Bridge sensor with collocated electronics and two-wire interface

A signal converter, comprising:

• a housing;
• a first plurality of converter input/output (I/O) lines accessible at an exterior of the housing and adapted for connection to a plurality of sensor I/O lines for a bridge sensor transducer, the bridge sensor transducer including at least one micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensing element;
• a second plurality of converter I/O lines accessible at the exterior of the housing;
• a differential amplifier disposed within the housing and including first and second pluralities of amplifier I/O ports, wherein at least some of the amplifier I/O ports from the first plurality of amplifier I/O ports are connected to at least some of the converter I/O lines from the first plurality of converter I/O lines;
• and,
• a conversion circuit disposed within the housing and including a plurality of conversion I/O ports and first and second conversion I/O ports, wherein at least at least some of the conversion I/O ports from the plurality of conversion I/O ports are electrically connected to at least some of the amplifier I/O ports from the second plurality of amplifier I/O ports and to at least some of the converter I/O lines from the first plurality of converter I/O lines and wherein the first and second conversion I/O ports are electrically connected to the second plurality of converter I/O lines.

A transducer, comprising:

• a housing;
• a bridge sensor circuit disposed within the housing and including at least one micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensing element and first and second output ports;
• circuitry disposed within the housing;
• and,
• an input/output (I/O) line electrically connected to the circuitry, accessible at an exterior of the housing, and adapted for receipt of input voltage or current, wherein the circuitry is for generating a conversion signal that combines respective outputs of the first and second output ports of the bridge sensor circuit, and transmitting the conversion signal on the I/O line.

A signal converter, comprising:

• a housing;
• circuitry disposed within the housing;
• a plurality of converter input/output (I/O) lines accessible at an exterior of the housing and adapted for connection to a plurality of sensor I/O lines for a bridge sensor transducer, wherein the bridge sensor transducer includes a bridge sensor circuit with at least one micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensing element and wherein a first portion of the plurality of converter I/O lines are adapted to receive respective output signals from the bridge sensor circuit;
• and,
• a converter I/O line accessible at the exterior of the housing and adapted for receipt of constant current power, wherein the circuitry is for providing excitation power on a second portion of the plurality of converter I/O lines, generating a conversion signal that combines the respective output signals of the bridge sensor circuit, and transmitting the conversion signal on the I/O line.

A transducer, comprising:

• a housing;
• a bridge sensor circuit disposed within the housing and including at least one micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensing element;
• circuitry disposed within the housing;
• and,
• an input/output (I/O) line electrically connected to the circuitry, accessible at an exterior of the housing, and adapted for receipt of input voltage or current, wherein the circuitry is for receiving output from the bridge sensor circuit and generating a conversion signal from the output from the bridge sensor circuit and wherein the output from the bridge sensor circuit and the conversion signal each include a DC component.

A signal converter, comprising:

• a housing;
• circuitry disposed within the housing;
• a plurality of converter input/output (I/O) lines accessible at an exterior of the housing and adapted for connection to a plurality of sensor I/O lines for a bridge sensor transducer, wherein the bridge sensor transducer includes a bridge sensor circuit with at least one micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensing element and wherein a first portion of the plurality of converter I/O lines is adapted to receive an output, including a DC component, from the bridge sensor circuit;
• and,
• a converter I/O line accessible at the exterior of the housing and adapted for receipt of constant current power, wherein the circuitry is for providing excitation power on a second portion of the plurality of converter I/O lines, generating a conversion signal, including the DC component, from the output from the bridge sensor circuit, and transmitting the conversion signal on the I/O line.

A method of generating a two-wire output for a bridge sensor transducer, comprising the steps of:

• accepting a first constant current on a two-wire line accessible at the exterior of a housing for the transducer;
• and,
• within the housing for the transducer:
• generating an operating voltage or a second constant current using the first constant current on the two-wire line;
• supplying the operating voltage or the second constant current to a bridge sensor circuit, the bridge sensor circuit including at least one micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensing element;
• outputting, from the bridge sensor circuit and responsive to the operating voltage or the second constant current, first and second bridge sensor output signals;
• generating a data signal combining the first and second bridge sensor output signals;
• and,
• outputting, on the two-wire line, the data signal.

A method of operating on a sensor signal for a transducer, comprising:

• accepting a first constant current on a two-wire line accessible at the exterior of a housing for a converter element;
• generating, within the housing for the converter element, an operating voltage or a second constant current using the first constant current on the two-wire line;
• supplying, on a plurality of converter input/output (I/O) lines accessible at the exterior of the housing, the operating voltage or the second constant current, wherein the plurality of converter I/O lines are adapted for electrical connection to respective I/O lines for a bridge sensor transducer, the bridge sensor including at least one micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensing element;
• accepting, on first and second converter I/O lines accessible at the exterior of the housing and adapted for electrical connection to first and second I/O lines, respectively, for the transducer, first and second bridge sensor output signals, respectively, the first and second bridge sensor output signals generated responsive to the operating voltage or the second constant current;
• and,
• outputting, on the two-wire line, a data signal combining the first and second bridge sensor output signals.

A method of generating an output signal for a transducer, comprising:

• receiving, on an input/output (I/O) line electrically connected to circuitry in a housing and accessible at an exterior of the housing, input voltage or current, wherein the circuitry is connected to a bridge sensor circuit disposed within the housing and including at least one micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensing element and first and second output ports;
• generating, using the circuitry, a data signal that combines respective outputs of the first and second output ports of the bridge sensor circuit;
• and,
• transmitting the data signal on the I/O line.

A method of operating on a sensor signal for a transducer, comprising:

• accepting constant current power on a converter input/output (I/O) line accessible at the exterior of a housing;
• connecting a plurality of converter I/O lines accessible at the exterior of the housing with a plurality of sensor I/O lines for a bridge sensor transducer, the bridge sensor transducer including a bridge sensor circuit with at least one micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensing element;
• providing, using circuitry disposed within the housing, excitation power for the bridge sensor circuit on the plurality of converter I/O lines;
• receiving, on the plurality of converter I/O lines, respective outputs from the bridge sensor circuit;
• generating, using the circuitry disposed within the housing, a data signal that combines the respective outputs from the bridge sensor circuit;
• and,
• transmitting the data signal on the converter I/O line.

A method of generating an output signal for a transducer, comprising:

• receiving, on an input/output (I/O) line electrically connected to circuitry in a housing and accessible at an exterior of the housing, input voltage or current, wherein the circuitry is connected to a bridge sensor circuit disposed within the housing and including at least one micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensing element and first and second output ports;
• generating, using the circuitry, a conversion signal, with a DC component, that combines respective outputs of the first and second output ports of the bridge sensor circuit;
• and,
• transmitting the conversion signal on the I/O line.

A method of operating on a sensor signal for a transducer, comprising:

• accepting constant current power on a converter input/output (I/O) line accessible at the exterior of a housing;
• connecting a plurality of converter I/O lines accessible at the exterior of the housing with a plurality of sensor I/O lines for a bridge sensor transducer, the bridge sensor transducer including at least one micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensing element;
• providing, using circuitry disposed within the housing, excitation power for the bridge sensor circuit on a first portion of the plurality of converter I/O lines;
• receiving, on a second portion of the plurality of converter I/O lines, respective outputs, with a DC component, from the bridge sensor circuit;
• generating, using the circuitry disposed within the housing, a conversion signal, with the DC component, that combines the respective outputs from the bridge sensor circuit;
• and,
• transmitting the conversion signal on the converter I/O line.