Power source circuit and bridge type measuring device with output compensating circuit utilizing the same

Abstract: Provided is a constant voltage source for providing a reference constant voltage at a predetermined temperature, the temperature characteristics of an output of the constant voltage source being adjustable, and also provided is a bridge type measuring device comprising, a bridge circuit consisting of a plurality of detecting devices, at least one of resistance values thereof being varied in response to a variation in conditions of an object to be measured. An output compensating circuit for a bridge type measuring device can also be obtained by which the temperature characteristics of an output of the device may be adjusted utilizing the reference constant voltage of the constant voltage source which may be formed which comprises a memory storing a digital value and a digital-to-analog converter.

Description: The present invention relates to a power source circuit for providing an output voltage with adjustable temperature characteristics. A conventional power source circuit for an output compensating circuit for a bridge type measuring device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 55-155253, which employs adjustable resistors whose resistance values are adjustable to adjust the output gradient and temperature characteristics of the bridge type measuring device. When the adjustable resistors of the output compensating circuit of the above disclosure are adjusted to compensate the temperature characteristics, a current flowing through the resistor is changed even when the bridge type measuring device is kept at a constant temperature. This causes a change in the current flowing through an output circuit, thereby causing a change in output voltage. Namely, the adjustment of the resistors results in shifting the zero point of the output voltage. To avoid this, the temperature characteristics must be adjusted before the adjustment of the zero point of the output voltage. Accordingly, there are some restrictions on the adjustment method for each adjustable resistor. US-A 4 798 093 discloses a power source circuit in accordance with the preamble of claim 1. The known power source circuit comprises an operational amplifier which is fed with a reference voltage and comprises a feedback resistor. The feedback resistor is arranged in the vicinity of resistors of a bridge circuit of a pressure sensor and assumes essentially the same temperature as the resistors of the bridge circuit. Furthermore, the other input of operational amplifier is connected with an adjustable resistor the other terminal of which is connected to ground. To solve the problem of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a power source circuit for generating a constant reference voltage at a predetermined temperature, the temperatures characteristics of the output voltage thereof being adjustable. To achieve the object of the present invention, there is provided a power source circuit according to claim 1. The operation of the power source circuit will first be explained. An adjustable constant voltage generated by the voltage source is amplified by the amplifying means by an amplification factor of, for example, 1 at the predetermined temperature. In this case, the amplified constant voltage and the adjustable constant voltage generated by the voltage source have the same magnitude, i.e., the difference between them is zero. At the predetermined temperature, therefore, the voltage provided by the output means is equal to the reference constant voltage. When a temperature difference relative to the predetermined temperature occurs, the amplification factor of the amplifying means changes. If the adjustable constant voltage generated by the voltage source is changed, the amplification factor of the amplifying means may be constant but the difference between the constant voltage amplified by the amplifying means and the adjustable constant voltage generated by the voltage source may be changed. As a result, the output voltage of the output means is changed. Namely, by adjusting the value of the adjustable constant voltage generated by the voltage source, the required temperature characteristics will be realized in the output voltage. Figure 1 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of the power source circuit of the present invention and an output compensating circuit; Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an arrangement of a first constant voltage source of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a circuit diagram showing an arrangement of a second constant voltage source of Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a circuit