Integrated digital architecture for measuring temperature using a VCO as sensor

Abstract

The proposed architecture is based on the linear response f 0 vs. T of a Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO), which is used as a temperature sensor. The simplicity of the architecture makes digital integration in a CMOS technology 0.5um, 5V, N-Well feasible; this is achieved by using basic combinational and sequential digital circuit to implement the characteristic equation for the temperature depending on the oscillation frequency.