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A Capacitance-To-Digital Converter for MEMS Sensors for Smart Applications
Javier Pérez Sanjurjo1, Enrique Prefasi2, Cesare Buffa3
1Electronic Technology Department, Carlos III University of Madrid, Madrid 28911, Spain. sanjurjojp@gmail.com.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 8, 2017
Summary
This study introduces a configurable capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) for MEMS sensors. The novel design achieves 17-bit resolution, enabling precise 1 Pa pressure measurements with low power consumption.
Area of Science:
- Electrical Engineering
- Sensor Technology
- Microelectronics
Background:
- Increasing demand for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors necessitates versatile readout circuits.
- Reducing cost and time-to-market requires generic solutions like a configurable capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a configurable CDC tailored for capacitive MEMS sensors, particularly those measuring pressure.
- To demonstrate a novel two-step conversion process for accurate and efficient digitization.
Main Methods:
- Capacitive to voltage (C-V) conversion using a switched-capacitor (SC) preamplifier.
- Digitization via a self-oscillated noise-shaping integrating dual-slope (DS) converter.
- Utilizing time-based resolution and noise shaping for a multibit output stream and reduced measurement time.
Main Results:
- A prototype CDC fabricated in 0.13 µm CMOS technology achieved 17-bit resolution.
- The converter demonstrated a pressure resolution of 1 Pa.
- Achieved a low power consumption of 146 µA from a 1.5 V supply with an effective area of 0.317 mm².
Conclusions:
- The proposed configurable CDC effectively digitizes capacitive MEMS sensor outputs.
- The design offers high resolution and low power, suitable for pressure sensing applications.
- This approach validates the use of time-based resolution and noise shaping for efficient sensor interfacing.
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