, and true zero-speed detection, making them well-suited to applications where precision at very low or stopped speeds matters. The right choice depends on your specific operating environment, power availability, and speed range. Our engineering team can help match the sensor type to your application.

A Hall effect sensor is one specific type of magnetic sensor. "Magnetic sensor" is the broader category that includes several different sensing technologies, including Hall effect, variable reluctance, and magnetoresistive sensing, all of which detect and respond to changes in a magnetic field, just through different physical mechanisms.

A magnetic pickup sensor (MPU) is a noncontact coil assembly that detects changes in a magnetic field as a ferrous target passes by, converting that motion into a clean electrical signal. Because they're self-generating, producing an output voltage only when the target is actually moving, they're commonly used for monitoring engine RPM, turbine speed, and gearbox performance in industrial, automotive, aerospace, and military equipment.

A proximity sensor detects movement or position by sensing changes in a magnetic field, without requiring physical contact with the target. Because they can operate inside sealed housings that resist dirt, oil, and moisture, magnetic proximity sensors are well-suited to industrial automation environments, where they're used for tight-tolerance position detection in automated manufacturing equipment, robotics, and machine safety systems.

A thermistor is a temperature-sensing device that changes electrical resistance in response to temperature changes. Thermistors come in two main types: NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient), where resistance decreases as temperature rises, and PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient), where resistance increases as temperature rises. A thermocouple, by contrast, generates a small voltage directly from the temperature difference between two dissimilar metal junctions, rather than relying on a resistance change. In general, thermistors tend to offer higher precision over a narrower temperature range, while thermocouples typically handle a wider temperature range with slightly less precision. MSC manufactures both thermistor and thermocouple temperature sensors.

The right choice usually comes down to the temperature range and precision your application needs. Thermistors (both NTC and PTC) are well suited to applications requiring high accuracy within a defined range, for example, avionics cooling systems, hydraulic fluid temperature monitoring, and medical temperature probes. Thermocouples are generally chosen when a wider operating temperature range is needed. MSC's engineering team can help you determine which technology best fits your specific application and environmental conditions.

A geomagnetic sensor is a type of magnetic sensor specifically designed to detect the Earth's natural magnetic field, commonly used for compass and orientation applications (such as in navigation systems and smartphones). It's a specialized subset of magnetic sensing technology focused on detecting a very weak, ambient magnetic field rather than a nearby target or component. This differs from the industrial magnetic sensors MSC manufactures, which are designed to detect the field generated by a specific nearby target (like a gear tooth or ferrous component) for speed, position, or proximity sensing rather than ambient geomagnetic orientation.

MSC's magnetic pickup sensors are self-generating (no external power required) and are built specifically for tough, high-vibration environments like automotive, aerospace, industrial automation, and military equipment, a durability advantage over sensor types that depend on external power and can be more sensitive to dirt, debris, or lighting conditions in harsh industrial settings. We don't manufacture optical/electronic speed sensors ourselves, so we can't offer a direct side-by-side comparison, but if you're evaluating sensing technologies for a heavy machinery application, our engineering team can walk through the trade-offs based on your specific operating environment.

Pre-built, standard, off-the-shelf coils are a good fit when your application closely matches standard specifications and you need a fast, lower-cost solution. But standard coils rarely account for your specific operating environment, target geometry, or the downstream electronics your signal needs to feed. A custom coil, built from the ground up to your frequency range and physical constraints, makes more sense when precision and fit really matter, or when a generic part would require compromises in your system design.

Consider a custom coil when you're replacing an obsolete or discontinued part, designing for a challenging or unusual environment, or working with specifications,  frequency range, sealing, temperature extremes, or physical dimensions, that don't match anything in a standard catalog.

A speed and direction sensor combines a Hall effect chip with additional circuitry that allows it to determine not just how fast a target is rotating, but also which direction it's rotating in. As the magnetic target moves past the sensor, the changing magnetic field induces a voltage that the sensor interprets to output both speed and directional data with high accuracy. This makes it useful in applications like anti-lock braking systems, robotic positioning, and machinery requiring bidirectional monitoring.

