E009 System on chip, system in package

Smart Pressure Sensor based on PSoC

V.F.Zavorotnyi, R.M.Chobik, and Yu.I.Yakimenko

Microelectronics Department, NTUU “KPI”, Kiev, Ukraine,
zavorotny@ee.ntu-kpi.kiev.ua

Abstract. On the basis of the Programmable System-on-Chip (PSoC) and thin-film МЕМS structure the
Smart Pressure Sensor was developed by using newest method of definition of gas pressure. This
sensor have such advantages before analogues as high accuracy of transformation, stability of
characteristics, durability, presence of a set of standard digital and wireless interfaces. On the basis
of one chip PSoC all necessary components of measuring system are executed. The wireless interface
is provided by additional chip with 2.4-GHz Direct-Sequencing Spread Spectrum (DSSS) Gaussian
Frequency Shift Keying (GFSK) radio transceiver (Cypress Semiconductor Corp.). If it accomplish on
traditional microcircuits, the measuring system will be enough hard and costly.

1. INTRODUCTION 2.1. Tthin film MEMS structure

The basic trends for the technological decision of Very thin film (figure 1) was used for generation
development problems of measuring systems on the and detecting temperature disturbances in gases.
chip are using of МEМS technology achievements,
(and in near prospect NEМS) and supply of sensor
controls by rudiments of intelligence as the Si3N4 thin
microprocessor with memory.
“Smart” sensors with embedded microprocessors
and wireless communication links have the potential
to change fundamentally the way industrial and home
infrastructure systems are monitored, controlled, and
maintained [1]. Heaters and
Indeed, a 2002 National Research Council report
noted that the use of networked systems of embedded
computers and sensors throughout society could well
dwarf all previous milestones in the information
revolution.
The design, fabrication, and construction of smart
structures are one of the ultimate challenges to
engineering researchers today. Because they form the
essence of system intelligence, one of the cores of
smart structures technology centres on innovative
sensors and sensor systems.
2. MEMS SENSING ELEMENT AND
MEASUREMENT CIRCUIT
This paper offer a new Smart Sensor of Gas
Pressure, that was realized on base of a new way of
measurement [2] and thin film MEMS structure [3].
308 – 978-1-4244-3974-4/08/$25.00 ©2008 IEEE
 Temperature sensors
Figure 1. Schematic construction of the base MEMS
sensor element.
The resistive thin film sensors are made by
method described in [3].
2.2. The principle of acting
The electric current (about a few mA) excites the
temperature disturbances in gas by the resistor
established on the Si3N4 membrane. The reaction of
the temperature disturbances is measured by the
similar thermo resistance thermometer mounted on the
same membrane. The gas properties are calculated
from parameters of electrical signals.
The principle of action is based on dependence of
heat-exchange parameters from the gas environment
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(the pressure, the size and weight of molecules that

compose gas).
Such principle makes the sensing element to be
Smart Sensor
steady to pressure overloads. No pressure can destroy Wireless 2.4-
this thin film sensing element. interface GHz
2.3. Measurement Circuit CYWUSB6935 DSSS
GFSK
For definition of parameters of heat exchange in MEMS PSoC (CY8C26466):
measuring system, follow components should be Microprocessor, amplifiers,
sensing
present: filters, comparators, ADC,
element
DAC, digital interface,
• a source of thermal disturbances (the generator of (Signal conditioning and
electrical current with a quick-response heating
processing, compensation,
element),
filtering, analog to digital
• the detector of thermal reaction (a quick-response conversions)
thermal sensor with the amplifier),
• the thermometer (a sensor control of temperature 2.4-GHz DSSS
with ADC), GFSK radio
• electrical circuits of analog signal conditioning communication
Wireless USB module
and processing (amplification, filtering), 2.4-
Wireless GHz
• microcontroller with ADC and
interface DSSS
• digital modules for digital processing and digital CYWUSB6935 GFSK
interfaces supply.
If it accomplish on traditional microcircuits, the
measuring system will be enough hard and costly. The USB
unique chip PSoC gives all these necessary controller
components.

