A method of inspecting an electrode provided in a gas sensor element includes the steps of: producing, in advance, a calibration curve representing a relation between an Au maldistribution degree defined based on a ratio of an area of a portion at which Au is exposed on a noble metal particle surface and calculated from a result of XPS or AES analysis on an inspection target electrode, and a predetermined alternative maldistribution degree index correlated with the Au maldistribution degree and acquired in a non-destructive manner from the gas sensor element heated to a predetermined temperature; acquiring a value of the alternative maldistribution degree index for the inspection target electrode of the gas sensor element while the gas sensor element is heated to the predetermined temperature; and determining whether the Au maldistribution degree satisfies a predetermined standard based on the calibration curve and the acquired inspection value.

A technique for operating a capacitive sensor array is described. The technique includes measuring a first capacitance of a first set of electrodes at a first time, measuring a second capacitance of a second set of electrodes at a second time, and calculating a position of a conductive object based on a relative magnitude of the first capacitance and the second capacitance. The first set and the second set includes at least one electrode in common and at least one electrode that is not in common.

A physical quantity detection device includes a switched capacitor filter circuit having a first sample-and-hold circuit adapted to sample and hold a first signal, which is based on an output signal of a physical quantity detection element, an amplifier circuit to which an output signal of the first sample-and-hold circuit is input, and a first switched capacitor circuit to which a first output signal of the amplifier circuit is input, wherein an output signal of the first switched capacitor circuit is input to the amplifier circuit, and an A/D conversion circuit adapted to perform an A/D conversion on an output signal of the switched capacitor filter circuit.

The present invention is directed to a CV conversion amplifier which is small in current consumption and capable of securing a sufficient capacitance-voltage conversion gain and a sufficient amplitude range of an output voltage and a capacitive sensor using the same which is low power consumption, low in noise, and wide in an input signal allowable range. A capacitive sensor includes first and second detection capacitors, a CV conversion circuit includes first and second feedback capacitors and obtains a voltage based on capacitance values of the first and second feedback capacitors, an AD converter performs analog digital conversion on an input voltage and obtains a digital signal, a digital control unit receives the digital signal as an input, and first and second digitally controlled variable capacitors have capacitance values that are controlled by the digital control unit.

This application relates to methods and apparatus for operating MEMS sensors, in particular MEMS capacitive sensors (C.sub.MEMS) such as a microphones. An amplifier apparatus (300) is arranged to amplify an input signal (V.sub.INP) received at a sense node (104) from the MEMS capacitive sensor. An antiphase signal generator (201; 304) generates a second signal (V.sub.INN) which is in antiphase with the input signal (V.sub.INP) and an amplifier arrangement (105; 305) is configured to receive the input signal (V.sub.INP) at a first input and the second signal (V.sub.INN) at a second input and to output corresponding amplified first and second output signals. This converts a single ended input signal effectively into a differential input signal.

A direction detecting device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes; a structure having at least two through-holes passing through an upper surface and a lower surface thereof; and at least two electrode units inserted into the at least two through-holes and each including a dielectric layer, a first electrode layer disposed on an upper surface of the dielectric layer and exposed at the upper surface of the structure, and a second electrode layer disposed on a lower surface of the dielectric layer and exposed at the lower surface of the structure.

Active position indicator comprising a movable tip element (10) configured to be displaced from an initial position in a displacement direction by a tip displacement depending on the force acting on a tip (3) arranged on a distal end of the tip element (10); a position signal circuit connected with said movable tip element (10) and configured to generate an indicator position signal to be applied on the tip (3); and a force sensor for detecting a force acting on the tip comprising a capacitive element with a capacitance value depending on the tip displacement for generating an electric feedback signal indicating the tip displacement; wherein the capacitive element comprises a capacitor distance depending on the tip displacement and a capacitor surface depending on the tip displacement.

A composite detection sensor includes a sensor cable including not less than three conductive electrode wires and a resilient insulation covering collectively the electrode wires and holding the electrode wires that are circumferentially spaced from each other, and a capacitance measurement unit for measuring capacitance between each two electrode wires and between each electrode wire and the ground. The capacitance measurement unit may include plural inter-wire capacitance measuring portions for measuring capacitance between the electrode wires, a wire-ground capacitance measuring portion for measuring capacitance between the electrode wires and the ground, and a switching means switchable between a first connection state and a second connection state, the first connection state being a state in which the electrode wires are connected to the inter-wire capacitance measuring portions, and the second connection state being a state in which the electrode wires are connected to the wire-ground capacitance measuring portion.

Electrostatic capacitance can be measured with high directivity in a specific direction. A sensor chip that measures the electrostatic capacitance includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a third electrode. The first electrode has a first portion. The second electrode has a second portion extended on the first portion of the first electrode, and is insulated from the first electrode within the sensor chip. The third electrode has a front face extended in a direction which intersects with the first portion of the first electrode and the second portion of the second electrode, and is provided on the first portion and the second portion. The third electrode is insulated from the first electrode and the second electrode within the sensor chip. No portion is extended from the first electrode to be positioned above the first portion.

One embodiment includes and I/0 bus including a signal line coupled to a signal source and multiple line switches, each line switch to couple a corresponding I/0 port to the signal line. Switch logic coupled to the I/0 bus may programmatically switch the multiple line switches to couple at least one of the signal source and measurement circuitry to the respective I/0 port.