Abstract: A capacitive electrical conductivity sensor is integrated into a water meter. The sensor is used to determine water conductivity, which may be used to determine water quality. A model of a capacitor, a flow of water, and a plastic conduit used to conduct the flow of water passing through a water meter is defined. The model may include a circuit having a constant phase element (CPE) connected to a resistor Rb and a capacitor Cb in parallel. An input signal may be applied to the actual capacitor (not the model) over a range of frequencies. Current flow associated with several frequencies may be used to identify values of Q0 and alpha of the CPE of the model. A value for the resistor Rb is identified using values obtained from measurements. A conductivity of the flow of water may be derived using input values comprising Rb, and the values of Q0 and alpha of the CPE of the model.

Abstract: An example pressure-sensing device includes a pipe or conduit having upstream and downstream connectors for respective upstream and downstream transducers to measure fluid (e.g., water) flow. The conduit may be made at least in part of a resiliently deformable material. A deformable electrode of a capacitor may be mounted in contact with a dry-side surface of an area of the resiliently deformable material. The wet-side surface of the area may define part of a pathway for a flow of the fluid. In operation, the area of the resiliently deformable material changes a location and/or a shape of the deformable electrode in response to changes in fluid pressure. A fixed electrode of the capacitor is separated by a dielectric material (e.g., air or an insulator) from the deformable electrode, and a circuit determines a pressure of the fluid based at least in part on a capacitance between the deformable electrode and the fixed electrode.

Abstract: Disclosed is a metrology assembly that utilizes a multi-Hall effect device configuration which eliminates the necessity of a magnetic concentrator. In some embodiments, the metrology assembly includes a substrate or support platform configured to support at least two Hall effect devices per phase of an electricity meter. The metrology assembly may further include one or more electrical conductors coupled to the substrate and configured to conduct electric current. The at least two Hall effect devices may be coupled to the substrate at opposing sides of an associated electrical conductor, each Hall effect device being configured to detect a magnetic field created by the electric current of the associated electrical conductor, and to generate an output.

Abstract: Disclosed is a metrology assembly that utilizes a multi-Hall effect device configuration which eliminates the necessity of a magnetic concentrator. In some embodiments, the metrology assembly includes a substrate or support platform configured to support at least two Hall effect devices per phase of an electricity meter. The metrology assembly may further include one or more electrical conductors coupled to the substrate and configured to conduct electric current. The at least two Hall effect devices may be coupled to the substrate at opposing sides of an associated electrical conductor, each Hall effect device being configured to detect a magnetic field created by the electric current of the associated electrical conductor, and to generate an output.

Abstract: Disclosed is a metrology assembly that utilizes a multi-Hall effect device configuration which eliminates the necessity of a magnetic concentrator. In some embodiments, the metrology assembly includes a substrate or support platform configured to support at least two Hall effect devices per phase of an electricity meter. The metrology assembly may further include one or more electrical conductors coupled to the substrate and configured to conduct electric current. The at least two Hall effect devices may be coupled to the substrate at opposing sides of an associated electrical conductor, each Hall effect device being configured to detect a magnetic field created by the electric current of the associated electrical conductor, and to generate an output.

Abstract: Disclosed is a metrology assembly that utilizes a multi-Hall effect device configuration which eliminates the necessity of a magnetic concentrator. In some embodiments, the metrology assembly includes a substrate or support platform configured to support at least two Hall effect devices per phase of an electricity meter. The metrology assembly may further include one or more electrical conductors coupled to the substrate and configured to conduct electric current. The at least two Hall effect devices may be coupled to the substrate at opposing sides of an associated electrical conductor, each Hall effect device being configured to detect a magnetic field created by the electric current of the associated electrical conductor, and to generate an output.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methodology for providing approaches to remove or reduce thermal drift of the magnetic sensitivity of Hall sensor devices, to improve the stability of resulting signals of interest. Samples of a particular signal or signals of interest having improved stability make for advantageous use in conjunction with electricity meters. At the same time, associated designs and related components have greater simplicity, for reduced complexity in implementation. Among alternative embodiments, a gating structure selected of various present alternative designs may be used to partially cover, to an intentionally selected degree, an active area of a Hall sensor, so that a zero-drift supply current value may likewise be selected so as to satisfy other criteria which may be applicable to use of the Hall sensor.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methodology for providing approaches to remove or reduce thermal drift of the magnetic sensitivity of Hall sensor devices, to improve the stability of resulting signals of interest. Samples of a particular signal or signals of interest having improved stability make for advantageous use in conjunction with electricity meters. At the same time, associated designs and related components have greater simplicity, for reduced complexity in implementation. Among alternative embodiments, a gating structure selected of various present alternative designs may be used to partially cover, to an intentionally selected degree, an active area of a Hall sensor, so that a zero-drift supply current value may likewise be selected so as to satisfy other criteria which may be applicable to use of the Hall sensor.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methodology for providing approaches to remove or reduce thermal drift of the magnetic sensitivity of Hall sensor devices, to improve the stability of resulting signals of interest. Samples of a particular signal or signals of interest having improved stability make for advantageous use in conjunction with electricity meters. At the same time, associated designs and related components have greater simplicity, for reduced complexity in implementation. Among alternative embodiments, a gating structure selected of various present alternative designs may be used to partially cover, to an intentionally selected degree, an active area of a Hall sensor, so that a zero-drift supply current value may likewise be selected so as to satisfy other criteria which may be applicable to use of the Hall sensor.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methodology for providing approaches to remove or reduce thermal drift of the magnetic sensitivity of Hall sensor devices, to improve the stability of resulting signals of interest. Samples of a particular signal or signals of interest having improved stability make for advantageous use in conjunction with electricity meters. At the same time, associated designs and related components have greater simplicity, for reduced complexity in implementation. Among alternative embodiments, a gating structure selected of various present alternative designs may be used to partially cover, to an intentionally selected degree, an active area of a Hall sensor, so that a zero-drift supply current value may likewise be selected so as to satisfy other criteria which may be applicable to use of the Hall sensor.

