Abstract:
An optical pressure sensor interrogation system is provided. The system includes a light source for providing an optical signal to an optical pressure sensor and an optical coupler for receiving a reflected signal from the optical pressure sensor. The optical coupler splits the reflected signal and provides a first portion of the reflected signal to a first optical detector. The system further includes a filter for receiving a second portion of the reflected signal and providing a filtered signal to a second optical detector and a processing circuitry configured to obtain pressure based on a division or a subtraction of light intensities of the first and the second optical detector output signals. The processing circuitry is further configured to provide a feedback signal to the light source to control a wavelength of the optical signal

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present description relates generally to optical sensors, and more particularly to interrogation methods of Fabry-Perot based optical pressure sensors for measuring static and dynamic pressures over a wide bandwidth range at high temperatures. 
         [0002]    Pressure sensors are used in a wide range of industrial and consumer applications. Pressures of many different magnitudes may be measured using various types of pressure sensors, such as Bourdon-tube type pressure sensors, diaphragm-based pressure sensors and piezoresistive pressure sensors on silicon or silicon on insulator (SOI). Several variations of the diaphragm-based pressure sensor have been utilized to measure different ranges of pressure, such as by utilizing cantilever-based pressure sensors, optically read pressure sensors and the like. 
         [0003]    Fiber optic sensor utilizing a Fabry-Perot cavity have been demonstrated to be attractive for the measurement of temperature, strain, pressure and displacement, due to their high sensitivity. Some advantages of fiber optic sensors over conventional electrical sensors include immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI), resistance to harsh environments, small form factor and potential for multiplexing. 
         [0004]    In some instances the Fabry-Perot cavity is formed by a diaphragm, which deflects under pressure. The cavity is illuminated with a visible or infrared light source and a varying amount of that light is both reflected by and transmitted through diaphragm. When the light reflects back toward the source, there is constructive and/or destructive inteference of the light with the incident beam characteristic of the length of the Fabry-Perot cavity. When the diaphragm is deflected as a result of quantity to be measured such as applied pressure, force, stress or strain (herein referred to as the measurand), the interference behavior changes due to the change in the length of the Fabry-Perot cavity. 
         [0005]    The main challenges in converting diaphragm deflection into a usable linear output include maintaining adequate optical signal levels to overcome noise in the receiver while attempting to make the system immune to any fluctuations other than those of the sensor itself. Typical fluctuations might include intensity fluctuations of the interrogating optical source, mechanical fluctuations within the optical path, and temperature-induced fluctuations in the system. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
       [0006]    In accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an optical pressure sensor interrogation system is provided. The system includes a light source for providing an optical signal to an optical pressure sensor and an optical coupler for receiving a reflected signal from the optical pressure sensor. The optical coupler further splits the reflected signal and provides a first portion of the reflected signal to a first optical detector. The system further includes a filter for receiving a second portion of the reflected signal and providing a filtered signal to a second optical detector and a processing circuitry configured to obtain pressure based on a division or a subtraction of light intensities of the first and the second optical detector output signals. The processing circuitry is further configured to provide a feedback signal to the light source to control a wavelength of the optical signal. 
         [0007]    In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, another optical pressure sensor interrogation system is provided. The system includes a light source for providing an optical signal to an optical pressure sensor and an optical coupler for receiving a reflected signal from the optical pressure sensor. The optical coupler further splits the reflected signal and provides a first portion of the reflected signal to a high pass filter and provides a second portion of the reflected signal to a low pass filter. The system further includes a first optical detector for receiving a first filtered signal from the high pass filter and providing a filtered signal to a second optical detector, a second optical detector for receiving a second filtered signal from the low pass filter and a processing circuitry configured to obtain pressure based on a relationship between light intensities of the first and the second optical detector output signals. 
         [0008]    In accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an optical pressure sensor interrogation system is provided. The system includes a light source for providing an optical signal to an optical pressure sensor and a three port filter for receiving a reflected signal from the optical pressure sensor. The optical coupler further splits the reflected signal and provides a low pass filtered signal of the reflected signal to a first optical detector. The system further includes a second optical detector for receiving a high pass filtered signal of the reflected signal from the three port filter and a processing circuitry configured to obtain pressure based on a relationship between light intensities of the first and the second optical detector output signals. 
         [0009]    In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an optical pressure sensor interrogation system is provided. The system includes a first light source and a second light source for providing a first optical signal and a second optical signal and a first optical coupler for receiving the first and the second optical signals and providing a coupled signal to the optical pressure sensor. The system further includes a second optical coupler for receiving a reflected signal from the optical pressure sensor, splitting the reflected signal and providing a first portion of the reflected signal to a first optical detector and a second portion of the reflected signal to a second optical detector. The system also includes a processing circuitry configured to obtain pressure based on a relationship between light intensities of the first and the second optical detector output signals. The processing circuitry is further configured to provide a feedback signal to the first and the second light sources to control a wavelength of the first and the second optical signals. 
