Seminar

On
Temperature Compensation
Techniques for MEMS based Pressure
Sensor

Balwan Singh
College ID- 2007UEC151
Electronics &
Communication Engg.
M.N.I.T.Jaipur, Rajasthan
 Introduction

In India,
VLSI & MEMS Fabrication, Assembly and Testing is done at:

1. Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL),S.A.S. Nagar, Punjab (also called as

National Foundry for MEMS )
• Till recently were using 80µm technology
• Now upgrading to 0.18µm with the help of Tower
Semiconductor Ltd., Israel (TSL)
2. Some work is also done at Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore
 Pressure Sensor :

• Pressure Sensor: Transducer that converts pressure into an analog

electrical signal.
• MEMS pressure sensor :A micro-machined silicon diaphragm.
• Consist of four piezo-resistive strain gauges diffused into it
• SCL manufactured Pressure Sensor:
 Why Bridge ?

IB

VOUT
R1 R4
V2 Pressure V1 VB

Sensor

R2 R3

VOUT=V1-V2

1.Increase in sensitivity
2.Noise Rejection
 Typical Pressure Sensor Specifications

Raw Sensor Output

Applied Presssure Voltage
MAP Sensor Output
Pmin 133mB -20mV -2V
Pmax 1200mB 40mV 4V

Full Span Output(FSO)=4V

Span=Vmax-Vmin=6V
Offset=-2V

•Ideally offset should be zero at no pressure but due to mismatch

in resistances during fabrication it is not zero
 Pressure Sensor Parameters:

• Span: Change in bridge output voltage for minimum to full scale applied
input pressure. 
• Offset: Output voltage at zero pressure applied.
• Pressure Sensitivity: Span (S) of Pressure Sensor is given by
S=G×VB×P
Where, G=Normalized Pressure Sensitivity
P=Rated Pressure
VB=Bridge Voltage
 
• Linearity: It refers to the straightness of the output signal at various
equally spaced pressure points applied in an increasing direction. A best fit
line is then computed for the actual output values. Linearity error is
calculated by taking the difference between the actual output and best fit
value. It is expressed as the % of span. 
 Pressure Sensor Parameters:

• Pressure Hysteresis:
• It is due to hysteresis in the material of sensor
• Measured by taking difference between two output signals
taken at the exactly the same pressure but during a sequence of
increasing and decreasing pressure
• To Reduce hysteresis there should be some specific time
difference between the readings.
Effect of Temperature on Pressure Sensor Parameters:
 
• Temperature Coefficient of Resistance: With increase in temperature,
Sensor bridge Resistance RBR increases (As TCR is positive for bridge
resistors).
 
• Temperature Coefficient of Span (Sensitivity):
• Inherent property of a sensor.
• SCL sensor has negative TCS in constant voltage mode.
 
• Temperature Coefficient of Zero (Offset):
• This tells how the offset of sensor varies with temperature.
• SCL sensor has negative TCZ.
 
 Temperature Compensation Techniques
1.Resistor Method for Zero(Offset) Compensation of Pressure
Sensor:

Negative TCZ
Voltage Mode:
• Insert a resistance Rx in series. Effective resistance R1 increases resulting
an increase in overall resistance of that branch.
•Current in this branch decreases. V2 decreases while V1 remaining same.
• Vout increases and TCZ effect can be compensated with proper selection
of Rx.
IB

R1
R4 VOUT=V1-V2
Rx
V2 Pressure V1 VB

Sensor

R2 R3
 TCZ Negative

Current Mode:
• Insert resistance Rx in series, resistance of that branch increases
•Resulting a decrease in current of that branch while current in other branch
increases.
• Therefore Vout= (V1 (increases)-V2 (decreases)) increases.
•Hence TCZ effect can be compensated with proper selection of Rx

IB

R1
R4 VOUT=V1-V2
Rx
V2 Pressure V1 VB

Sensor

R2 R3
 If TCZ is Positive:

Voltage Mode:
• Insert a resistance Rx in parallel as shown in fig.
•Effective R1 decreases resulting an increase in V2 while V1 remaining
same.
• Therefore Vout decreases .Hence TCZ effect can be compensated with
proper selection of Rx

IB

Rx
VOUT=V1-V2
R1 R2
V2 Pressure V1 VB

Sensor

R4 R3
 If TCZ is Positive:

Current Mode:
•Insert resistanceRx, effective R1 decreases, overall resistance of
that branch decreases.
• Current in this branch increases and in other branch
decreases.V1 decreases and V2 increases
• Hence Vout Decreases.
•TCZ effect can be compensated with proper selection of Rx.

IB

Rx
VOUT=V1-V2
R1 R2
V2 Pressure V1 VB

Sensor

R4 R3
 Span Compensation(TCS Negative)

• Use bridge in current excitation mode

• Bridge resistance RBR increases with temperature(TCR Positive)
• Hence bridge voltage VBR also increases with temperature.
• S=G×VB×P
• Increase in bridge voltage VBR will compensate decrement in span
with temperature
2. Span Compensation using Diode

DIODE TEMPERATURE CHARACTERSTICS

 Span Compensation Using a Diode:
 
• Insert a diode in series .
• The junction voltage decreases with increase in
temperature resulting an increase in bridge voltage as
temperature increases (as shown in fig.) which directly
effects span. ((S=G×Vb×P )
• Of limited utility as voltage across a diode can not change
too much and hence span

IB

VOUT=V1-V2
R1
R4
V2 Pressure V1 VB

Sensor

R2 R3

Span Compensation Using a Diode

 3.Temperature Compensation using Signal
Conditioner

1.Philip C.John , Abhay Joshi, Pramod Sindhanakeri , Ajayakumar.P.D ,

K. Natarajan ; “Signal Conditioner for MEMS based Piezoresistive
sensor” IEEE International Conference on Industrial and
Information Systems(ICIIS),August1,2010

Signal Conditioner : IC MAX 1452.

