EP0187808A1 - Capteur ou transducteur - Google Patents

Capteur ou transducteur

Info

Publication number
EP0187808A1
EP0187808A1 EP85903407A EP85903407A EP0187808A1 EP 0187808 A1 EP0187808 A1 EP 0187808A1 EP 85903407 A EP85903407 A EP 85903407A EP 85903407 A EP85903407 A EP 85903407A EP 0187808 A1 EP0187808 A1 EP 0187808A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
bistable
sensor
parameter
stage
circuit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP85903407A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Wei-Jian Lian
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
STICHTING CENTRUM VOOR MICRO-ELEKTRONICA
Original Assignee
STICHTING CENTRUM VOOR MICRO-ELEKTRONICA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by STICHTING CENTRUM VOOR MICRO-ELEKTRONICA filed Critical STICHTING CENTRUM VOOR MICRO-ELEKTRONICA
Publication of EP0187808A1 publication Critical patent/EP0187808A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01D—MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G01D5/00—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable
    • G01D5/12—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable using electric or magnetic means
    • G01D5/244—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable using electric or magnetic means influencing characteristics of pulses or pulse trains; generating pulses or pulse trains
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
    • H03K3/00—Circuits for generating electric pulses; Monostable, bistable or multistable circuits
    • H03K3/84—Generating pulses having a predetermined statistical distribution of a parameter, e.g. random pulse generators
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03M—CODING; DECODING; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL
    • H03M1/00—Analogue/digital conversion; Digital/analogue conversion
    • H03M1/12—Analogue/digital converters
    • H03M1/60—Analogue/digital converters with intermediate conversion to frequency of pulses

Definitions

  • a sensor or transducer A sensor or transducer.
  • a draw-back of such sensors is that the transformation takes place in an analogue way, whereas for processing a digital form is preferred, and that the sensitivity is often insufficient.
  • the transition is determined by the always present noise, so that, since noise is a random phenomenon, the number of transitions towards one side within a sufficiently long measuring period will be equal to that towards the other side.
  • the distri ⁇ bution of the number of transitions will deviate from the 0,5: 0,5 ratio, until at a given intensity of the external influence the
  • 1,0: 0 ratio is reached so that, then, the sensor is saturated. This process is dependent on the intensity of the external influence. As soon as the relationship has been determined by calibration, the value of the parameter to be measured can be derived from the count of the transitions. As the number of transitions is larger, the accuracy of the measurement will be better accordingly.
  • bistable circuits with one single branch are known, generally bistable circuits with two branches are preferred which ar connected to a common supply, since such circuits can be made perfectly symmetrical.
  • an electrical bistable circuit which is preferably realised as an integrated circuit, since, then, both branches can be made accurately symmetrical. If a high switching frequency is used, such measurement statistics will be obtained within a short period that an accurate measurement is possible. Frequencies of the order of magnitude of 0, 1 MHz have appeared to be possible, which provides a sufficient basis for de ⁇ pendable statistics. This frequency is limited by the switching time of the bistable stage. Furthermore, by supplying an auxiliary current, it is possible to influence the sense of an equilibrium disturbance, either for adjusting the equilibrium, for removing a shift, or for bringing about an equilibrium shift serving as a presetting, so as to obtain the desired measuring conditions. A metastable condition can be brought about in various ways, such as by briefly interrupting the supply of the bistable stage, or by applying signals with a given intensity and duration to the or each set input.
  • an accidental disturbance is required which is provided by the always present noise. If said noise is insufficient, also an artificial noise can be supplied, for instance in the form of a sine or saw-tooth current, and the frequency thereof should, as a matter of fact, be chosen in respect of the transition frequency so that a statistically dependable result is obtained.
  • a plurality of sensors of this kind can be combined into an assembly which is adapted to determine the parameter to be measu ⁇ red in different points, the inputs and outputs of the bistable stages then being connected in the form of a register, means being provided for reading out the numbers represented by the counting positions of these stages on suitable instants.
  • Such an assembly can, in particular, be used for deter ⁇ mining the distribution of a parameter, each stage then being driven to saturation or not, and then a binary representation of the distri ⁇ bution is obtained.
  • the bistable stages can be inter ⁇ connected in the form of a shift register.
  • Fig. 1 a diagrammatical representation of a bistable electrical circuit
  • Fig. 2 a block diagram of a complete sensor circuit of the invention.
  • FIG. 1 an electrical bistable circuit is ' shown in a generalised form.
  • This circuit comprises two switching elements la and lb, in particular, as shown, transistors, the position of the emittors and collectors not being indicated since this will depend on the type of the transistors, and, as the case may be, also field- effect transistors can be used.
  • Said transistors are each connected between two supply terminals 2a, 3a and 2b, 3b resp., said terminal pairs being con ⁇ nected to a suitably polarised current source, and, of course the terminals 2 and 3 resp. of both branches can be mutually coupled.
  • any one of said resistors can be omitted if desired.
  • Additional resistors ⁇ a and 6b are connected to the base of the corresponding transistor lb and la resp., and are included in a respective cross-connection connected to one of the electrodes of the other transistor. If required resistors 7a and 7b are provi ⁇ ded for adjusting the base voltage, said resistors, on the other hand, being connected to terminals 8a and 8b resp. which, for in ⁇ stance, can be interconnected or can be connected to the terminals 3a and 3b resp., depending on the prevailing voltage distributions. Additional terminals 9a and 9b can serve for determining the condition of the bistable circuit, and, as the case may be, for supplying a transition signal.
  • the circuit will switch over towards one of the stable conditions immediately thereafter.
  • a metastable condition e.g. immediately after supplying the supply voltage or when, by applying suitable voltages at the terminals 9, both transistors are made conducting or non-conducting and these voltages are subsequent ⁇ ly removed
  • the circuit will switch over towards one of the stable conditions immediately thereafter.
  • This can be a consequence of an asymmetry of the circuit, but in a perfectly symmetrical circuit noise phenomena will bring about said transition.
  • there is no preference for either condition so that, at a large number of transitions, 50 % of the transitions will take place to one and 50 % to the other side.
  • the noise does no longer play a role, and the transition will always take place towards one side.
  • Fig. 2 shows an example of a fundamental circuit arrangement, in which the terminals 9a and 9b of a bistable circuit 10 are connected to counting inputs 11a and lib resp. of a diffe ⁇ rential counter 12. The reached counting position can be read out at 13.
  • a supply input 2 of the circuit 10 is connected to an a.c. source 14, e.g. a hf source adapted to switch the supply on and off a great number of times, e.g.
  • this equilibrium condition can be set by adjusting one side, e.g. by means of an auxiliary current source, the total count then being zero.
  • one of the elements 1,4, 5, 6 and 7 is sensitive for a phenomenon to be measured, e.g. heat, radiation, electrical or magnetical fields etc., or one or more elements are included in the circuit which will produce a current or voltage responsive to such a phenomenon, the symmetry will be disturbed on the occurrence of such a phenomenon.
  • the relationship between this intensity and the counting result is not necessarily a linear one, but can be determined by calibration.
  • a plurality of such circuits can be juxta ⁇ posed in different points so that, then, the changes in the diffe ⁇ rent points can be represented in digital form, and are read out as such when resetting the respective circuits.
  • Such an assembly can also be realised in matrix shape, and can, for instance, be used as a picture memory.
  • bistable stage In the case of a bistable stage to be brought into the saturated condition the symmetry is no longer important, and then also other types of bistable circuits than the circuits of the symmetrical kind shown in Fig. 1 can be used.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Current Or Voltage (AREA)

