Accurate ninety-degree phase shifter

• US 8,754,694 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2013
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Opris, Ion, Lee, Shungneng
• Primary Examiner(s): COX, CASSANDRA F
• Application Number:
  US13/746,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20130257487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 327/254
• 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: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc

Abstract

An apparatus includes a drive signal circuit for MEMS sensor. The drive signal circuit includes an input configured to receive a voltage signal representative of charge generated by the MEMS sensor, a phase-shift circuit electrically coupled to the input and configured to phase shift an input signal by substantially ninety degrees, and a comparator circuit with hysteresis. An input of the comparator is electrically coupled to an output of the phase-shift circuit and an output of the comparator circuit is electrically coupled to an output of the drive signal circuit. A feedback loop extends from the output of the drive signal circuit to the input of the phase-shift circuit and is configured to generate a self-oscillating signal at an output of the drive signal circuit. An output signal generated by the drive signal circuit is applied to a drive input of the MEMS sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a drive signal circuit for a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensor, the drive signal circuit comprising;

an input configured to receive a voltage signal representative of charge generated by the MEMS sensor;

a phase-shift circuit electrically coupled to the input and configured to phase shift an input signal by substantially ninety degrees;

a comparator circuit with hysteresis, wherein an input of the comparator is electrically coupled to an output of the phase-shift circuit and an output of the comparator circuit is electrically coupled to an output of the drive signal circuit; and

a feedback loop extending from the output of the drive signal circuit to the input of the phase-shift circuit, wherein the feedback loop is configured to generate a self-oscillating signal at an output of the drive signal circuit, and

wherein an output signal generated by the drive signal circuit is applied to a drive input of the MEMS sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the feedback loop includes:

a first transconductance amplifier circuit having an input electrically coupled to the output of the comparator circuit;

a second transconductance amplifier circuit having an input electrically coupled to an output of the first transconductance amplifier circuit and an output electrically coupled to an input of the phase-shift circuit; and

a capacitor coupled to the output of the first transconductance amplifier circuit and circuit ground.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, including a current divider circuit electrically coupled to the output of the second transconductance amplifier circuit.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, including a resistive divider circuit electrically coupled to the output of the second transconductance amplifier circuit and the input of the phase-shift circuit, wherein the resistive divider is configured to divide the output current of the second transconductance amplifier circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the phase-shift circuit includes an integrator circuit that includes an amplifier circuit, and

wherein the feedback loop is electrically coupled from the output of the comparator circuit to an input of the integrator amplifier circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the integrator amplifier circuit provides controlled signal gain for direct current (DC) signals.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, including:

a third transconductance amplifier circuit, and

wherein an input of the third transconductance amplifier circuit is electrically coupled to the output of the comparator circuit and an input of the integrator amplifier circuit to form a second feedback loop.

8. The apparatus of claim 5,

wherein the feedback loop includes:

a first transconductance amplifier circuit having an input electrically coupled to the output of the comparator circuit;

a second transconductance amplifier circuit having an input electrically coupled to an output of the first transconductance amplifier circuit and having an output electrically coupled to an input of the integrator amplifier circuit;

a resistor coupled to the output of the first transconductance amplifier circuit; and

a capacitor coupled to the resistor and circuit ground.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, including the MEMS sensor, wherein the MEMS sensor includes a MEMS gyro.

10. A method of generating a drive signal for a MEMS sensor, the method comprising:

self-generating an oscillating signal at an output of a drive signal circuit and applying the oscillating signal to a drive input of the MEMS sensor;

receiving, at an input of the drive signal circuit, a voltage signal representative of charge generated by the MEMS sensor in response to applying the oscillation signal to the drive input of the MEMS sensor;

shifting the phase of the received voltage signal by substantially ninety degrees and using the phase shifted signal to generate the drive signal; and

applying the generated drive signal to the drive input of the MEMS sensor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein shifting the phase of the received voltage signal by substantially ninety degrees includes integrating the received voltage signal using an integrator circuit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein self-generating an oscillating signal includes applying the integrated received voltage signal to a comparator circuit with hysteresis and feeding back the output of the comparator circuit to an input of an amplifier of the integrator circuit to form a feedback loop.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein feeding back the output of the comparator circuit includes:

charging, through a first transconductance amplifier circuit, a capacitor using the output of the comparator circuit; and

applying the charge of the capacitor to an input of the amplifier of the integrator circuit through a second transconductance amplifier circuit.

14. The method of claim 13, including dividing the output current of the second transconductance amplifier circuit to reduce the transconductance of the second transconductance amplifier circuit.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein feeding back the output of the comparator circuit includes electrically coupling an output of the comparator circuit to an input of a third transconductance amplifier circuit and electrically coupling an output of the third transconductance amplifier circuit to an input of the amplifier circuit of the integrator circuit to form a second feedback loop.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein charging the capacitor includes charging the capacitor through the first transconductance amplifier and a resistor.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein applying the generated drive signal to the drive input of the MEMS sensor includes applying the generated drive signal to a drive input of an MEMS gyro sensor.

18. A method of forming a drive signal circuit for a MEMS sensor, the method comprising:

electrically coupling an input of the drive signal circuit to an integrator circuit;

electrically coupling an output of the integrator circuit to a comparator circuit having hysteresis; and

forming a feedback loop in the drive circuit to generate a self-oscillating signal at an output of the drive signal circuit when circuit power is applied to the drive signal circuit, wherein the feedback loop extends from the output of the comparator circuit to an input of an amplifier of the integrator circuit,

wherein the integrator circuit shifts the phase angle of an input signal received at the input to the drive signal circuit by substantially ninety degrees, and wherein the input signal is generated in response to applying the self-oscillating signal to a drive input of the MEMS sensor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein forming the feedback loop includes electrically coupling the output of the comparator circuit to a capacitor through a first transconductance amplifier circuit and electrically coupling the capacitor to the phase-shift circuit using a second transconductance amplifier.

20. The method of claim 19, including electrically coupling a current divider circuit to the output of the second transconductance amplifier.

21. The method of claim 20, including electrically coupling a resistive divider circuit at the input to the integrator circuit.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the integrator circuit includes an amplifier circuit having controlled signal gain for direct current (DC) signals.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein forming a feedback loop includes electrically coupling an output of the comparator circuit to an input of a third transconductance amplifier circuit and electrically coupling an output of the third transconductance amplifier circuit to an input of the amplifier circuit of the integrator circuit to form a second feedback loop.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the input signal is generated in response to applying the self-oscillating signal to a drive input of an MEMS gyro.