diagram showing a CR oscillation circuit adopting the second constant voltage source as a power source circuit of Fig. 1; and Figure 5 is a circuit diagram showing another embodiment. The preferred embodiments of of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a circuit diagram showing an output compensating circuit. Numerals 1, 2, 3, and 4 denote detecting elements forming a bridge type measuring device. In this embodiment, the detecting elements are diffused resistors forming a known semiconductor pressure sensor. The structure of the pressure sensor is not shown in the figure. The resistors 1 to 4 are formed by diffusing opposite conductive impurities in a pressure sensitive region of a silicon diaphragm. When the resisters 1 to 4 are deformed by a pressure applied to the diaphragm, resistance values of the resistors 1 to 4 change due to a piezoresistance effect. The bridge type measuring device (hereinafter referred to as the sensor unit) is not limited to that for measuring pressure, but can also be formed to measure magnetism, light, humidity, etc. For example, to form a magnetism sensor, magnetic resistor elements are employed instead of the diffused resistors 1 to 4 and formed in a bridge circuit, for which the present invention is also applicable. The number of the detecting elements forming the bridge circuit is not limited to four but may be two or so. Numeral 100 denotes a sensitivity adjusting circuit, i.e., a constant current source comprising a resistor 5, an operational amplifier 6 and a first constant voltage source 7 for outputting a sensitivity adjusting voltage Vo to be described later. The constant current source 100 generates a constant current Io determined by the voltage Vo provided by the first constant voltage source 7 and a resistance value of the resistor 5. Numeral 200 denotes a voltage-to-current converting circuit comprising operational amplifiers 8 and 10, first resistor 9, and a transistor 11, to convert an output voltage of the bridge circuit into a current corresponding to the output voltage. Numeral 300 denotes a temperature compensating circuit comprising a second resistor 12, and a second constant voltage source 13 acting as a power source circuit for providing a temperatures adjusting voltage V1 to be described later. The temperature compensating circuit 300 compensates the temperature characteristics of an output voltage Vout. Numeral 400 denotes a zero point (offset) adjusting circuit for the output voltage Vout, comprising a resistor 14, a third resistor 15, an operational amplifier 16, and a third constant voltage source 17 for providing an offset adjusting voltage V2 to be described later. The zero point adjusting circuit 400 generates the output voltage Vout determined by the offset adjusting voltage V2, set values of the resistors 14 and 15 and an output current of the voltage-to-current converting circuit 200. A constant DC voltage VDD is applied between terminals 22 and 24, and the output voltage Vout proportional to a sensed pressure is generated between terminals 23 and 24. Operation of the above circuit arrangement will be explained next. In the bridge circuit, a first output terminal TB provides an output voltage VB and a second output terminal TC provides an output voltage VC. Since the operational amplifier 8 forms an impedance converter, an output thereof is equal to VC. In the operational amplifier 10, a voltage at a negative (-) input terminal is substantially equal to the voltage VB at a positive (+) input terminal because of an imaginal short. These determine currents I1, I3 and I2 flowing through the resistors 9 and 12 and transistor 11 respectively. The power source voltage VDD, output voltage V2 of the third constant voltage source 17 and the resistor 14 determine a current I5 flowing through the resistor 14. The difference of the currents I5 and I2 determines a current I4 flowing through the resistor 15, and the current I4 determines a voltage drop component of the resistor 15. As a result, the output voltage Vout is changed depending on the output current I2 of the voltage-to-current converting circuit 200. The above will be explained by using equations. The resistor 9, 12, 14 and 15 have resistance values R9, R12, R14 and R15, respectively. I1 + I3 = I2 Therefore, Further, I1 + I4 = I5 From the equations (1) and (2), Here, If the output voltage VB of the bridge circuit is equal to the temperature adjusting voltage V1 provided by the second constant voltage source 13, the following is established: Since the resistance values R9, R12, R14 and R15 and the voltages VDD, V2 and V1 are constant, it is understood from the equations (3) and (4) that the output voltage Vout corresponds to an output voltage (VB-VC) of the bridge circuit, i.e., the sensor unit. As is apparent from the equation (3)′, the output voltage Vout of the output compensating circuit is determined by the voltages Voff, Vsens and Vtemp. Namely, by adjusting the voltages Voff, Vsens and Vtemp, the characteristics of the output voltage Vout can be adjusted as required. Each of the voltages Voff, Vsens and Vtemp will be explained in detail. The voltage Vsens will be explained first. The bridge circuit provides the output voltages VB and VC. A voltage at the positive (+) input terminal of the operational amplifier 6 is VO, and a voltage at the negative (-) terminal thereof is substantially equal to VO due to an imaginal short. The resistor 5 has a resistance value R5, and a current Io flowing through the resistor 5 is expressed as follows: The resistors 1, 2, 3 and 4 forming the bridge circuit have resistance values R1, R2, R3 and R4, respectively, and the output voltage (VB-VC) of the bridge circuit will be expressed as follows: If the resistance values R1 to R5 are constant in the equations (5) and (6) and when the output voltage (sensitivity adjusting voltage) VO of the first constant voltage source 7 is changed, the current Io flowing through the resistor 5 is changed according to the equation (5). According to the change of the current Io, it is understood from the equation (6) that the output voltage (VB-VC) of the bridge circuit is changed. Namely, even if a sensed pressure of the bridge type measuring device is not changed, the output voltage (VB-VC) of the bridge circuit changes depending on the output voltage VO of the first constant voltage source 7. It means that the sensitivity of the bridge circuit changed depending on the output voltage VO of the first constant voltage source 7. As shown in Fig. 2, the first constant voltage source 7 comprises a nonvoltatile memory 701 for storing a digital value, and a digital-to analog (DA) converter for converting the digital value stored in the memory 701 into an analog value. Depending on a digital value to be written in the memory 701, the voltage VO to be generated at an output terminal 703 of the first constant voltage source 7 is set optionally. Since the output voltage (VB-VC) of the bridge circuit changes according to the output voltage VO of the first constant voltage source 7 as explained before, the sensitivity of the bridge circuit can be adjusted by a digital value to be written in the memory 701. In this way, the voltage Vsens [=(R15/R9)(VB-VC)] is a term that can adjust the sensitivity of the bridge circuit. Next the voltage Vtemp will be explained. The voltage Vtemp is determined by the difference of the output voltage VB of the bridge circuit and the output voltage (temperature adjusting voltage) V1 of the second constant voltage source 13. Figure 3 shows an arrangement of the second constant voltage source 13. In the figure, numeral 131 denotes a nonvolatile memory for storing a digital value, and 132 a DA converter for converting the digital value stored in the nonvolatile memory 131 into an analog value. The memory 131 and DA converter 132 form a voltage source 130. Numerals 143 and 144 are voltage adjusting circuits, respectively, each for providing an analog voltage. Numeral 500 denotes an amplifying circuit comprising resistors 136 and 137 and an operational amplifier 138, to invert and amplify an output voltage (adjustable constant voltage) (V1′ of the DA converter 132. Numeral 600 denotes an output circuit comprising resistors 139, 140 and 141 and an operational amplifier 142, to add the output voltage V1′ of the DA converter 132 to an output voltage V1″ inverted and amplified by the amplifying circuit 500. A result of the addition is provided from an output terminal 135. Operation of the second constant voltage source 13 will be explained next. A digital value is written in the memory 131, and the DA converter 132 provides an analog output voltage V1′ corresponding to the digital value. The resistors 136 and 137 have resistance values R136 and R137, respectively. A voltage Vx of the voltage adjusting circuit 143 is applied to a positive (+) input terminal 133 of the operational amplifier 138. The output voltage (amplified constant voltage ) V1″ of the amplifying circuit 500 is expressed as follows: Namely, the output voltage V1″ is based on the voltage Vx and derived by inverting and amplifying the output voltage V1′ of the DA converter 132. The output voltage V1″ of the inverting and amplifying circuit 500 and the output voltage V1′ of the DA converter 132 are applied to the output circuit 600. The resistors 139, 140 and 141 have resistance values R139, R140 and R141, respectively. A voltage Vy from the voltage adjusting circuit 144 