THE AUTONOMOUS IMPACT RESONATOR - A NEW OPERATING PRINCIPLE FOR A SILICON RESONANT STRAIN-GAUGE

A new oscillation principle for silicon resonators, based on large vib rational amplitudes and on non-linear effects, is described. Using onl y a capacitive microbridge, a resistor and a d.c. source, an autonomou s oscillator can be obtained without the need for an external oscillat or circuit. An electromechanical model is derived and a general mathem atical description is given. The autonomous impact oscillator exhibits periodic as well as chaotic behaviour. The behaviour is simulated and a stability analysis is presented. Experimental results validate the model and the proposed oscillation mechanism. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scienc e S.A. All rights reserved.