Ninety-degree phase shifter circuit and corresponding ninety-degree phase-shifting method

• US 10,033,352 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Nicollini, Germano, Modaffari, Roberto, Garbarino, Marco, Guanziroli, Federico
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, Eric S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Keramet-Amircola, Mohammed E
• Application Number:
  US15/053,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20170019087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 73 177, 735033
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5776 Signal processing not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/005 initial alignment, calibration or starting-up of inertial devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 11/18 Two-port phase shifters providing a predetermined phase shift, e.g. "all-pass" filters
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2210/043 by measuring time constant

Abstract

A phase shifter, which carries out a ninety-degree phase shift of a sinusoidal input signal having an input frequency, at the same input frequency, envisages: a continuous-time all-pass filter stage, which receives the sinusoidal input signal and generates an output signal phase-shifted by 90° at a phase-shift frequency that is a function of a RC time constant of the all-pass filter stage; and a calibration stage, which is coupled to the all-pass filter stage and generates a calibration signal for the all-pass filter stage, such that the phase-shift frequency is equal to the input frequency of the sinusoidal input signal, irrespective of variations of the value of the input frequency and/or of the RC time constant with respect to a nominal value.

Claims

1. A phase-shifter circuit, comprising:

a continuous-time all-pass filter stage configured to receive a sinusoidal input signal and generate an output signal phase-shifted by 90°

at a phase-shift frequency that is a function of a RC time constant of said all-pass filter stage; and

a calibration stage coupled to the all-pass filter stage and configured to generate a calibration signal for said all-pass filter stage such that the phase-shift frequency is substantially equal to an input frequency of the sinusoidal input signal.

2. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein said all-pass filter stage includes a variable capacitive element that determines said RC time constant, wherein said calibration signal is configured to vary a value of capacitance of said variable capacitive element.

3. The circuit according to claim 1, said all-pass filter stage including:

a fully differential operational amplifier having first and second differential input terminals, and first and second differential output terminals;

a first gain resistor, the first differential input terminal being coupled to a first input terminal of said phase-shifter circuit via the first gain resistor;

a first variable capacitor coupled in series with a first resistor, the first differential input terminal being coupled to a second input of said phase-shifter circuit via the first variable capacitor and first resistor;

a second gain resistor, the second differential input terminal being coupled to the second input of said phase-shifter circuit via the second gain resistor;

a second variable capacitor coupled in series with a second resistor, the second differential input terminal being coupled to the first input of said phase-shifter circuit via the second variable capacitor and second resistor;

a third gain resistor, said first differential input terminal being coupled to the first differential output terminal via the third gain resistor; and

a fourth gain resistor, said second differential input terminal being coupled to the second differential output terminal via the fourth gain resistor,

wherein said first and second variable capacitors have a substantially same value of variable capacitance and said first and second resistors have a substantially same value of resistance, said values of variable capacitance and of resistance determining said RC time constant, and wherein said first and second gain resistors have a substantially same value of resistance, substantially equal to twice the value of resistance of said first and second resistors.

4. The circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a comparator stage configured to receive said sinusoidal input signal and to generate a square-wave timing signal having said input frequency, wherein said calibration stage is configured to receive said timing signal and generate said calibration signal based on said timing signal.

5. The circuit according to claim 4, wherein said calibration stage includes a calibration stage RC group including a calibration stage variable capacitor and a calibration stage resistor, the calibration stage RC group defining a calibration stage time constant having a value corresponding to said RC time constant, wherein said calibration signal is configured to vary a capacitance of the calibration stage variable capacitor such that the calibration stage time constant corresponds with a period of said timing signal.

6. The circuit according to claim 5, said calibration stage including:

a switch coupled in parallel with the calibration stage variable capacitor, the switch being configured to selectively discharge the calibration stage variable capacitor in synchronization with a first edge of said timing signal;

a comparator configured to compare a charging voltage of said calibration stage variable capacitor with a comparison voltage, wherein charging of said calibration stage variable capacitor to a voltage level substantially equal to said comparison voltage occurs in a comparison time interval substantially equal to an integer multiple of a half-period of said timing signal, in a nominal condition; and

a logic module configured to receive a comparison signal generated by the comparator and to perform an evaluation of a value of said comparison signal at a second edge of said timing signal, in the nominal condition, by said comparison time interval, said logic module being further configured to generate said calibration signal as a function of said evaluation.

7. The circuit according to claim 6, wherein said logic module is configured to implement a successive approximation algorithm so as to vary with successive steps the capacitance of said calibration stage variable capacitor, via said calibration signal, until said comparison signal has an expected value at the end of said comparison time interval.

8. The circuit according to claim 6, comprising a resistive divider configured to generate said comparison voltage as a function of a reference voltage.

9. The circuit according to claim 5, wherein the calibration signal has a pre-set number of bits for varying the value of variable capacitance of the calibration stage variable capacitor of said calibration stage RC group.