         [0010]    In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method of interrogating an optical pressure sensor is provided. The method includes providing an optical signal to the optical pressure sensor and splitting a reflected signal from the optical pressure sensor into a first signal and a second signal. The method further includes analyzing a filtered first signal and the second signal to obtain pressure based on subtraction of light intensities of the first and the second optical detector output signals. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatical representation of an extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer based pressure sensor system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatical representation of an interrogation system of a pressure sensor, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a graphical representation of unfiltered, filtered and the ratio of unfiltered to filtered signals; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a diagrammatical representation of an interrogation system employing two filters, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a graphical representation of a LED spectrum; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a diagrammatical representation of an interrogation system employing a three-port filter, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a graphical representation of low pass filtered, high pass filtered and the ratio of low pass to high pass filtered signals; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a diagrammatical representation of an interrogation system employing two light sources, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a graphical representation of reflections of two light signals and the ratio of the two reflections; 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a diagrammatical representation of an interrogation system employing light source wavelength control, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a diagrammatical representation of another light source wavelength control system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  is a flowchart representing steps of interrogating a pressure sensor, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    As discussed in detail herein, embodiments of the invention include interrogation methods for a high temperature optical sensor based on extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer (EFPI) principle. 
         [0025]    In one embodiment, an approach to dealing with this is to use differential techniques to subtract out common-mode system noise. With the availability of low cost optical sources such as LEDS and components such as thin film filters, differential techniques in the frequency (or wavelength) domain are particularly attractive. In this domain, movements of the membrane cause the sensor to act like a variable optical filter, whose wavelength response varies with pressure. Suitable low cost interrogator architectures can convert this response to a linear amplitude response. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an EFPI based pressure sensor  10 . An optical fiber  12  is fixed inside a ferrule  14 . One side  16  of the optical fiber-ferrule structure is polished using standard fiber polishing processes. The polishing ensures a planar surface for mounting a substrate  20 . An outer metal casing  18  encloses the optical fiber-ferrule structure. The substrate  20  acting as a diaphragm is attached to the surface  16  of the optical fiber-ferrule structure through a vacuum bonding process to trap a vacuum in the cavity gap. In one embodiment, the vacuum bonding process includes laser melting process or surface activation bonding process. In one embodiment, the material used for the substrate  20  comprises silicon, glass, quartz, or sapphire. A Fabry-Perot cavity  24  is defined in the substrate  20 , which also defines the diaphragm outer diameter. In one embodiment, the inner surface of the substrate  20  which defines one half of the Fabry-Perot cavity may be coated with a reflective thin metal film (not shown). In one embodiment, the material used for metal film comprises platinum, gold, titanium, chrome, silver or any other high temperature compatible metal. 
         [0027]    An incident light signal  26  is passed through the fiber  12  and is communicated through cavity gap  24  to the substrate  20 . In one embodiment, a light emitting diode (LED) may generate the light signal. The light signal  26  is reflected by the substrate  20  and back into the fiber  12  as a reflected signal  28 . The travel of the light is depicted by the directional arrows in  FIG. 1 . The reflected light is detected by an optical detector (not shown) where the signal is demodulated to produce a distance measurement of the cavity gap  24 . As the cavity gap  24  changes due to a pressure applied on the diaphragm, the demodulated signal of that distance determines the pressure. 
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is diagrammatical representation of an entire interrogation system  40  of a pressure sensor  42  such as the pressure sensor depicted in  FIG. 1 . A light emitting diode (LED)  44  generates a light signal  46  and an optical fiber  48  transmits the light signal  46  to the optical coupler  47 . The optical coupler  47  transmits the beam to the sensor  42 . In one embodiment, the LED is of a central wavelength of 1550 nm. The reflected signal  50  from the optical pressure sensor  42  passes back through the optical coupler  47 , which splits the signal to an optical interrogator detector system  52 . The detector circuit  52  includes an optical coupler  54  that splits the reflected signal  50  into two equal signals; a first signal  56  and a second signal  58 . The first signal  56  passes directly to a first optical detector  60  that detects the broadband signal. The second signal  58  passes through a narrow band filter  64  to a second optical detector  62 , which detects the narrow band signal. In one embodiment, the optical detectors  62  and  60  are photodiodes. Output signals  66  and  68  of the optical detectors  60  and  62  are then analyzed by a processing circuitry  70  to output a pressure signal. The processing circuitry  64  may include a processor, memory, and associated circuitry, e.g., a computer system. 
         [0029]    Assuming the sensor  42  is comprised of a stack of three materials, the reflectance as a function of wavelength λ from the sensor  42  is given as: 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     R 
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                       ( 
                       φ 
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                   = 
                   
