Magnetic field sensors can sense speed of movement and direction of movement of a ferromagnetic object. The magnetic field sensors employ both planar Hall effect elements and vertical Hall effect elements to generate two-state signals in two different signal paths with relative phases that are ninety degrees apart, the ninety degrees having sufficient margin to aid in detection of the direction of motion. Other magnetic field sensors use at least four vertical Hall effect elements to identify a speed of rotation and a direction of rotation of a moving ferromagnetic object.