Abstract: A Hall effect sensor of two-dimensional electron gas type comprising, on an insulating substrate, a quantum well structure, a carrier injection layer adjacent to the quantum well structure, of thickness less than 250 .ANG. and having an density per unit area of donors integrated over the whole thickness of the carrier injection layer less than 5.times.10.sup.12 cm.sup.-2, an insulating burial layer deposited on the carrier injection layer, having a conduction band with an energy level greater than the Fermi energy of the sensor and a thickness greater than 200 .ANG.. Applicable to the field of electricity meters and current sensors.

Abstract: The invention relates to sensors having field effect semiconductors. The sensor of the invention comprises a ring oscillator constituted by an odd number of CMOS inverters disposed in a zone sensitive to the physical property to be measured. In order to increase the sensitivity of the sensor, the N channel of the NMOS transistor in each CMOS inverter is disposed perpendicularly to the P channel of the PMOS transistor.

Abstract: The method of making a pressure sensor formed of semiconductor material on an insulating support, i.e., as a semiconductor-on-silicon, is described. The sensor is comprised of four piezoresistive gauges formed in the semiconductor material. Two of the gauges, each have a pair of limbs joined by a base, such that they are U-shaped, and two others are I-shaped. Each of the four gauges comprise two half-gauges, and each half-gauge comprises an elongated sensing zone in semiconductor material and having a reduced width in the plane of the insulating support. Two ohmic contact zones are disposed at the ends of each of the half-gauges, and two connection zones in semiconductor material and of greater width are disposed between the sensing zones and the ohmic contact zones, the form of the two connection zones are the same for each of the eight half-gauges.

Abstract: A monolithic pressure and/or temperature transducer comprises at least two sensitive semiconductor layers of III-V material sensitive to pressure and to temperature and supported by a common substrate of III-V material, which two layers comprise: a first layer doped with donor type impurities at a first concentration and having a first resistivity as a function of pressure and of temperature; and a second layer doped with donor type impurities at a second concentration different from the first concentration and having a second resistivity as a function of pressure and of temperature, which second resistivity depends on temperature in a different manner than the first resistivity.

Abstract: The pressure sensor is formed of semiconductor material which is formed on insulating support, i.e., as a semiconductor-on-silicon. The sensor is comprised of four piezoresistive gauges formed in the semiconductor material. Two of the gauges, each have a pair of limbs joined by a base, such that they are U-shaped, and two others are I-shaped. Each of the four gauges comprise two half-gauges, and each half-gauge comprises an elongated sensing zone in semiconductor material and having a reduced width in the plane of the insulating support. Two ohmic contact zones are disposed at the ends of each of the half-gauges, and two connection zones in semiconductor material and of greater width are disposed between the sensing zones and the ohmic contact zones, the form of the two connection zones are the same for each of the eight half-gauges.

Abstract: Solid state pressure sensors based upon aluminum gallium arsenide devices are disclosed. One embodiment uses a TEGFET as a hydrostatic pressure sensor. By adjustment of the gate voltage, it is possible to vary the operating conditions of the sensor, so as to adapt it dynamically to particular measurement conditions. Another hydrostatic pressure transducer, essentially made from aluminum gallium arsenide on a gallium arsenide substrate, comprises a layer sensitive to pressure and a layer sensitive to temperature: due to its homogeneous structure and its rigorous temperature compensation, this transducer offers both high accuracy and high sensitivity.