Apparatus for Sensor with Configurable Damping and Associated Methods

Abstract

A sensor includes a coil suspended in a magnetic field, an optical detector to detect displacement of the coil in response to a stimulus, and a feedback circuit coupled to the optical detector and to the coil to drive the coil. The sensor also includes a damping circuit coupled in parallel with the coil.

1 . A sensor, comprising:
 a coil suspended in a magnetic field;   an optical detector to detect displacement of the coil in response to a stimulus;   a feedback circuit coupled to the optical detector and to the coil to drive the coil; and   a damping circuit coupled in parallel with the coil.   
     
     
         2 . The sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein the damping circuit comprises a field effect transistor (FET). 
     
     
         3 . The sensor according to  claim 2 , wherein the FET comprises a depletion-mode FET. 
     
     
         4 . The sensor according to  claim 2 , wherein the FET comprises a junction FET (JFET). 
     
     
         5 . The sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein the damping circuit comprises a latching relay. 
     
     
         6 . The sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein the damping circuit comprises a normally closed controllable switch. 
     
     
         7 . The sensor according to  claim 1 , further comprising a controller coupled to control the damping circuit. 
     
     
         8 . The sensor according to  claim 7 , wherein the controller comprises a microcontroller unit (MCU). 
     
     
         9 . The sensor according to  claim 1 , further comprising a power supply circuit coupled to a supply of the sensor, the power supply circuit further coupled to provide power to the damping circuit. 
     
     
         10 . The sensor according to  claim 9 , wherein the power supply circuit comprises a charge pump. 
     
     
         11 . The sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein the damping circuit comprises a transistor operated in a linear region to configure a coil constant of the sensor. 
     
     
         12 . A system, comprising:
 a sensor, comprising:
 a coil suspended in a magnetic field; 
 an optical detector to detect displacement of the coil in response to a stimulus; 
 a feedback circuit coupled to the optical detector and to the coil to drive the coil; and 
 a damping circuit coupled in parallel with the coil to provide damping during shipment, handling, installation, or operation of the sensor. 
   
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the damping circuit comprises a depletion-mode field effect transistor (FET) or a junction FET (JFET). 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the damping circuit comprises a latching relay. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 12 , further a host, wherein the sensor further comprises a controller to control the damping circuit in accordance with information received from the host. 
     
     
         16 . A method of providing damping to a sensor, the sensor including a coil suspended in a magnetic field, an optical detector to detect displacement of the coil in response to a stimulus, a feedback circuit coupled to the optical detector and to the coil to drive the coil, and a damping circuit coupled in parallel with the coil, the method comprising damping the sensor using the damping circuit. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the damping circuit comprises a depletion-mode field effect transistor (FET) or a junction FET (JFET). 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the damping circuit comprises a latching relay. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the damping circuit comprises a normally closed controllable switch. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein damping the sensor further comprises using information received from a host to control the damping circuit.