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Thermal convection accelerometer with closed-loop heater control

  • US 6,795,752 B1
  • Filed: 11/03/2000
  • Issued: 09/21/2004
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An integrated convective accelerometer chip, comprising:

  • a convective acceleration sensor including a heater element and a plurality of temperature sensing elements, the plurality of temperature sensing elements being operative to generate a differential output voltage indicative of a magnitude of acceleration applied along at least one axis passing through the heater element and the plurality of temperature sensing elements;

    amplification circuitry configured to receive the differential output voltage generated by the plurality of temperature sensing elements and operative to generate a corresponding common-mode output voltage, wherein the common-mode output voltage generated by the amplification circuitry is representative of a common-mode voltage across the plurality of temperature sensing elements; and

    control circuitry configured to receive the common-mode output voltage generated by the amplification circuitry and operative to generate a control output proportional thereto, the control circuitry being further operative to regulate the common-mode voltage across the temperature sensing elements using the control output.

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