Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Zdenek Axman

Tomas Suchy

Marek Hustava

Pavel Horsky

Petr Kamenicky

Jiri Kutej

Embodiments include a primary short circuit coupled to a primary side of a transformer and a dampening element, coupled to a transducer coupled to a secondary side of the transformer, configured to dampen a received signal during a portion of a reverberation period.

Devices, systems and processes for improving frequency measurements during reverberation periods for ultra-sonic transducers

Embodiments include a primary short circuit (PSC) coupled to a primary side of a transformer and a dampening element, coupled to a transducer coupled to a secondary side of the transformer, configured to dampen a received signal during a portion of a reverberation period. The PSC and the dampening element may be activated substantially simultaneously. Activation of the PSC circuit mitigates a parallel resonance otherwise arising, in part, in the transducer, but, increases the received signal by a DC shift voltage. The dampening element dampens the DC shift voltage. The received signal may be dampened prior to amplification of the received signal by an amplifier. The dampening facilitates earlier and more precise measurement, during the reverberation period, of at least one operating characteristic for the PAS sensor. Another embodiment prevents the DC shift voltage by selectively activating the PSC within a determined time of a zero-crossing of a given signal.

Piezoelectric sensor controllers may facilitate detection and identification of various potential fault states with parameter measurements. In an illustrative embodiment of a piezoelectric-based sensor having response-parameter-based fault diagnosis, the sensor includes a piezoelectric transducer and a controller. The controller drives the piezoelectric transducer to generate bursts of acoustic energy and, based on a response of the piezoelectric transducer to said driving, identifies a corresponding transducer state from a set of potential states including multiple transducer fault states. An illustrative embodiment of a sensing method having fault diagnosis, the method includes: driving a piezoelectric transducer to generate a burst of acoustic energy; monitoring a response of the piezoelectric transducer to said driving; identifying, based on said response, a corresponding transducer state from a set of potential states including multiple transducer fault states; and if the transducer state is a fault state, reporting that fault state.

Response-based determination of piezoelectric transducer state

Piezoelectric sensor controllers may facilitate detection and identification of various potential fault states with novel parameter measurements. In an illustrative embodiment of a piezoelectric-based sensor having a shorted-reverberation based resonant frequency measurement, the sensor includes a piezoelectric transducer that provides residual reverberation after being driven. The sensor further includes a controller that provides a low impedance path for the piezoelectric transducer during the residual reverberation and that measures current through the low impedance path to determine a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transducer. In an illustrative embodiment of a sensing method having a shorted-reverberation based resonant frequency measurement, the method includes: driving a piezoelectric transducer that provides residual reverberation after being driven; providing a low impedance path for the piezoelectric transducer during the residual reverberation; and measuring current through the low impedance path to determine a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transducer.

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Sebetov, Czechia

Zdenek Axman