A Digitally Programmable A/D Converter for Smart Sensors Applications

Nonlinear analog-to-digital conversion in smart sensor applications is an important topic since signal digitization and linearization can be performed in a single step near the transducer. In this paper a double pulsewidth modulated (PWM) scheme for nonlinear analog-to-digital conversion is presented. Calibration or auto-calibration data stored in the smart sensor's memory define the nonlinear profile characteristic of the transducer and provide the required data to obtain the inverse function of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) transfer curve. Basically, as a function of the transducer's nonlinearity degree, the input voltage range of the ADC is segmented in a continuous set of subintervals and, for each of these subintervals, a second-order correction term based on a PWM A/D conversion is used to obtain a linear characteristic for the smart sensor. Additional advantages of this method result from its easy implementation in low-cost microcontrollers that include generally comparator inputs and PWM outputs. A flexible and programmable A/D conversion solution can be dynamically adapted to variations of the transducer's nonlinearity profile, and an increased resolution can be achieved at the expense of a lower conversion rate. Some MATLAB simulations and experimental results obtained with a square-root airflow transducer will be presented in the final part of the paper.