Novel sensing technique based on a sensor array

Abstract

A novel sensing approach based on a sensor array has been described. The proposed system employs an array of temperature sensors. The output from each sensor is converted to a one-bit binary signal through a comparator. By analyzing the number of `ones' or `zeros' at the outputs of the comparator, the sensor output is estimated. By further successively reducing the reference voltage range applied to the comparators, the true value of the sensor output can be accurately determined within several iterations. The system has shown a certain degree of redundancy as the measurement does not rely on a particular sensor. Initial experiment using 30 sensors has shown that the relative errors for temperature measurement are between 0.2% and 1.4%. Although the experiment is performed on temperature measurement, the principle of the proposed approach is generic and can be applied to other sensing systems.