Magnetometer or Hall Effect sensor (for neodymium)?

Other Hardware General Electronics
1

How to detect a small neodymium magnet drawing closer or farther away from a max range of a foot (12") or better?

I need to measure the magnetic field (relative) as it increases and decreases from a neodymium magnet as far as way from the sensor as I can. A max of a foot away would be great. So far, I like the bipolar linear HEs (ugn3503ua), as I can still tell changes (closer, farther away) regardless of magnet orientation-but it seems like 1.5" away on-axis is the most I can get!

I can't tell at this point if I am looking for a more sensitive HEs, or looking for a magnetometer. I can cancel effects of gravity (calibrate) in all 3 axes, and even give X,Y,Z coordinates of the target magnet, but how sensitive are magnetometers? Are there certain specs I should be looking for?

TIA!

2

I can cancel effects of gravity (calibrate) in all 3 axes,

Magnetometers are not sensitive to gravity.

The Earth's magnetic field is extremely weak, and a magnetometer designed to measure it will not function properly or maybe not at all in the vicinity of a strong magnet.

A linear Hall effect sensor might be useful. Tell us more about the project, and post a link to the data sheet or product page for your magnet.

3

You should look into GMR sensors. I can't tell how they compare to what you have but I'm sure they are worth a look.