On the design of compact intelligent industrial transmitters based on piezoresistive MEMS pressure sensors

In this paper we present the concept of a compact intelligent industrial pressure transmitter developed at the Center of Microelectronic Technologies (CMT), and discuss some of the most important steps in its design process. First the constraints of the design are defined, and then the decisions are made in order to fulfill the design objectives in an optimal way, which is made possible by using the latest available technology. Especially important for this design are mixed signal circuits, and the focus is on the digital-to-analog circuitry that generates the transmitter's analog output signal. Several solutions are considered and compared, and the chosen one is further investigated, including the experimental characterization of the output current error across the operating temperature range. Apart from industrial transmitters, the results of the work can be significant for other kinds of electronic instrumentation.