Surface electric potential sensor drive and induction noise cancellation circuit

• US 5,600,251 A
• Filed: 03/06/1995
• Issued: 02/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Akiyama, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Regan, Maura K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DO, DIEP N
• Application Number:
  US08/398,997
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 324/452, 324/457, 324/458, 324/613, 324/614, 324/72
• US Class Current: 324/613
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/12 Measuring electrostatic fields or voltage-potential

Abstract

Surface potential is detected with high precision by removing induction noise generated by a drive circuit and transmitted to a detection electrode. Induction noise imparted by a drive circuit to an A.C. voltage signal is cancelled out by supplying an output of a pre-amplifier for amplifying the A.C. voltage signal derived from a detection electrode and an output of the drive circuit for applying a drive signal to a chopper portion to a differential amplifier and differentially amplifying them. Particularly, an attenuator for making a level of the amplified A.C. voltage signal substantially coincident with a level of a signal from the drive circuit and an inverter/amplifier for making phase deviation coincident are provided in an output portion of the pre-amplifier circuit.

Claims

1. A surface potential sensor, comprising:

a chopper portion for cutting electric lines of force radiated from a component to be measured, said chopper portion cutting the electric lines of force at a know frequency;

a detection electrode for detecting said cut electric lines of force and for outputting an A.C. voltage signal;

a pre-amplifier circuit connected to said detection electrode for amplifying the A.C. voltage signal and outputting an amplified A.C. voltage signal;

a drive circuit for applying a drive signal to a drive electrode of said chopper portion to oscillate said chopper portion; and

induction noise removing means for removing induction noise imparted by the drive signal from the amplified A.C. signal, said induction noise removing means comprising a differential amplifier circuit for amplifying a difference between the amplified A.C. voltage signal and the drive signal, and outputting an amplified difference signal.

2. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising drive signal attenuation means provided between said drive circuit and said induction noise removing means, for causing an amplitude of the drive signal to become substantially equal to an amplitude of the amplified A.C. voltage signal.

3. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 2, wherein said amplified A.C. voltage signal phase attenuation means comprises an attenuator.

4. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising D.C. component removing means provided between said pre-amplifier circuit and said induction noise removing means, for removing a D.C. component from the amplified A.C. voltage signal output from said pre-amplifier circuit.

5. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising drive signal phase inverting means provided between an output side of said drive circuit and said induction noise removing means, for inverting a phase of the amplified A.C. voltage signal relative to a phase of the drive signal.

6. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 5, wherein said amplified A.C. voltage signal phase regulation means comprises an inverter/amplifier circuit.

7. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the A.C. voltage signal is an output of a fork on which said chopper portion for chopping electric lines of force at a constant frequency is mounted, said chopper portion vibrating in parallel to the electric lines of force.

8. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drive electrode includes a piezo-electric ceramic.

9. A surface potential sensor, comprising:

a detection electrode for receiving electric lines of force emitted from a component to be measured and outputting an A.C. voltage signal;

a reed vibrator connected to said detection electrode through an insulator and vibrating in parallel to the electric lines of force;

a pre-amplifier circuit connected to said detection electrode for amplifying the A.C. voltage signal and sending an amplified A.C. voltage signal;

a drive circuit for vibrating said reed vibrator by applying a drive signal to a drive electrode of said reed vibrator; and

induction noise removing means for removing induction noise imparted to the A.C. voltage signal by the drive signal, said induction noise removing means comprising a differential amplifier circuit receiving the amplified A.C. voltage signal and the drive signal as it inputs, amplifying a difference between said signals, and outputting an amplified difference signal.

10. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 9, further comprising drive signal attenuation means provided between said drive circuit and said induction noise removing means, for causing an amplitude of the amplified A.C. voltage signal to become substantially equal to an amplitude of the drive signal.

11. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 9, further comprising amplified A.C. voltage signal phase inverting means provided between an output side of said drive circuit and said induction noise removing means, for inverting a phase of the drive signal with respect to a phase of the A.C. voltage signal.

12. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 11, wherein said amplified A.C. voltage signal attenuation means comprises an attenuator.

13. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 11, wherein said amplified A.C. voltage signal phase inverting means comprises an inverter/amplifier circuit.

14. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 9, further comprising D.C. component removing means provided between said pre-amplifier circuit and said induction noise removing means, for removing a D.C. component from the amplified A.C. voltage signal output from said pre-amplifier.

15. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 9, wherein the A.C. voltage signal is an output of a fork on which said chopper portion vibration in parallel to the electric lines of force for chopping the electric line of force at a constant frequency is mounted.

16. The surface potential sensor as claimed in claim 9, wherein said drive electrode includes a piezo-electric ceramic.