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ABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Sensor Systems in Industrial Applications ... 15

1.1 Sensor market overview ... 15

1.2 MEMS applications ... 20

i. Life science applications ... 21

ii. Communications: RF MEMS ... 23

iii. Automotive ... 24

iv. Commercial applications ... 27

v. Industrial applications ... 29

vi. Military and Aero-space application ... 31

1.3 Specifications for sensor conditioning electronics ... 32

1.4 MEMS sensing and actuation technology ... 34

1.5 Technologies and electronics design issues ... 39

Bibliography ... 42

Chapter 2 Design of sensor interfaces... 45

2.1 Introduction ... 45

2.2 Universal Sensor Interface ... 46

2.3 Platform Based Design ... 48

2.4 Limitations of Platform Based Design flow ... 50

2.5 ISIF platform ... 51

i. Analog section ... 54

ii. Digital hardware section... 55

iii. Software section ... 57

Bibliography...60

Chapter 3 Verification and Validation Flow in Mixed Signal Design 63 3.1 New challenges with mixed/signal design ...63

3.2. System Verification Flow ...65

3.3. VHDL-AMS modeling flow ...67

i. VHDL-AMS model generation...67

ii. Model template structure ...68

iii. Model cross check...71

3.4. Netlist Automatic Extraction ...72

3.5. Connection Modules ...74

3.6. Complete System Simulation...76

3.7. Critical issues in testing and verification of mixed signal ICs 77 3.8. Integrated verification flow: from pre-silicon to post-silicon. 78 3.9. Integrated verification flow: simulation environment. ...79

3.10. Integrated verification flow: verification environment. ..79

3.11. Integrated verification flow: Design For Testability approach. 81 3.12. Integrated verification flow: overall flow implementation. 82 3.13. Validation of the verification flow...84

Bibliography...90

Chapter 4 Design and validation of a measure system for water flow monitoring with ISIF platform...93

4.1 Flow sensor market overview ...93

4.2 Sensor physical description...95

4.3 Design space exploration with ISIF platform ...100

4.4 Laboratory set-up development ...103

4.5 Design phase exploration refinement with the LVGUI ....108

4.6 Validation of the platform in lab...110

4.7 Development of a evaluation FW for the application ...115

4.8 Results...118

5.4 SD450: 8051 core ... 128

5.5 SD450: the digital section ... 129

5.6 Verification environment for the SD450 platform ... 131

5.7 Physical implementation ... 133

5.8 Mini-board development for water flow meter application 133 5.9 Enhanced pipe assembly... 134

5.10 FW development for the new platform... 138

5.11 Results ... 139

5.12 Power consumption analysis ... 141

5.13 ROM version for system optimization ... 142

5.14 From ISIF to the definitive measurement system... 143

Bibliography ... 144

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Figure 1-1: Global MEMS market 2005 2010 [2]. ...16 Figure 1-2: Global MEMS market 2006 (source WtC) [5]...18 Figure 1-3: Sensor Systems in Automotive (source WtC)[4]. ...20 Figure 1-4: An example of MEMS Systems in Bio-medical

applications. ...22 Figure 1-5: An example of MEMS electrostatic actuated switch. ...24 Figure 1-6: Market for Automotive MEMS sensor (source

wtc-consult)...25 Figure 1-7:An example of Inkjet cartridges (courtesy of

STMicroelectrinics). ...27 Figure 1-8: An example of MEMS Microphone (courtesy of Knowels and Acustika). ...28 Figure 1-9: a) launch from a mother ship of b) microswitch in MEMS technology...31 Figure 1-10: Integrated comb drive. [Courtesy of Sandia National Labs]...36 Figure 1-11: microscope views of MEMS structures on silicon

(courtesy of STMicroelectronics). ...37 Figure 1-12: Design drivers and design methodology gaps...39 Figure 1-13: Technologies in automotive ICs [source: Robert Bosch GmbH] ...41 Figure 2-1: Building a Universal Sensor Interface ...46 Figure 2-2: Block diagram of the USI [45]...47

