A detailed analysis of the behavior of magnetoelastic sensors operating in air is presented. It is observed that the resonance frequency and amplitude characteristics depend on various physical and geometrical parameters such as the sensor orientation and mounting inside the coil, the cutting method of the sensor strips from the continuous ribbon, coil geometry and sensor alignment, and the sensor shape and size. A detailed and systematic analysis is carried out for each of these parameters with results explained on the basis of impedance and equivalent circuit models. Our results help in optimizing sensor fabrication parameters and sensing configurations to achieve maximum sensitivity with repeatable results. Copyright © 2008 American Scientific Publishers. All rights reserved.