• accelerometer
• closed-loop
• interface
• MEMS
• Sigma-Delta
• system-level

The subject of this thesis, which has been carried out at Hanking Electronics, are MEMS accelerometers, with particular focus on their reading interfaces. The work begins with a general description of MEMS accelerometers, their fabrication processes and the control techniques that can be applied to read their output signals. A detailed description of the structure and the manufacturing process of a selected MEMS accelerometer provided by the company is given. Three analog closed-loop interfaces’ models applied to the chosen accelerometer are presented: for all of them, both the system-level analytical model and the Matlab-Simulink model are illustrated. An accurate study and a system-level design of a digital closed-loop Sigma-Delta reading interface for MEMS accelerometers is presented. Both the analytical model and the Matlab-Simulink model of the designed interface are provided. Its performances has been verified by carrying out Matlab-Simulink simulations.