Pseudosinusoidal oscillator drive system

Abstract

A circuit (62, 64) for receiving a periodic input signal at frequency f, and for producing a pseudosinusoidal staircase output signal at a fundamental frequency f from which predetermined harmonics of the fundamental frequency are absent. Also provided are an oscillator in which such a circuit forms the drive circuit for a piezoelectric crystal, and an accelerometer in which such an oscillator is used as the force sensing means. In the accelerometer, the reaction force of a proof mass (40) is sensed by a resonator that comprises a drive circuit (44) for producing a drive signal and a piezoelectric crystal (42) connected between the proof mass and support (46). In response to the drive signal, the crystal undergoes mechanical vibration at a frequency f that varies with the force applied to the crystal. A resonator signal corresponding to the mechanical vibration is produced and input to drive circuit. The drive circuit responds by producing the drive signal in the form of a periodic, pseudosinusoidal staircase function. The staircase function has fundamental frequency f, and has N steps of M discrete nonzero amplitude levels per period. N and M are integers greater than one, with M being less than N. The drive circuit produces the M amplitude levels such that predetermined harmonics of the fundamental frequency f are not present in the drive signal, thereby reducing the possibility of activity dips in the accelerometer output.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.