Method and apparatus for calibration of stray capacitance mismatch in a closed loop electro-mechanical accelerometer

• US 6,035,694 A
• Filed: 03/12/1999
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Input/Output Incorporated
• Original Assignee: I/O Of Austin, Inc.
• Inventors: Burchfield, Mark E., Zavaleta, Mauricio A., Maher, Roger, Devolk, Burton A., Johnson, Richard A., Dupuie, Scott T., Abrams, Michael L., Jones, Ben W., Mayo, Franklin W.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAEVIS, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US09/268,072
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: 73/1.15, 73/1.37, 73/1.38, 73/514.18, 73/514.32, 73/724, 73/654, 73/780, 73/862.626
• US Class Current: 73/1.38
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/131 with electrostatic counterbalancing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups

Abstract

A method and apparatus for measuring and compensating for stray capacitance of a micro-machined sensor of an accelerometer system is disclosed. Stray capacitance differences between a top plate and a sensing element and between a bottom plate and the sensing element degrade accelerometer performance if not compensated for. Measurement of stray capacitance difference is achieved by operating the accelerometer in two calibration phases and measuring the steady-state output voltage in each of the two phases. In calibration phase 1, no force is applied to the sensor during clock intervals 1-4. In calibration phase 2, a dummy force up is applied and then a dummy force down is applied during those intervals 1-4. The difference in the output voltage of the two calibration phases is representative of the difference in stray capacitance of the sensor. Capacitance is added to the top or bottom plates in an amount proportional to the measured stray capacitance. The procedure is repeated until the voltage difference of the two calibration phases is zeroed, which is indicative that the inherent stray capacitance has been zeroed.

Claims

1. In a closed loop transducer having a micro-machined sensing element which moves between top and bottom plates and the position of said element is sensed by changes in capacitance between the top and bottom plates in response to an external force by an integrated circuit which measures the position of said sensing element and provides a feedback force to said sensor to center it between said top and bottom plates,

apparatus for calibrating stray capacitance between said sensing element and said top and bottom plates comprising,

means for determining a stray capacitance parameter that is representative of the difference of stray capacitance between the sensing element and the top plate and stray capacitance between the sensing element and the bottom plate, and

means for applying calibrating capacitance across said sensing element and said top plate or across said sensing element and said bottom plate, where said calibrating capacitance is proportional to said stray capacitance parameter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein,

said apparatus comprises electrical circuits designed on an ASIC of said closed loop transducer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for determining a stray capacitance parameter includes,

means for determining a steady-state feedback voltage in a first calibration phase to produce a voltage V_F1 ;

means for determining a steady-state feedback voltage in a second calibration phase to produce a voltage V_F2 ; and

means for determining a difference between said voltage V_F1 and said voltage V_F2 to produce said stray capacitance parameter.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein,

said first calibration phase does not include a dummy force, and

said second calibration phase does include dummy forces.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein,

said means for applying calibrating capacitance is a stray capacitor array for adding or subtracting discrete quantities of capacitance between said sensing element and said top plate or said bottom plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein,

said voltage V_F1 and said voltage V_F2 are converted to a digital number representative of analog signals,

said stray capacitance parameter is a digital number representative of said difference between V_F1 and V_F2, and

said stray capacitor array responds to said digital stray capacitance parameter with said discrete quantities of capacitance 7.

7. In a closed loop transducer having a micro-machined sensing element which moves between top and bottom plates and the position of said element is sensed by changes in capacitance between the top and bottom plates in response to an external force by an integrated circuit which measures the position of said sensing element and provides a feedback force to said sensor to center it between said top and bottom plates,

a method for calibrating stray capacitance between said sensing element and said top and bottom plates comprising the steps of,

determining a stray capacitance parameter that is representative of the difference of stray capacitance between the sensing element and the top plate and stray capacitance between the sensing element and the bottom plate, and

applying calibrating capacitance across said sensing element and said top plate or across said sensing element and said bottom plate, where said calibrating capacitance is proportional to said stray capacitance parameter.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said determining step includes the sub steps of,

determining a steady-state feedback voltage in a first calibration phase to produce a voltage V_F1 ;

determining a steady-state feedback voltage in a second calibration phase to produce a voltage F_F2 ; and

determining a difference between said voltage V_F1 and said voltage V_F2 to produce said stray capacitance parameter.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein,

said first calibration phase does not include a dummy force, and

said second calibration phase does include dummy forces.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said applying step includes the step of

applying said stray capacitance parameter to a stray capacitor array, and

adding or subtracting discrete quantities of capacitance between said sensing element and said top plate or said bottom plate in response to said stray capacitance parameters.

11. The method of claim 10 including the substeps of

converting said voltages V_F1 and V_F2 to digital numbers representative of analog signals,

determining said stray capacitance parameter as a digital number representative of said difference between V_F1 and V_F2, and

applying discrete quantities of capacitance from a stray capacitance array across said sensing element and said top plate or across said sensing element and said bottom plate in response to said digital number representative of said stray capacitance parameter.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said determining step includes the sub steps of,

(a) determining a steady-state feedback voltage in a first calibration phase to develop a first loop feedback voltage, where said first calibration phase does not include dummy forces;

(b) applying said first loop feedback voltage to an ADC and storing a digital value thereof;

(c) determining a steady-state feedback voltage in a second calibration phase to develop a second loop feedback voltage, where said second calibration phase includes dummy forces;

(d) applying said second loop feedback voltage to an ADC and storing a digital value thereof;

(e) comparing said digital value of said first loop feedback voltage with said second loop feedback voltage to obtain a difference voltage,

(f) applying capacitance between said sensing element and said top plate or between said sensing element and said bottom plate in response to said difference voltage, and

(g) repeating said steps (a) through (e) until said difference voltage is zero.