A custom coil assembly is a wound-wire component engineered to a specific electrical and mechanical specification for your application, rather than pulled from a generic catalog. Bobbin-wound coils are built around a structural core (the bobbin), which gives them a consistent, repeatable shape and is a common choice for standard transformer- and inductor-style applications. Freestanding coils, by contrast, have no structural core at all,  they're wound on collapsible mandrels and can be removed without damaging the wire, which allows for more flexible, non-standard shapes when spatial or functional requirements don't fit a bobbin-style design. MSC designs and builds both types in-house.

A custom coil assembly is a wound-wire component engineered to a specific electrical and mechanical specification for your application, rather than pulled from a generic catalog. Bobbin-wound coils are built around a structural core (the bobbin), which gives them a consistent, repeatable shape and is a common choice for standard transformer- and inductor-style applications. Freestanding coils, by contrast, have no structural core at all,  they're wound on collapsible mandrels and can be removed without damaging the wire, which allows for more flexible, non-standard shapes when spatial or functional requirements don't fit a bobbin-style design. MSC designs and builds both types in-house.

We manufacture custom coils, which are used in solenoids, everything from simple single-wound coils to complex, multi-layer designs, used across aerospace, automotive, and industrial automation systems.

Our custom coils serve a wide range of industries, including but not limited to Aviation & Aerospace, Automotive, Heavy Equipment, Industrial Automation, Marine, Military & Defense, Power Generation, and Railroad.

For anti-lock braking systems, Hall effect speed and direction sensors are commonly specified. For EV powertrain applications, current-type sensors support EV battery management, while Hall effect sensors are used for engine and motor performance monitoring. Our automotive sensors are also used to support advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

It depends on what you're monitoring: linear position sensors for hydraulic system monitoring, Hall effect sensors for rotational speed detection, and angular position sensors for equipment like excavator arm positioning. We also supply proximity and temperature sensors for heavy equipment applications, and can engineer direct replacements if you're dealing with obsolete or underperforming parts.

Yes. As an ITAR Registered manufacturer, we deliver Mil-spec magnetic speed sensors for military and defense applications, with a track record supporting platforms including the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, AAV7 Amphibious Assault Vehicle, Armored Fighting Vehicles, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, as well as helicopter and naval systems.

Our sensors support traction control, braking, and distance tracking for railroad and locomotive applications, along with engine control, turbine, and valve position monitoring. We don't currently have published transit-specific certifications (such as APTA or EN 50155) listed for our rail sensor lines,  if your program requires a specific transit certification, please contact our team to discuss. Our SIL3 safety certification may also be relevant for rail safety-instrumented systems; ask our team for details.

Yes, our marine sensors support vessel navigation, engine performance monitoring, autopilot/navigation stabilization, and underwater mapping and exploration. For hazardous-area requirements, we hold ATEX, IECEx, and CSA certifications for explosion-proof sensors, documented primarily for oil and gas, chemical processing, and mining applications; if you need hazardous-area certification specifically for a marine/subsea deployment, reach out to our team to confirm fit for your application.

For power generation, our sensors monitor turbine speeds and rotor positions, with magnetoresistive sensors specifically suited to detecting rotor position. For industrial automation, we offer proximity sensors built for tight-tolerance detection in automated manufacturing environments. Our SIL3 certification also supports safety-instrumented systems commonly required in power generation facilities.

We manufacture NTC thermistors used in aerospace applications including environmental control units, avionics cooling systems, and hydraulic fluid temperature monitoring, with operating ranges as wide as -40°C to +150°C depending on the part. We don't currently list "hermetically sealed" as a specific published spec. However, if your application requires a hermetic seal, let our engineering team know so we can confirm whether that's achievable for your design.