Design and Implementation of a Controller for an Electrostatic MEMS Actuator and Sensor

Abstract

An analog controller has been analyzed and built for an electrostatic micro-cantilever beam. The closed loop MEMS device can be used as both actuator and sensor. As an actuator it will have the advantage of large stable travel range up to 90% of the gap. As a sensor the beam is to be driven into chaotic motion which is very sensitive changes in the system parameters. Two versions of the controller have been analyzed and implemented, one for the actuator and one for the sensor. For the actuator, preliminary experiments show good matching with the model. As for the sensor, the dynamic behavior have been studied and the best operating regions have been determined.