A Self-Regulating Oscillator for Sensor Operation of Nanoelectromechanical Systems

A closed-loop oscillator topology is proposed for dynamic sensor operation of nanoelectromechanical systems, benefiting from the structure's quality factor. Automatic adaptation to diverse sensors' properties is achieved via a self-regulating phase-locked loop, making the topology widely usable. A low-noise programmable harmonic LC oscillator forms the cornerstone of its design. Integrated in a 180 nm technology, a tuning range from 600 MHz to 770 MHz is obtained.