Sigma-Delta Digital Converter Suitable for a Resistive Displacement Sensor with a Floating Slide

A sigma-delta-type digital converter (SDC) suitable for a resistive-potentiometer-type displacement sensor with a floating slide is presented here. The delta modulator in a conventional SDC is suitably altered to incorporate, as its integral part, a resistive-potentiometer-type displacement sensor with a floating slide. The operation of the 1-b quantizer in the SDC is modified such that the digital output of the SDC directly indicates the displacement being sensed. The results obtained from simulation studies, emulation studies, and experimentation conducted on a prototype sensor establish the efficacy of the proffered scheme.