is applied to a positive (+) input terminal 134 of the operational amplifier 142. The output voltage (reference constant voltage) V1 of the output circuit 600 is expressed as follows: The resistance value R137 of the resistor 137 at a predetermined temperature (for example, a room temperature) is set to be equal to the resistance value R136 of the resistor 136, and the resistors 136 and 137 are made of materials having different resistance temperature factors. The resistance value R137 of the resistor 137 is expressed as follows: R137 = R136 (1+ αT) where a is the resistance temperature factor of the resistor R137, and T is a temperature difference relative to the predetermined temperature. If the resistance values and resistance temperature factors of the resistors 139, 140 and 141 are equal to each other, the output voltage V1 of the output circuit 600 will be as follows: With the voltage VO at the positive (+) input terminal of the operational amplifier 6 and the current IO flowing through the resistor R5 in Fig. 1, the voltage VB at the positive (+) input terminal of the operational amplifier 10 will be as follows: If the resistance value of each of the resistors 1 to 4 of the bridge circuit is Rs, the voltage VB is: VB = Vo - 1 2 RsIo (9) By combining the equations (9) and (5), the following is established: If the voltage Vy and Vx are set to satisfy the following: Vy = 1 3 [ 1 + 1 2 Rs R5 ] Vo, Vx = 1 4 · Rs R5 VDD the following will be established according to the equations (8) and (10): V1 = VB + [V1' - 1 4 Rs R5 VDD] αT (11) Namely, by setting the voltages Vx and Vy to satisfy the above conditions, the voltage VB at the positive (+) input terminal of the operational amplifier 10 and the voltage V1 provided by the second constant voltage source 13 become equal to each other at the predetermined temperature. In this case, the voltage Vtemp is zero, so that an offset caused by the voltage Vtemp on the output voltage Vout of the output compensating circuit will be zero. Accordingly, the offset of the output voltage Vout can be simply adjusted. The equation (11) indicates that the voltage V1 is equal to the reference voltage VB at the predetermined temperature and changes at the following ratio in response to a temperature change: [ V1' - 1 4 Rs R5 VDD ] α If a positive temperature change, for instance from 25 centigrade to 80 centrigrade, occurs at an optional pressure P1, the current I4 may be reduced to cause the output voltage Vout to increase by DVout. To prevent (compensate) the reduction of the current I4, the output current I2 of the voltage-to-current converting circuit 200 shall be reduced, because the current I5 flowing through the resistor 14 is constant. When the resistors 1 to 4 of the sensor unit have positive temperature characteristics and when the voltage VB is decreased by DVB due to the above temperature increase, the current I3 flowing through the resistor 12 is decreased, because the same voltage VB appears at the negative (-) input terminal of the operational amplifier 10 due to an imaginal short. This decrease of the current I3 causes the current I2 to decrease ( I2 = I1 + I3 ). To secure that the reduction of the current I2 surely prevents the current I4 from decreasing, the voltage V1 shall be adjusted to satisfy the following: With this, the temperature characteristics of the output voltage Vout is surely compensated. When the resistors 1 to 4 of the sensor unit have positive temperature characteristics to increase the voltage VB by DVB in response to a temperature increase, or when the resistors 1 to 4 of the sensor unit have negative temperature characteristics, the same adjustment as above is applicable to compensate the temperature characteristics of the output voltage Vout. Now the voltage Voff will be explained. As apparent from the equations (3) and (4), the voltage Voff can adjust an offset of the output voltage Vout, and the voltage Voff can be adjusted by the voltage (offset adjusting voltage) V2 provided by the third constant voltage source 17. Similar to the first constant voltage source 7, the third constant voltage source 17 comprises a memory for storing a digital value, and a DA converter for converting the digital value stored in the memory into an analog value. The offset of the output voltage Vout can easily be adjusted, therefore, by adjusting the digital value to be stored in the memory. If the memories in the first, second and third constant voltage sources 7, 13 and 17 are formed of RAMs, the output characteristics of the bridge type measuring device may optionally be adjusted. In the second constant voltage source 13 of the above embodiment, an output voltage V1′ provided by the voltage source 130 (Fig. 3) comprising