Successive approximate capacitance measurement circuit

• US 7,884,621 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2007
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Snyder, Warren S.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOAI AN D
• Application Number:
  US11/983,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20080068030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 324/658, 324/649, 324/600, 324/661, 324/686, 324/519, 324/678, 324/677, 324/548, 324/76.11, 324/158.1, 324/282, 323/282, 323/288, 327/538
• US Class Current: 324/658
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24

Abstract

A capacitance measurement circuit includes a current source, a switch, and a comparator. The current source is coupled to drive a current through a circuit node. The switch is coupled to the circuit node to switch the current into a device under test (“DUT”) capacitor. The comparator includes first and second input ports. The comparator is coupled to compare a first voltage received on the first input port against a reference voltage received on the second input port. The first voltage is related to the current driven through the circuit node, a frequency at which the switch is switched, and a capacitance of the DUT capacitor.

Claims

1. A method of measuring a capacitance of a device under test (“

DUT”

) capacitor, comprising;

generating a selectable current having a current magnitude, using a variable current source;

switching between charging the DUT capacitor with the selectable current by driving the selectable current into the DUT capacitor and discharging the DUT capacitor at a switching frequency;

comparing a first voltage, responsive to a second voltage on the DUT capacitor, to a reference voltage to determine whether the first voltage is greater than or less than the reference voltage; and

adjusting at least one of the switching frequency, the current magnitude, or the reference voltage until the first voltage is substantially equal to the reference voltage;

monitoring the first voltage while holding the switching frequency and current magnitude steady; and

indicating when the first voltage crosses over the reference voltage.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting at least one of the switching frequency or the current magnitude multiple times; and

comparing the first voltage to the reference voltage after each adjustment to the switching frequency or the current magnitude.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting at least one of the switching frequency or the current magnitude comprises adjusting at least one of the switching frequency or the current magnitude to iteratively bring the first voltage closer to the reference voltage after each adjustment.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising successively approximating the capacitance of the DUT capacitor using the following equation:

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising precharging a circuit node coupled to an output of the variable current source generating the selectable current while a switch coupled between the circuit node and the DUT capacitor is open circuited.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering the second voltage on the DUT capacitor to generate the first voltage.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first voltage and the second voltage are substantially equivalent.

6. A method of measuring a capacitance of a device under test (“

DUT”

) capacitor, comprising;

generating a current having a current magnitude;

switching between charging the DUT capacitor with the current and discharging the DUT capacitor at a switching frequency;

adjusting at least one of the switching frequency or the current magnitude multiple times;

after each adjustment to the switching frequency or the current magnitude, comparing a first voltage, responsive to a second voltage on the DUT capacitor, to a reference voltage to determine whether the first voltage is greater than or less than the reference voltage;

adjusting at least one of the switching frequency or the current magnitude until the first voltage is substantially equal to the reference voltage;

changing the reference voltage by a first margin;

monitoring the first voltage while holding the switching frequency and current magnitude steady; and

indicating when the first voltage crosses over the reference voltage.