                     
                        
                       
                         
                           
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                             12 
                           
                           + 
                           
                             
                               r 
                               23 
                             
                              
                             
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                                 j 
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                                  
                                 φ 
                               
                             
                           
                         
                         
                           1 
                           + 
                           
                             
                               r 
                               12 
                             
                              
                             
                               r 
                               23 
                             
                              
                             
                                
                               
                                 j 
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                        
                     
                     2 
                   
                 
               
               
                 
                   ( 
                   1 
                   ) 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
         [0000]    where 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
             φ 
             = 
             
               
                 4 
                  
                 π 
                  
                 
                     
                 
                  
                 
                   n 
                   2 
                 
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               λ 
             
           
         
       
     
         [0000]    is the phase difference for the normal incidence, r 12  is the reflection coefficient for normal incidence at the interface between materials  1  and  2  and r 23  is the reflection coefficient for normal incidence at the interface between materials  2  and  3 . In addition, λ is the wavelength of the light source and n 2  is the refractive index of material  2 . In one particular embodiment, the material  2  may be air, and comprises a “gap” of distance d between materials  1  and  3 . The reflection function depends on d and may display fringes (peaks and valleys in response). The spacing between peaks in the response appear as the gap d is changed by a distance corresponding to λ/2. 
         [0030]    In one embodiment, where the optical source is not at a discrete wavelength (such as a laser), but comprises a continuum of wavelengths (such as an LED or SLED), the output optical intensity I from the sensor  42  is given by: 
         [0000]        I=∫R (λ). G (λ) f (λ) dλ   (5) 
         [0000]    where, G(λ) is the spectral power density distribution of the light source and f(λ) is the response of in-line filters in the receiver. In a case where there is no filter used along with the light detector, the first signal  56  is a “broadband” signal and f(λ)=1. On the other hand, where the spectral filter  64  is used to narrow the wavelength response of the light detector  62  and thus the second signal  58  is a “narrowband” signal. In the above equation, the spectral power density distribution G(λ) is approximately given by: 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     G 
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                       ( 
                       λ 
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                               λ 
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                                 λ 
                                 0 
                               
                             
                             
                               Δ 
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                         ) 
                       
                       2 
                     
                   
                 
               
               