Abstract

Capteur ou transducteur servant à transformer un paramètre mesurable en un signal numérique réprésentant l'ordre de grandeur du paramètre. L'appareil comprend une unité bistable pourvue d'un élément sensible au paramètre en question, un organe permettant d'amener l'unité à l'état métastable, un organe de comptage du nombre de transitions vers un côté ou l'autre, et un organe indicateur des résultats du comptage, le nombre de transitions étant influencé par cet élément sensible en fonction de l'ordre de grandeur dudit paramètre. L'unité bistable est, notamment, un circuit électrique symétrique bistable dont un branchement possède un élément sensible au paramètre en question, l'état métastable dudit circuit étant atteint en interrompant l'alimentation ou en appliquant une tension ou courant auxiliaires à une fréquence désirée, notamment élevée. Un tel élément bistable est relié à un compteur différentiel indiquant le nombre de transitions vers l'un et l'autre côtés, respectivement.
EP85903407A 1984-07-20 1985-07-18 Capteur ou transducteur Withdrawn EP0187808A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL8402314A NL8402314A (nl) 1984-07-20 1984-07-20 Opnemer of omzetter.
NL8402314 1984-07-20

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0187808A1 true EP0187808A1 (fr) 1986-07-23

Family

ID=19844250

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP85903407A Withdrawn EP0187808A1 (fr) 1984-07-20 1985-07-18 Capteur ou transducteur

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0187808A1 (fr)
NL (1) NL8402314A (fr)
WO (1) WO1986001056A1 (fr)

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3349252A (en) * 1964-03-16 1967-10-24 Automatic Elect Lab Minority carrier storage flip-flop
US4225797A (en) * 1978-06-02 1980-09-30 Gte Products Corporation Pulse generator circuit triggerable by nuclear radiation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO8601056A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1986001056A1 (fr) 1986-02-13
NL8402314A (nl) 1986-02-17

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Inventor name: LIAN, WEI-JIAN