the memory 131 and DA converter 132 is inverted and amplified by the amplifying circuit 500. The output voltage V1′ from the voltage source 130 may not be inverted but amplified by an amplification factor that changes according to a temperature change. In this case, the difference of the amplified output voltage V1″ and the output voltage V1′ from the voltage source 130 is detected to change an output voltage V1 provided by the output circuit 600. In the above embodiment, the resistance values of the resistors R136 and R137 are the same as each other at a predetermined temperature. The resistance values of the resistors R136 and R137 may be set such that one is k times the other and R139-kR140 at the predetermined temperature. Then, as apparent form the equation (7), an output voltage V1 (temperature adjusting voltage) of the output circuit 600 will be determined by multiplying the temperature factor α of the resistor R137 by a value determined by a ratio of the resistors R140 and R141, irrespective of the value of the output voltage V1′ of the voltage source 130. As explained before, the second constant voltage source 13 outputs a predetermined reference voltage V1 (temperature adjusting voltage) at a predetermined temperature, and the temperature characteristics of an output voltage V1 thereof are optionally adjustable. If the second constant voltage source 13 is employed as a power source circuit of a CR oscillation circuit, the temperature characteristics of an oscillation frequency of the CR oscillation circuit can surely be compensated. Such a CR oscillation circuit employing the second constant voltage source 13 as a power source circuit thereof will be explained. Figure 4 shows a known CR oscillation circuit comprising inverters 804, 805 and 806, resistors 807 and 808, and a capacitor 809. Time constants of the resistor 808 and capacitor 809 determine an oscillation frequency. Numeral 801 denotes a power source terminal connected to the second constant voltage source 13, 802 a grounding terminal, and 803 an output terminal. In this sort of CR oscillation circuit, it is well known that the switching time of transistors forming the inverters 804, 805 and 806 and the temperature characteristics of the resistor 104, capacitor 105, etc, affect the oscillation frequency. Here, it is supposed the time constants of the resistor 808 and capacitor 809 are adjusted to obtain an output oscillation frequency f1. If a predetermined temperature T1 is changed by DT to T1+DT, the oscillation frequency f1 will be changed by Df1 to f1+Df1. The oscillation frequency of the Cr oscillation circuit is also affected by a power source voltage. To cope with this, an output voltage of the second constant voltage source 13 connected to the terminal 801 may be changed from V1 to V1+DV1 to keep the oscillation frequency of the CR oscillation circuit constant. The output voltage V1 of the second constant voltage source 13 is fixed at the predetermined temperature, irrespective of a digital value to be written in the memory of the second constant voltage source 13, so that the oscillation frequency may be stationary. By employing the second constant voltage source 13 as a power source circuit of the Cr oscillation circuit, therefore, the oscillation frequency may be set only by the time constants of the resistor 808 and capacitor 809, and the temperature characteristics of the oscillation frequency may surely be compensated. When the oscillation frequency changes from f1 to f1-Df1 due to a temperature increase, the digital value to be written in the memory of the second constant voltage source 13 may be set to bring the output voltage thereof from V1 to V1-DV1. Another embodiment of the present invention will be explained next with reference to Figure 5. Fig. 5 shows a block diagram of another bridge type measuring device according to the present invention. Most of the circuits used in this embodiment are the same as those used in the previous embodiment shown in Figs 1 and 3. The same components as used in Figs. 1 and 3 are labeled with the same references numerals as used in Figs. 1 and 3. In this embodied, the only difference is in the second constant voltage source 13 in which only one voltage adjusting circuit 145 is provided instead of two voltage adjusting circuits 143 and 144 as used in the circuit of Fig. 3. In this embodiment, the same voltage output from the voltage adjusting circuit 145 is applied to both of the non-inverting inputs of the operational amplifiers 138 and 142. In this case, when Vx = Vy is assumed, the output voltage V1 represented in equation (8) is rewritten as follows; V1 = Vx + (V1' - Vx) αT (12) and therefore the current I3 flowing through the resistor R12 is