Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Daniele De Pascalis

Enrico Rosario Alessi

Fabio Passaniti

Eugenio Miluzzi

Giuseppe Spinella

Marco Vito Sapienza

Maria Ceravolo

The present disclosure is directed to self-tests for electrostatic charge variation sensors. The self-tests ensure an electrostatic charge variation sensor is functioning properly. The self-tests may be performed while an electrostatic charge variation sensor is active and without interruption to the application employing the electrostatic charge variation sensor.

Self-test for electrostatic charge variation sensors

An offset-compensation circuit in a MEMS sensor device, provided with a micromechanical detection structure that transduces a quantity to be detected into an electrical detection quantity, and with an electronic reading circuit, coupled to the micromechanical detection structure for processing the electrical detection quantity and supplying an output signal, which is a function of the quantity to be detected. A compensation structure is electrically coupled to the input of the electronic reading circuit and can be controlled for generating an electrical compensation quantity, of a trimmable value, for compensating an offset on the output signal; the compensation circuit has a control unit, which reads the output signal during operation of the MEMS sensor device; obtains information on the offset present on the output signal itself; and controls the compensation structure as a function of the offset information.

Circuit and method for dynamic offset compensation in a MEMS sensor device

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Cornaredo, Italy

Daniele De Pascalis