MAGNETWIDERSTANDSSENSOR MIT VERFLOCHTENEM LEITER

A magnetoresistive sensor (10) includes groups of MR elements (R1-R6) arranged on a non-magnetic substrate for selective connection to detect and sense magnetic information recorded on a number of different diameter encoder wheels (12) of which each diameter wheel may have a different number of pieces of magnetic information recorded at corresponding different wavelengths ( tau ) on a circumferentially running track (20) located on the circumferential face (18) of the wheel. The MR sensor (10) includes an additional MR element arrangement (R7, R8) for detecting and sensing index magnetic information recorded on an additional circumferentially running track (22) located on the circumferential face (18) of the wheel (12). The connection arrangement of the MR elements is such to form external power supply connection terminals (50, 54) which have a width substantially larger than the width of the MR elements and surround the MR elements covering a substantial portion of the substrate surface to form a heat sink to eliminate thermal gradients from developing across the substrate thereby providing thermal stability.