Auto-Nulling Based Linear Interface for Resistive Sensors
摘要
In conjunction with Wheatstone bridges, voltage-controlled resistors are used to develop auto-tuned resistance measurement circuits. Conventional voltage bridges require a very high degree of matching between reference resistors. This impediment is overcome using a voltage-controlled resistor-based auto-tuning circuit. However, the sensitivity of these auto-tuned circuits is inherently nonlinear in the auto-tuning range, reducing the credibility of the resistance quantification. This paper presents an auto-balanced Wheatstone bridge-based circuit with a modified voltage-controlled resistor to develop a resistive interface for wide-range sensor estimation with a constant sensitivity. Commercial analog multiplier AD734 and a reference resistor Rref are utilised to implement a linearised voltage-controlled resistor, which is consequently used to achieve auto-tunning with constant sensitivity. The working of the circuit is experimentally verified for a range of 50–450 kΩ.