Abstract: A method of protection from noise of a digital signal generated by a comparator, including the steps of generating an output signal that switches from a first logic state to a second logic state at a first switching of logic state of the digital signal; detecting a change from the first logic state to the second logic state of the output signal; and inhibiting further switchings of the output signal for a first time interval after the change from the first logic state to the second logic state.

Abstract: A method of protection from noise of a digital signal generated by a comparator, including the steps of generating an output signal that switches from a first logic state to a second logic state at a first switching of logic state of the digital signal; detecting a change from the first logic state to the second logic state of the output signal; and inhibiting further switchings of the output signal for a first time interval after the change from the first logic state to the second logic state.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope that includes a first mass oscillatable according to a first axis; an inertial sensor, including a second mass, drawn along by the first mass and constrained so as to oscillate according to a second axis, in response to a rotation of the gyroscope; a driving device coupled to the first mass so as to form a feedback control loop and configured to maintain the first mass in oscillation at a resonance frequency; and an open-loop reading device coupled to the inertial sensor for detecting displacements of the second mass according to the second axis. The driving device includes a read signal generator for supplying to the inertial sensor at least one read signal having the form of a square-wave signal of amplitude that sinusoidally varies with the resonance frequency.

Abstract: A micro-electro-mechanical gyroscope includes a first mass, which is able to oscillate along a first axis with respect to a fixed body, an inertial sensor having a second mass constrained to the first mass so as to oscillate along a second axis in response to a rotation of the gyroscope, a driving device coupled to the first mass that forms a control loop for maintaining the first mass in oscillation at a resonance frequency, and a reading device that detects displacements of the second mass along the second axis, which includes a charge amplifier for converting charge packets supplied by the inertial sensor into a charge-integration signal, and a low-pass filter. A calibration stage enables modification of a voltage between the second mass and the fixed body so as to minimize a component at a frequency that is twice the resonance frequency in the charge-integration signal.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope that includes a first mass oscillatable according to a first axis; an inertial sensor, including a second mass, drawn along by the first mass and constrained so as to oscillate according to a second axis, in response to a rotation of the gyroscope; a driving device coupled to the first mass so as to form a feedback control loop and configured to maintain the first mass in oscillation at a resonance frequency; and an open-loop reading device coupled to the inertial sensor for detecting displacements of the second mass according to the second axis. The driving device includes a read signal generator for supplying to the inertial sensor at least one read signal having the form of a square-wave signal of amplitude that sinusoidally varies with the resonance frequency.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope includes a body and a driving mass, which is movable with respect to the body according to a driving axis and is capacitively coupled to the body. The gyroscope moreover includes a driving device, which forms a microelectromechanical control loop with the body and the driving mass and is configured for supplying to the driving mass driving signals having a common-mode component and respective differential components so as to maintaining the driving mass in oscillation according to the driving axis. The driving device is provided with an actuation stage configured for inverting in a controlled way the sign of the differential components of the driving signals.

Abstract: A gyroscope includes a body, a driving mass, which is mobile according to a driving axis, and a sensing mass, which is driven by the driving mass and is mobile according to a sensing axis, in response to rotations of the body. A driving device forms a microelectromechanical control loop with the body and the driving mass and maintains the driving mass in oscillation with a driving frequency. The driving device comprises a frequency detector, which supplies a clock signal at the frequency of oscillation of the driving mass, and a synchronization stage, which applies a calibrated phase shift to the clock signal so as to compensate a phase shift caused by components of the loop that are set between the driving mass and the control node.

Abstract: A demodulator is provided for demodulating an amplitude-modulated input signal defined by a carrier signal having a carrier frequency modulated by a modulating signal, the demodulator including an amplifier stage having a gain and structured to receive the amplitude-modulated input signal, and a gain control stage coupled to the amplifier stage and configured to vary the gain of the amplifier stage according to the carrier frequency of the carrier signal.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope having a microstructure that includes a first mass and a second mass, wherein the first mass is oscillatable according to a first axis and the second mass is constrained to the first mass so as to be drawn along by the first mass according to the first axis and to oscillate according to a second axis, in response to a rotation of the microstructure, a driving device coupled to the microstructure to maintain the first mass in oscillation at the driving frequency, and a reading device that detects displacements of the second mass according to the second axis. The gyroscope is provided with a self-test actuation system coupled to the second mass for applying an electrostatic force at the driving frequency so as to move the second mass according to the second axis.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope includes a body and a sensing mass, which is movable with a degree of freedom in response to rotations of the body about an axis. A self-test actuator is capacitively coupled to the sensing mass for supplying a self-test signal. The capacitive coupling causes, in response to the self-test signal, electrostatic forces that are able to move the sensing mass in accordance with the degree of freedom at an actuation frequency. A sensing device detects transduction signals indicating displacements of the sensing mass in accordance with the degree of freedom. The sensing device is configured for discriminating, in the transduction signals, spectral components that are correlated to the actuation frequency and indicate the movement of the sensing mass as a result of the self-test signal.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical device includes a body, a movable mass, elastically connected to the body and movable in accordance with a degree of freedom, and a driving device, coupled to the movable mass and configured to maintain the movable mass in oscillation at a steady working frequency in a normal operating mode. The microelectromechanical device moreover includes a start-up device, which is activatable in a start-up operating mode and is configured to compare a current oscillation frequency of a first signal correlated to oscillation of the movable mass with a reference frequency, and for deciding, on the basis of the comparison between the current oscillation frequency and the reference frequency, whether to supply to the movable mass a forcing signal packet so as to transfer energy to the movable mass.

