Keywords: linear variable differential transformer, inductive transducer, linear range extension, binomial series, operational amplifier, analog multiplierThe linear-range extension technique for a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) is described in this paper. Generally, the LVDT has a narrow linear operating range caused by its nonlinear transfer characteristic. To extend the linear operating range, the nonlinear behavior of the LVDT must be adjusted. In this paper, the circuit building block providing the LVDT inverse transfer characteristic using binomial series approximation is proposed for linearizing the nonlinear behavior of the LVDT. The third-order inverse transfer characteristic of the LVDT is synthesized from analog multipliers and a difference amplifier comprising an operational amplifier (opamp). All active devices used in this study are commercially available. Therefore, the attraction of the proposed technique is in the simple configuration and low cost, making it suitable for an embedded measurement system. The performance of the proposed technique is discussed in detail. Simulation and experimental results confirming the performance are also included. As a result, the linear range of the commercial LVDT used in this study can be extended more than 500%. The full scale error of the measured value is about 0.23% over the entire operating range.
Variation in the ambient temperature deteriorates the accuracy of a resolver. In this paper, a temperature-compensation technique is introduced to improve resolver accuracy. The ambient temperature causes deviations in the resolver signal; therefore, the disturbed signal is investigated through the change in current in the primary winding of the resolver. For the proposed technique, the primary winding of the resolver is driven by a class-AB output stage of an operational amplifier (opamp), where the primary winding current forms part of the supply current of the opamp. The opamp supply-current sensing technique is used to extract the primary winding current. The error of the resolver signal due to temperature variations is directly evaluated from the supply current of the opamp. Therefore, the proposed technique does not require a temperature-sensitive device. Using the proposed technique, the error of the resolver signal when the ambient temperature increases to 70 °C can be minimized from 1.463% without temperature compensation to 0.017% with temperature compensation. The performance of the proposed technique is discussed in detail and is confirmed by experimental implementation using commercial devices. The results show that the proposed circuit can compensate for wide variations in ambient temperature.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.