Main Features:
• Has768-byte internal EEPROM
• 16-bit DACs
• On chip temperature sensor
• An uncommitted OPAMP
 Features

• Internal 768 x 8 EEPROM stores the 16-bit DACs with calibration

coefficients. This memory contains the following information, as 16-bit
wide words:
• Offset Temperature Coefficient Register
• FSO (Full-Span Output) Calibration Table
 Temperature Index Pointer:
Temperature Compensation is accomplished by loading two
tables with compensation coefficients and using an integrated
temperature sensor to index into the tables.

Example:
Temperature Index Conversion Formula:
Index = 0.6897 x Temp in C + 44.00
 Offset Compensation using Signal Conditioner

At Temperature T1
1.Apply Minimum Pressure and wait for Pressure Stabilization and
Measure Output Voltage
2.Check Vout(Output Voltage )
a. If Vout=Offset and Note the Current ODAC Value
b. Else Change ODAC Value and go to step 2
3. Write ODAC coefficients to EEPROM
 Span Compensation using Signal Conditioner

1.Set Chamber Temperature = T1 and wait for stablization.

2.Set Pressure = Pmax And Measure output Volatge(Vmax)
3.Set Pressure = Pmin And Measure output Volatge(Vmin)
4.Calculate Span = Vmax – Vmin (also note the current Bridge Voltage
VB1)
5.Calculate Required Bridge Voltage VB for Desired Span:
VB = VB1 * (Desired Span) / Calculated Span
6.Adjust FSODAC until Bridge Voltage = VB.
7.Note the Current FSODAC Value
8.Write FSODAC coefficients to EEPROM
 Temperature Compensation

1.Repeat compensation steps for all other Temperature points T2, T3…
Tn and Tabulate their respective FSODAC and ODAC Values
2.Perform Curve Fitting for calibration coefficients FSODAC and
ODAC. Program EEPROM with the Curve Fitted Coefficients at
other temperatures
• The number of calibration points decides the order of the equation
used to calculate offset and full-scale values at any given temperature
• The order of the equation can be increased depending on the non-
linear behaviour of sensitivity with respect to temperature

3.After EEPROM programming verify Calibration at different

temperatures
Final Overview of Temperature Compensation of Pressure
Sensor Using Signal Conditioner

Bridge Current

Span Temp. Offset

Compensation

Pressure

Sensor ∑ ∑
PGA Vout

BLOCK DIAGRAM OF PRESSURE SENSOR COMPENSATION

Hardware Setup For Automatic Compensation Of Pressure
Sensor
GPIB
DMM
Temperature Chamber

RS232

Host Computer Serial Pressure Chamber

with GPIB Card KEY

Sensors

Pressure
Controller
Power
Supply

Compressed Dry N2
Cylinder Vacuum
Pump

GPIB

HARDWARE SETUP FOR AUTOMATIC COMPENSATION OF PRESSURE SENSOR

 Advantages of Compensation using Signal Conditioner:

• Error is very less than 0.25% temperature ranges -10 °C to

+70°C.
• Low power consumption .
• The hardware components used for this approach are low cost,
reliable and readily available in the market.
• Several Sensors can be Compensated simultaneously avoiding
repeated adjustment and stabilization of Pressure and
Temperature for individual sensor saving stabilization time for
each sensor.
 Problems in Implementation:

Need of a serial interfacing hardware for communication between

MAX1452 and Computer because:
1. PC’s RS-232’s has two pins Tx and Rx are used for serial
transmission and serial receiver purpose while MAX1452 has only
one pin for both transmission and receiving purpose.So
multiplexing must be done.
2. RTS/CTS can’t be used as handshaking signals: MAX1452 has
only one pin to communicate with RS-232 (For handshaking there
must be at least two synchronization signals).
 Problems in Implementation
3.The voltage levels of RS-232 signals:

RS232 Line Type & Logic Level RS232 Voltage

Data Transmission (Rx/Tx) Logic 0 +3V to +15V
Data Transmission (Rx/Tx) Logic 1 -3V to -15V
Control Signals (RTS/CTS/DTR/DSR) Logic 0 -3V to -15V
Control Signals (RTS/CTS/DTR/DSR) Logic 1 +3V to +15V

•While voltage levels of MAX1452 are CMOS compatible

 References:

1.Philip C.John , Abhay Joshi, Pramod Sindhanakeri , Ajayakumar.P.D ,

K. Natarajan ; “Signal Conditioner for MEMS based Piezoresistive
sensor” IEEE International Conference on Industrial and
Information Systems(ICIIS),August1,2010.
2.GUAN Rong - feng, WANG Xiao-xue ; “ MEMS Pressure Sensor
Temperature Compensation” Journal of Henan Normal
University(Natural Science 2009).
3.Signal Conditioner MAX1452 Datasheet from www.maxim-ic.com
4.Annual Report, SCL from www.scl.gov.in
5.Web Resources: www.isro.org, www.wikipedia.org.
THANK
YOU
Balwan Singh
2007 UEC 151
EC-3