Review of Resonator’s Q-Factor Measurement With Focus on Design of Analog and Mixed Circuits for In-Situ Measurement

A resonator is one of the important components in electronic systems. It is often used in an electronic system to give an accurate time reference. But it can also be used as a highly sensitive physical parameter sensor especially with the rapid development of fabrication technology for Micro Electro Mechanic System (MEMS) sensors. One of the parameters used to describe the performance of a resonator is its quality factor, also called Q-factor for short. Knowing the Q-factor of a resonator can make sure the performance of the system in which the resonator will be used. For applications in which a resonator is used as a sensing device, it is crucial for the Q-factor to be surveyed and measured in real time. In this paper, a review of a resonator’s quality factor (Q-factor) measurement is given. Three major approaches can be identified from the literature: frequency domain, time-frequency domain and time domain. Both advantages and limitations of each approach are presented. Based on the published results, a comparison of the three approaches is conducted. As the time-domain measurement is the only way to present the potential for an in-situ Q-factor measurement but it is relatively less exploited compared with others, a special focus on the time-domain measurement is granted with two time-domain circuit designs.