Novel sliding mode control for MEMS-based resonators

This paper describes the application of a novel band-pass sliding mode control (SMC) to MEMS-based resonators and resonant sensors (e. g. vibrating gyroscopes). The proposed technique relies on a binary electrostatic actuation of the movable mass, dependent on the dynamics of the sliding surface, in such a way that the generated oscillations track changes in the mechanical resonant frequency. The architecture has a low hardware complexity and is suitable for VLSI implementation, in addition to a robust tracking behavior for large variations in the parameters of the resonator (e. g. temperature-induced changes in the stiffness coefficient). The results suggests that the novel SMC-based oscillator offers an advantageous alternative to more costly phased-locked loop (PLL) architectures traditionally used for the driving of MEMS resonator structures. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.