Magnetometer

Live magnetic field readings for compass-related diagnostics, with combined and per-axis graphs.

Overview tab with compass visualization and live magnetic field readings

Overview

The magnetometer measures the local magnetic field around the device. It is used for compass heading and can be affected by nearby metal objects or electronics.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Tabs
• Toolbar Controls
• Overview Tab
• Graphs Combined Tab
• Graphs Per Axis Tab
• Notes And Limitations

Tabs

• Overview
• Graphs (combined)
• Graphs (per axis)

Toolbar Controls

All motion-sensor tools share the same toolbar controls:

• Play / Pause: start or pause sensor updates.
• Clear: clear history buffers used by the graphs.
• Refresh rate: cycle between Faster, Fast, and Slow sampling rates.

Overview Tab

The Overview tab shows:

• A compass visualization.
• Live values for magX, magY, magZ (in microtesla, uT).
• A computed heading in degrees.

Graphs Combined Tab

Graphs (combined): X/Y/Z plotted together with an auto-scaled range

This tab overlays X/Y/Z history on a single graph and shows the current auto-scaled range.

Graphs Per Axis Tab

Graphs (per axis): one panel per axis with independent ranges

This tab shows three separate panels (X, Y, Z), each with its own auto-scaled range.

What You Can See

• Magnetic field strength on the X/Y/Z axes (commonly in microtesla, uT)
• Total field magnitude (if available)
• Optional compass/heading view (if available)

Notes

• Readings are sensitive to interference (cases with magnets, speakers, laptops).
• Compass accuracy can degrade indoors or near large metal structures.

Notes And Limitations

• Magnetometer availability varies by device and platform.
• If readings look wrong, remove magnetic accessories and move away from large metal objects.