10. A MEMS gyroscope, comprising:

a micromechanical sensing structure; and

a reading-interface circuit coupled to the micromechanical sensing structure, said reading-interface circuit including a phase-shifter circuit, the phase-shifter circuit including;

a continuous-time all-pass filter stage configured to receive a sinusoidal input signal and generate an output signal phase-shifted by 90°

at a phase-shift frequency that is a function of a RC time constant of the all-pass filter stage; and

a calibration stage coupled to the all-pass filter stage and configured to generate a calibration signal for the all-pass filter stage such that the phase-shift frequency is substantially equal to an input frequency of the sinusoidal input signal.

11. The MEMS gyroscope according to claim 10, wherein said all-pass filter stage includes a variable capacitive element that determines said RC time constant, wherein said calibration signal is configured to vary a value of capacitance of said variable capacitive element.

12. The MEMS gyroscope according to claim 10, further comprising:

a comparator stage configured to receive said sinusoidal input signal and to generate a square-wave timing signal having said input frequency, wherein said calibration stage is configured to receive said timing signal and generate said calibration signal based on said timing signal.

13. The MEMS gyroscope according to claim 12, wherein said calibration stage includes a calibration stage RC group including a calibration stage variable capacitor and a calibration stage resistor, the calibration stage RC group defining a calibration stage time constant having a value corresponding to said RC time constant, wherein said calibration signal is configured to vary a capacitance of the calibration stage variable capacitor such that the calibration stage time constant corresponds with a period of said timing signal.

14. The MEMS gyroscope of claim 13 wherein the calibration stage further includes:

a switch coupled in parallel with the calibration stage variable capacitor, the switch being configured to selectively discharge the calibration stage variable capacitor in synchronization with a first edge of said timing signal;

a comparator configured to compare a charging voltage of said calibration stage variable capacitor with a comparison voltage; and

a logic module configured to receive a comparison signal generated by the comparator and to perform an evaluation of a value of said comparison signal at a second edge of said timing signal, said logic module being further configured to generate said calibration signal as a function of said evaluation.

15. The MEMS gyroscope of claim 10 wherein the all-pass filter stage includes:

a fully differential operational amplifier having first and second differential input terminals, and first and second differential output terminals;

a first gain resistor, the first differential input terminal being coupled to a first input terminal of said phase-shifter circuit via the first gain resistor;

a first variable capacitor coupled in series with a first resistor, the first differential input terminal being coupled to a second input of said phase-shifter circuit via the first variable capacitor and first resistor;

a second gain resistor, the second differential input terminal being coupled to the second input of said phase-shifter circuit via the second gain resistor;

a second variable capacitor coupled in series with a second resistor, the second differential input terminal being coupled to the first input of said phase-shifter circuit via the second variable capacitor and second resistor;

a third gain resistor, said first differential input terminal being coupled to the first differential output terminal via the third gain resistor; and

a fourth gain resistor, said second differential input terminal being coupled to the second differential output terminal via the fourth gain resistor,

wherein said first and second variable capacitors have a substantially same value of variable capacitance and said first and second resistors have a substantially same value of resistance, said values of variable capacitance and of resistance determining said RC time constant, and wherein said first and second gain resistors have a substantially same value of resistance, substantially equal to twice the value of resistance of said first and second resistors.

16. A phase-shifting method, comprising:

receiving, by a continuous-time all-pass filter stage, a sinusoidal input signal;

generating, by the continuous-time all-pass filter stage, an output signal, the output signal being phase-shifted with respect to the input signal by 90°

at a phase-shift frequency that is a function of a RC time constant of said all-pass filter stage; and

generating a calibration signal for said all-pass filter stage, such that the phase-shift frequency is equal to an input frequency of the sinusoidal input signal, irrespective of variations of the value of said input frequency and/or of said RC time constant with respect to a nominal value.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said all-pass filter stage includes a variable capacitive element that determines said RC time constant, the method further comprising:

varying, via said calibration signal, a capacitance of said variable capacitive element.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein generating a calibration signal comprises:

generating the calibration signal in a calibration stage, the calibration stage including a calibration stage RC group including a calibration stage variable capacitor and a calibration stage resistor, the calibration stage RC group defining a calibration stage time constant having a value corresponding to said RC time constant; and

varying a capacitance of the calibration stage variable capacitor such that the calibration stage time constant corresponds with a period of said timing signal.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein generating a calibration signal further comprises:

discharging said calibration stage variable capacitor in synchronization with a first edge of said timing signal;

comparing, in synchronization with a second edge of said timing signal, a charging voltage of said calibration stage variable capacitor with a comparison voltage, wherein charging of said calibration stage variable capacitor to a voltage level substantially equal to said comparison voltage occurs in a comparison time interval substantially equal to an integer multiple of a half-period of said timing signal, in a nominal condition; and

generating said calibration signal as a function of said comparison.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein varying a capacitance of the calibration stage variable capacitor comprises:

performing a successive approximation algorithm to vary with successive steps the capacitance of said calibration stage variable capacitor, via said calibration signal, until said comparison signal has an expected value at the end of said comparison time interval.