Abstract: A MEMS gyroscope includes: a microstructure having a fixed structure, a driving mass, movable with respect to the fixed structure according to a driving axis, and a sensing mass, mechanically coupled to the driving mass so as to be drawn in motion according to the driving axis and movable with respect to the driving mass according to a sensing axis, in response to rotations of the microstructure; and a driving device, for keeping the driving mass in oscillation with a driving frequency. The driving device includes a discrete-time sensing interface, for detecting a position of the driving mass with respect to the driving axis and a control stage for controlling the driving frequency on the basis of the position of the driving mass.

Abstract: A band-pass filter made up by an operational amplifier and by an input circuit. The input circuit is formed by a capacitive filtering element, connected to the input of the operational amplifier; a coupling switch, coupled between an input node and the capacitive filtering element; a capacitive sampling element, coupled between the input of the filter and the input node; and a sampling switch, coupled between the input node and a reference-potential line. The coupling switch and the input sampling switch close in phase opposition according to a succession of undesired components sampling and sensing steps, so that the capacitive sampling element forms a sampler for sampling the undesired component in the undesired components sampling step, in the absence of the component of interest, and forms a subtractor of the undesired components from the input signal in the sensing step.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope having a microstructure with a first mass, which can oscillate according to a first axis, and a second mass constrained to the first mass so as to oscillate according to a second axis in response to a rotation of the microstructure, and a driving device coupled to the microstructure to maintain the first mass in oscillation at a resonance frequency, the driving device provided with a low-pass filter having a passband such that the resonance frequency is in the passband and a disturbance frequency associated with disturbance signals due to coupling between the first mass and the second mass is not in the passband.

Abstract: A method of protection from noise of a digital signal generated by a comparator, including the steps of generating an output signal that switches from a first logic state to a second logic state at a first switching of logic state of the digital signal; detecting a change from the first logic state to the second logic state of the output signal; and inhibiting further switchings of the output signal for a first time interval after the change from the first logic state to the second logic state.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a capacitive component with variable capacitance and a control stage, coupled to the capacitive component for controlling the capacitance thereof, on the basis of a reference signal, with a reference frequency, and an excitation signal, with a frequency that is a multiple of the reference frequency. The capacitive component includes a variable capacitive network having a plurality of switched capacitors, each of which can be switched selectively between a first configuration, in which it is connected between connection terminals of the capacitive component, and a second configuration, in which it is connected at most to one of the connection terminals. The control stage includes a logic module, coupled to the variable capacitive network for switching periodically each capacitor between the first configuration and the second configuration on the basis of the reference signal.

Abstract: A demodulator is provided for demodulating an amplitude-modulated input signal defined by a carrier signal having a carrier frequency modulated by a modulating signal, the demodulator including an amplifier stage having a gain and structured to receive the amplitude-modulated input signal, and a gain control stage coupled to the amplifier stage and configured to vary the gain of the amplifier stage according to the carrier frequency of the carrier signal.

Abstract: A multi-axis gyroscope includes a microelectromechanical structure configured to rotate with respective angular velocities about respective reference axes, and including detection elements, which are sensitive in respective detection directions and generate respective detection quantities as a function of projections of the angular velocities in the detection directions. The gyroscope including a reading circuit that generates electrical output signals, each correlated to a respective one of the angular velocities, as a function of the detection quantities. The reading circuit includes a combination stage that combines electrically with respect to one another electrical quantities correlated to detection quantities generated by detection elements sensitive to detection directions different from one another, so as to take into account a non-zero angle of inclination of the detection directions with respect to the reference axes.

Abstract: A demodulator includes input terminals, for receiving an input signal, and an amplifier stage having a gain. The input signal is amplitude-modulated and is defined by a carrier signal at a carrier frequency and by a modulating signal. The demodulator includes, moreover, a gain-control stage, coupled to the amplifier stage for varying the gain of the amplifier stage according to a sinusoid of a frequency equal to the carrier frequency, on the basis of the carrier signal.

Abstract: A micro-electro-mechanical gyroscope includes a first mass, which is able to oscillate along a first axis with respect to a fixed body, an inertial sensor having a second mass constrained to the first mass so as to oscillate along a second axis in response to a rotation of the gyroscope, a driving device coupled to the first mass that forms a control loop for maintaining the first mass in oscillation at a resonance frequency, and a reading device that detects displacements of the second mass along the second axis, which includes a charge amplifier for converting charge packets supplied by the inertial sensor into a charge-integration signal, and a low-pass filter. A calibration stage enables modification of a voltage between the second mass and the fixed body so as to minimize a component at a frequency that is twice the resonance frequency in the charge-integration signal.