                 
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                   6 
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         [0000]    where λ 0  is the center wavelength of the LED. In the case of broadband interrogation, the fringe structure in the response may tend to disappear, or “wash out” as the gap gets larger. The gap at which the fringes disappear depends on the bandwidth of the optical source, but for typical LEDs in the visible and near infrared, a gap of about 10 to 15 fringes may be enough to significantly wash out the fringe structure in the response. 
         [0031]    Typical Fabry-Perot sensors based on using broadband interrogation as a reference use a cavity depth large enough to “wash out” the fringe response. However, in one embodiment of the present device, the sensor may be designed to work with a very small cavity gap, such as less than five fringes in depth. In another embodiment the sensor operates with less than three fringes in depth and in a further embodiment the sensor operates with less than two fringes in depth. In one example the gap on the sensor devices is fabricated wafer-scale by semiconductor processing techniques to accurately control the thickness of the gap in order to accurately control the position on the intensity-cavity depth curve at which the device is operating. The smaller the gap, the less the absolute error in cavity depth and the less uncertainty in position on the intensity versus gap transfer function. This accurate “dead reckoning” of cavity gap may avoid any trimming, or tuning after fabrication, which is highly undesirable. 
         [0032]    In one embodiment, the ratio of the output optical intensity from the narrowband signal (producing an intensity I 1 ) and the output optical intensity from the broadband signal (producing an optical intensity I 2 ) of the detector circuit  52  is used to obtain the pressure and eliminate any common-mode signal variations. It should be noted that these common-mode signal variations may occur due to changes in optical signal power variations in the light source or in the optical fiber or in the optical coupler. In another embodiment, optical intensities of the narrowband signal and the broadband signal are subtracted from each other to obtain the pressure and eliminate the common-mode signal variation. 
         [0033]      FIG. 3  is a graphical representation  80  of unfiltered and filtered signals from the  FIG. 2  optical detector  60  and  62  respectively and the ratio of the two signals versus the cavity gap in the sensor  42 . Horizontal axis  82  represents the cavity gap in microns and vertical axis  84  represents the optical intensity in arbitrary units. The curve  86  is an actual plot of unfiltered broadband light signal  56  of  FIG. 2 , whereas the curve  88  is a plot of filtered narrowband light signal  58  of  FIG. 2 . The curve  90  is a plot of the ratio of the two detected signals  86  and  88 . In one embodiment, depicted in  FIG. 2 , at an LED center wavelength of 850 nm, the sensor has cavity gap of 1.8 microns and a 140 nm change in cavity gap or diaphragm deflection results in change in ratio curve  90  by 4 units as represented by an operating slope  91 . The ratio curve  90  is calibrated to measure pressure. It can be observed that the broadband signal  86  has not reached the “washed out” condition typically used in this kind of sensor, and this serves to amplify the response of the sensor. 
         [0034]    The two signals  56  and  58  from the optical coupler  54  of  FIG. 2  are from the same optical source  44  and experience the same transmission path. Thus they have the same variations due to effects such as optical source power fluctuation and fiber loss. The ratio of the outputs from optical detectors  60  and  62  i.e., the ratio of narrowband to broadband is only a function of the Fabry-Perot cavity length, eliminating such common mode sources of error from the final result of the measurement. 
         [0035]      FIG. 4  is a diagrammatical representation of another embodiment of an interrogation system  100  employing two filters. The interrogation detector system  100  is similar to the interrogation system  40  of  FIG. 2 ; however, the two split signals  56  and  58  are filtered by filters  102  and  104  before being captured by optical detectors  60  and  62 . In one embodiment, the filters  102  and  104  are centered on wavelengths roughly symmetrical on either side of the peak wavelength of the LED. In another embodiment, the filters  102  and  104  are high pass filter and low pass filter respectively. 
         [0036]      FIG. 5  is a graphical LED spectra representation  110  of a spectrum of LED  44  used in  FIG. 4 . Horizontal axis  112  represents the wavelength of the LED and vertical axis  114  represents the relative optical intensity of the LED. The curve  116  is a plot of the LED spectrum. In this embodiment, the LED has a central wavelength 850 nm. However, LEDs with other central wavelengths are in the scope of this invention such as 1550 and 1310 nm. As discussed earlier, the two filters  102  and  104  of  FIG. 4  are centered on wavelengths of either side of the peak wavelength of the LED. In this embodiment, the peak wavelength or central wavelength is 850 nm shown by reference label  118 . Thus, the filter  102  is set at 800 nm shown by reference label  120  and the filter  104  is set at 900 nm shown by reference label  122 