Figure 2-5: example of partitioning of a DSP chain within ISIF

platform between analog, digital and software processing blocks. .... 53

Figure 2-6: ISIF block diagram. ... 54

Figure 2-7: ISIF input channel. ... 55

Figure 2-8: ISIF digital section... 56

Figure 2-9: ISIF Physical implementation. ... 58

Figure 2-10: ISIF Layout... 59

Figure 3-1: Mixed Signal on overall SoC(%). Source Cadence... 64

Figure 3-2: System Verification flow... 66

Figure 3-3: Generic Analog Block and its Simplified VHDL-AMS Model... 67

Figure 3-4: Generic template architecture. ... 69

Figure 3-5: Example of across and through quantities. ... 70

Figure 3-6: Terminal check ... 71

Figure 3-7: Self-checking Test Bench ... 72

Figure 3-8: Netlist Extraction Flow... 73

Figure 3-9: Connection Modules Insertion Rules... 74

Figure 3-10: Logical to Electrical Connection Module... 75

Figure 3-11: Electrical to Logical Connection Module... 75

Figure 3-12: Integrated Verification Flow... 83

Figure 3-13: ISIF Block Diagram... 84

Figure 3-14: LabVIEW Graphic User Interface ... 86

Figure 3-15: Partial content of VHDL-AMS module generating the report... 88

Figure 3-16: DAC transfer curve comparison. ... 88

Figure 3-17: Difference between simulated DAC transfer curve and real curve. ... 89

Figure 4-1: MAF sensor scheme. ... 96

Figure 4-2: Bidirectional flow detection. ... 97

Figure 4-3: MAF sensor cross section... 98

Figure 4-4: MAF sensor wafer particular overview ... 99

Figure 4-5: Driving scheme... 100

Figure 4-6: Simplified driving scheme ... 101

Figure 4-7: ISIF driving scheme... 102

Figure 4-8: ISIF evaluation board ... 103

Figure 4-9: MAF ceramic board... 104

Figure 4-10: MAF assembly cross section ... 104

Figure 4-11: Stainless steel pipe assembly ... 105

Figure 4-12: Pipe insertion in the water duct ... 106

Figure 4-14: Measurement line: left side particular...107

Figure 4-15: Measurement line: right side particular...108

Figure 4-16: Application Interface in LabVIEW...109

Figure 4-17: System settling time ...111

Figure 4-18: Signal derives ...111

Figure 4-19: Micro bubbles in the water flow ...112

Figure 4-20: Bubbles on the sensor surface ...113

Figure 4-21: Deposit of calcium carbonate on the sensor surface ....113

Figure 4-22: Negligible deposit of calcium carbonate on the reference resistances ...113

Figure 4-23: Deposit of calcium carbonate after 10 days of continuous measures...114

Figure 4-24: No deposit of calcium carbonate after 12 days of pulsed measures...115

Figure 4-25: FW structure...116

Figure 4-26: DSP structure ...118

Figure 4-27: Characteristic curve over a 0-250cm/s water speed range ...118

Figure 4-28: Direction detection ...119

Figure 4-29: Noise floor with standard deviation ...120

Figure 4-30: Noise floor with maximum values of the deviance from reference...120

Figure 4-31: From ISIF to dedicated platform...122

Figure 5-1: Input (ISIF) channel ...127

Figure 5-2: Monitor channel ...127

Figure 5-3: Clock generation structure ...128

Figure 5-4: Digital block diagram...130

Figure 5-5: Example of VHDL-AMS model (LPF filter)...132

Figure 5-6: SD450 platform physical layout...133

Figure 5-7: SD450 evaluation board...134

Figure 5-8: Ceramic board ...134

Figure 5-9: Pipe assembly schematic...135

Figure 5-10: Pipe assembly...135

Figure 5-11: Found water infiltration under glob top glue ...136

Figure 5-16: Battery duration ... 142 Figure 5-17: From EMU to ROM version... 143

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Table 1: Global Markets and Forecasts for MEMS Systems, Devices, Materials and Equipment (Yole Development) [2]...17 Table 2:Mechanical properties of steel versus silicon [1]...19 Table 3: Thermal operating environments [27]. ...33 Table 4: Performance comparison between simulation and

measurements...87 Table 5: Performance comparison with commercial devices ...121