Linearization techniques for capacitive sensors

Barun K. Kar; Eric Joseph

doi:10.1117/12.221170

15 September 1995 Linearization techniques for capacitive sensors

Barun K. Kar, Eric Joseph

Proceedings Volume 2642, Micromachined Devices and Components; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.221170
Event: Micromachining and Microfabrication, 1995, Austin, TX, United States

Abstract

Capacitive sensors are essential elements in many instrumentation circuits. The widespread use of these instruments and the need for integrating sensors on the same chip as the signal processing circuitry has motivated the developement of linearization techniques for the sensor output. Presented here are four methods which can be used to 'linearize' the essentially nonlinear nature of capacitive transducers. Described first is the polynomial linearization scheme, in which the Taylor series expansion of the sensor output is linearized by Khachab's method. An improvement in accuracy is obtained by the direct linearization scheme which scales the sensor output by the nonlinear denominator. Though this scheme is useful in cases where the signal processing circuitry must be separated from the interface circuitry, the hardware requirements are pretty intense. An alternative approach is the Summer-Divide scheme, wherein the difference and the sum of the top and bottom capacitances are ratioed to yield the linearized output. The last method is the constant charge injection scheme. Here a constant charge is put on top of the top of the plates and the subsequent voltages are differenced to yield a linear output. Nonlinearity associated with parasitic capacitances can be easily removed by feedback schemes.

Citation Download Citation

Barun K. Kar and Eric Joseph "Linearization techniques for capacitive sensors", Proc. SPIE 2642, Micromachined Devices and Components, (15 September 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.221170

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