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 6  is a diagrammatical representation of an interrogation system  130  employing a three-port filter  132  in accordance with an embodiment of the present system. The interrogation system  130  is similar to the interrogation system  40  of  FIG. 2 . However, the reflected signal  50  is passed through the three-port filter  132  instead of an optical coupler. The three-port filter  132  combines the splitting and filtering operations shown in earlier embodiments. In one embodiment of the three-port filter, an input port couples the broadband light to a single thin film filter element. The thin film filter element passes the low wavelength energy and reflects the high wavelength energy. The passed and reflected energies are coupled into the two output ports of the filter. In another embodiment, the filter element is a fused fiber wavelength selective coupler, with a broadband input and two separate outputs for the low and high wavelength energies. The three-port filter splits the signal  50  and outputs a low pass filtered signal  134  and a high pass filtered signal  136 . The advantage of using three-port filter is it requires fewer components as compared to the configurations of  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 . Since there are fewer components, there is less opportunity for loss variations to add noise to the signal and consequently, to the pressure measurement. Another advantage of this configuration is its response over a much larger gap distance is linear compared to the earlier configurations, and it may not require extremely precise fabrication tolerances of the sensor. 
         [0038]      FIG. 7  is a graphical representation  140  of a low pass filtered and a high pass filtered signals from the  FIG. 4  optical detector  60  and  62  respectively and the ratio of the two signals versus the cavity gap in the sensor  42 . Horizontal axis  141  represents the cavity gap in microns and vertical axis  142  represents the optical intensity in arbitrary units. The curve  144  is a plot of low pass filtered light signal  56  of  FIG. 4 , whereas the curve  145  is a plot of high pass filtered light signal  58  of  FIG. 4 . The curve  146  is a plot of the ratio of the two detected signals  144  and  145 . As can be observed from  FIG. 7 , compared to the plot of  FIG. 3 , the operating slope region  148  of this plot is both wider and more linear. This is due to the fact that the operating wavelength has been increased to 1300 nm in  FIG. 7  from 800 nm in  FIG. 3 , and also the fact that the dual-filtered approach in  FIG. 7  produces a wider and more linear curve compared to the single filter (or “broadband/narrowband”) approach in  FIG. 3 . In one embodiment depicted in  FIG. 7 , which is designed to operate around 1300 nm, the sensor has a nominal cavity gap of 1.6 microns, and a 400 nm change in cavity gap or diaphragm deflection results in change in ratio curve  146  by 0.4 units. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that by increasing the gap over which the ratio curve remains linear, the tolerance in manufacturing the cavity may be relaxed. For example, assume the required full-scale deflection of the membrane in the application is 90 nm. For the design in  FIG. 3  with a center wavelength of 850 nm and a cavity gap of 1.8 microns, the manufacturing tolerance on the cavity depth was about ±15 nm, assuming the error budget is placed symmetrically on either side of middle of the linear part of the ratio curve. In the design of  FIG. 7  with a wavelength of 1300 nm and a cavity gap of 1.6 microns, the fabrication tolerance may be increased to about ±85 nm, which is a little over a factor of 5 reduction in required fabrication precision. 
         [0039]    It should be noted that the wavelength values, the cavity depth values and the fringe values described herein are for illustrative purposes and other wavelength values, cavity depth values and the fringe values are within the scope of the present sensors. In addition, the choice of which fringe to work on is a function of fabrication tolerances, peak to valley depth of the ratio curve and desired signal-to-noise ratio in the detection system. In one embodiment, the second or third fringe typically may turn out to be a favorable in the trade-off analysis. The choice of fringe also doesn&#39;t depend too strongly on what method or wavelength of interrogation is chosen, including choices depicted in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 7  or  FIG. 9 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 8  is a schematic representation of an interrogation detector system  160  employing two light sources in accordance with an embodiment of the present system. The interrogation detector system  160  includes two LEDs  162  and  164  of two different central wavelengths. An optical coupler  166  combines the two light signals  168  and  170  from the two LEDs and transmits a combined or coupled light signal  172  to the sensor  42  through the optical fiber  48 . In one embodiment, the LEDs have central wavelengths of 1310 nm and 1550 nm. By using separate optical sources  162 ,  164 , the wavelengths can be chosen to optimize sensitivity to the cavity depth. By using wavelengths spaced wider apart, the sensitivity of the measurement in increased. The system  160  uses lower cost components such as telecom-compatible laser or LED sources and readily available in-line fiber-based WDM couplers made at low cost and in high volume with guaranteed specifications. One advantage of the system  160  is the wide separation in wavelengths allows flexibility in selecting precise source wavelengths. 