3. STRUCTURE AND COMPONENTS OF SENOR

The measurement circuit of sensor was realized
on the base of PSoC (programmable system on chip)
[4]. This smart-sensor is capable to carry out self-
diagnostics, digital transformation of the analog
information incoming from the gauge was designated,
and also to compensate lacks (nonlinearity of
transformation function, dependence on external
influences). All this functions are realized on one chip
CY8C26466 (Figure2). The chip contains
microprocessor core, memory, amplifiers, filters,
comparator, ADC, DAC, digital interface.
This chip allows configuring the measurement
circuits from analog and digital blocks that enter into
the composition of analog and digital arrays.
USB
Personal
Comput
er
Figure 2. The components of smart sensor.
Moreover the measurement circuit can be
reconfigured dynamically to conform it to various
environmental conditions. Due to this facility the
pressure range can be very large for one sensor.
In view of the fact that the sensing element is
steady to pressure overloads and no pressure can
destroy it, the one gas pressure sensor is feasible on
whole range of aggregate state of gas.

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4. WIRELESS INTERFACE
4.1. Wireless module CYWUSB6935
The wireless interface is provided by additional
CYWUSB6935 chip. The CYWUSB6935 transceiver
is a single-chip 2.4-GHz Direct Sequence Spread
Spectrum (DSSS) Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying
(GFSK) baseband modem radio that connects directly
to a microcontroller via a simple serial peripheral
interface (Figure3).
PSoC
WireLess module
MEM CY8C2724
CYWUSB6935
Figure 3. Smart sensor with 2.4-GHz DSSS module for
wireless communication.
The radio and baseband are both code- and
frequency-agile. Forty-nine spreading codes selected
for optimal performance (Gold codes) are supported
across 78 1-MHz channels yielding a theoretical
spectral capacity of 3822 channels. The
CYWUSB6935 supports a range of up to 50 meters or
more, data throughput of up to 62.5 Kbits/sec, SPI
microcontroller interface up to 2-MHz data rate.
4.2. Interface with PC
For connection to personal computer the USB
interface is provided by CY8C24794 chip that
connects directly to a wireless module via a simple
serial peripheral interface (Figure4).
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System on chip, system in package
USB controller
USB WireLess module
connector CYWUSB6935
Figure 4. Wireless USB module for wireless connection
of sensor with USB interface of PC.
5. CONCLUSION
On the basis of one chip of the Programmable System-
on-Chip (PSoC) and thin-film МЕМS structure the
smart gas sensor was developed. The additional chip
of wireless interface (Cypress Semiconductor Corp.)
provides the radio transmission on 2.4-GHz with
Direct-Sequencing Spread Spectrum (DSSS) Gaussian
Frequency Shift Keying (GFSK) If it accomplish on
traditional microcircuits, the measuring system will be
enough hard and costly.
Besides usual applications (such as the control of
pressure in automobile tire, for example), the gauge of
pressure can be used
• in the measuring systems testing big overloads
on pressure which usually destroy standard
membrane gauges of pressure,
• in the pressure sensors with very wide range
of measurement pressure.
On base of two components – MEMS and PSoC
the other multipurpose measuring microsystems for
definition of such gas parameters as the density,
thermal capacities, heat conductivity, thermal
diffusion, medium-size of gas molecules can be
developed.
The work was made with support of Cypress
University program.
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REFERENCES
[1] N.Kurata, B.F. Spencer, R.Sandoval, Y.Miyamoto,
and Y.Sako. “A study on building risk monitoring
using wireless sensor network MICA-Mote”. First
International Conference on Structural Health
Monitoring and Intelligent Infrastructure, Tokyo,
Japan, November 13–15, 2003
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[2] V.F.Zavorotnyi, I.I.Katzan, Yu.I.Yakimenko. “A way
of gas pressure determination”. Patent of Ukraine N
66204А, 2004.
[3] I.I.Katzan, V.F.Zavorotnyi, at al. “A method of
manufactoring of thermo resistive transducer” Patenr
of Russian Federation № 2085874, 1997
[4] www.Cypress.com
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