Patent ID: 6636036
Filing Date: 2003-10-21
Classification: G01D

Abstract:
An apparatus configured to detect transitions between, first and second relative states of a transducer responsive to an excitation stimulus configured to provide a transducer output having an amplitude envelope that modulates in accordance with the operating region of the excitation stimulus comprising:a comparator circuit having at least two inputs and at least one output for providing a two state output signal wherein state changes of the output signal correspond to state changes of the transducer; a reference circuit configured to provide a reference signal to one of the pair of inputs of the comparator circuit; a transducer circuit configured to provide a transducer signal proportional to the transducer output to the other of the pair of inputs of the comparator circuit; and, a hysteresis circuit configured to provide a hysteretic deadband proportional to the amplitude envelope of the transducer output to the response of the comparator circuit to the reference and transducer signals.