         [0041]      FIG. 9  is a graphical representation  180  of reflections of two light signals  168  and  170  of  FIG. 8  and the ratio of the two reflections versus the cavity gap in the sensor  42 . Horizontal axis  181  represents the cavity gap in microns and vertical axis  182  represents the optical intensity in arbitrary units. The curve  184  is a plot of the reflection of the light signal  168  of  FIG. 8 , whereas the curve  185  is a plot of the reflection of the light signal  170  of  FIG. 8 . The curve  186  is a plot of the ratio of the two reflected signals  184  and  185 . As can be observed from  FIG. 9 , the operating slope region  188  of this plot is similar to the operating slop region  148  of  FIG. 7  i.e., more linear and wider. Thus, in this embodiment also the tolerance in manufacturing the cavity can be relaxed. In another embodiment, a closed loop control of the light source may be used to minimize the effect of common mode light variation. 
         [0042]      FIG. 10  is a schematic representation of an interrogation detector system  200  employing light source wavelength control, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, if only pressure variations are to be measured (and not the steady state pressure), the steady state light power measured by the two photodiodes  60 ,  62  may be used to stabilize the wavelength of the light source  44 . Source wavelength is typically controlled by modulating source current and/or source temperature, based on a feedback signal from the processing circuitry  70 . In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 8 , the powers measured by the two photodiodes  60 ,  62  are each decoupled into AC and DC signals by signal decouplers  202  and  204 . The AC signals are used to determine pressure variations as described above. The DC signals are used by the processing circuitry  70  to generate a feedback signal for the light source  44 . The processing circuitry generates the feedback signal such that the relative DC energies measured by the two photodiodes  60 ,  62  are kept constant. By keeping the relative DC energies constant, drifts in the filter cut off wavelength and in the source center wavelength may be fully compensated. Furthermore, this system and processing eliminates the need for a separate wavelength or temperature controller for the source, significantly reducing the complexity of the source electronics. It should be noted that the above source wavelength control scheme may also be employed in the two light source configuration of  FIG. 8  to control the wavelength or power of the two light sources  162  and  164 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 11  is a schematic representation of another light source wavelength control system  210 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The system  210  is similar to the system  160  of  FIG. 8  employing two light sources. However, in this configuration the output signal  172  of optical coupler  166  is split into two equal signals  216  and  214  by another optical coupler  212 . The signal  216  is then transmitted to the sensor  42  as in the configuration of  FIG. 8  for pressure measurement. However, the signal  214  is transmitted to processing circuitry  218  as a reference signal and used to stabilize the source wavelengths and/or the source power of the two light sources  162  and  164 . This separates the sensing function from the stabilization/control function. In one embodiment, the two processing circuitries  218  and  70  may be combined into one processing circuitry. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a similar scheme may be used in case of a single light source configurations of  FIGS. 2 ,  4  and  6 . However, in those configuration the optical coupler  166  may not be necessary. It should be noted that similar other schemes of controlling wavelength or power of the light sources are in scope of the present interrogation system. 
         [0044]      FIG. 12  is a flowchart  220  representing steps of interrogating a pressure sensor. A single, or multiple optical signals are provided to a Fabry-Perot cavity gap of the pressure sensor in step  222 . In one embodiment, the optical signals may be provided by a light source such as a LED and transmitted to the cavity gap through fiber optics. A reflected signal from the cavity gap is received by an optical coupler in step  224 . The cavity gap in the pressure sensor is formed by a diaphragm made of a quartz substrate. The diaphragm responds to an applied pressure resulting in changes to the cavity gap distance. The reflected signal from the cavity gap changes according to the change in cavity gap distance. The optical coupler splits the reflected signal into two parts namely, a first signal and a second signal in step  226 . In step  228 , the signals may be optionally filtered. The resultant signals are then analyzed to determine the deflection in the Fabry-Perot cavity and hence the pressure  230 . In one embodiment, the pressure is determined by taking ratio of light intensities of the two signals. In another embodiment, the pressure is determined by subtracting the intensities of the two signals. 
         [0045]    While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.