constant as long as the temperature is kept constant, whereby adjustment of the offset caused by the voltage Vtemp can be easily carried out. In the previous embodiment (Fig. 1 - Fig. 3), in order to make an offset caused by the voltage Vtemp zero, the voltages Vx and Vy are adjusted so that V1 = VB at a predetermined temperature is created. In this embodiment (Fig. 5), the offset adjustment is different from that of the previous embodiment in that only one voltage adjusting circuit 145 is provided and the constant offset voltage (VB - Vx) is generated at a predetermined temperature. Note that the voltage adjustment of this embodiment, however, has an advantage in that the circuit construction can be simplified due to the voltage adjustment operation being carried out in only one step. Also in this embodiment, the offset voltage at a predetermined temperature is kept at constant regardless of the voltage V1′, thus making the adjusting operation easy, and making it possible to adjust the offset completely independent of other adjusting operations for other factors. As explained above, the present invention provides a power source circuit that provides a reference voltage at a predetermined temperature, the temperature characteristics of the output voltage of the power source circuit being adjustable. If the power source circuit is employed as an output compensating circuit for a bridge type measuring device, the temperature characteristics of the output of the bridge type measuring device may be adjusted without affecting other output characteristics. Also, in the present invention, the adjusting operation can be carried out, for example, by first adjusting the voltage of the first constant voltage source 7 (Fig. 1) to adjust the current input to the bridge circuit, and thereafter adjusting the voltage output from the third constant voltage source 17. In this case, if the voltage adjustment of the first constant voltage source 7 is not correct, another voltage adjustment of the third constant voltage source 17 should be repeated. However, in the present invention, this adjustment can be carried out smoothly since a digital type voltage generating means is used in the constant voltage source. Moreover, each of the temperature characteristics of the bridge circuits is naturally different from each other because it is usually difficult to control a producing step thereof constant to give the same characteristic thereto. Therefore, it is necessary for the temperature characteristics of the bridge circuit to be adjusted to a predetermined value utilizing the temperature compensating circuit 13 (Fig. 1) and in this instant, it is adjusted utilizing voltage having a certain temperature characteristic. According to the present invention, this adjusting operation can be carried out smoothly since the voltage used for this adjustment can be easily increased or decreased in accordance with the digital value.

Claims: A power source circuit for providing a reference constant voltage (V₁) having a given temperature characteristic at a predetermined temperature, comprising: a voltage source (130) for generating an adjustable constant voltage; and amplifying means (500) for amplifying the adjustable constant voltage generated by the voltage source (130) by an amplification factor at the predetermined temperature, the amplification factor being changed in response to a temperature difference between said predetermined temperature and a current temperature, said amplifying means outputting an amplified constant voltage at a predetermined temperature; characterized by output means (600) for providing the reference constant voltage (V₁) at the predetermined temperature and changing the reference constant voltage having an adjustable temperature characteristic in response to a difference between the amplified constant voltage output from said amplifying means (500) and the adjustable constant voltage generated by the voltage source (130). Power source circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that the amplifying means (500) comprises two amplifiers (138, 142), wherein the adjustable constant voltage is applied to the input of the first operational amplifier (138) the output voltage of which is applied to the input of the second operational amplifier (142), wherein the other inputs of the two operational amplifiers (138, 142) are supplied with at least one further reference voltage (V x , V y ).

Inventors: ENYA TAKESHI, NAKAMURA KATSUMI, TANAKA HIROAKI, ENYA, TAKESHI, NAKAMURA, KATSUMI, TANAKA, HIROAKI
Applicants: NIPPON DENSO CO, NIPPON SOKEN, NIPPON SOKEN, INC., NIPPONDENSO CO., LTD.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G01L1
IPC codes: G01R17, G05F1, G01L9, G01R19