A digital self-calibration circuit for absolute optical rotary encoder microsystems

The parameters of the analog waveforms produced by the front-end electronics of absolute optical rotary encoders are affected by substantial differences and drifts. The threshold level required to convert the generated analog signal into a digital square wave in each read-out channel has to, therefore, be calibrated so as to keep the output duty-cycle close to its ideal value of 50%. This paper presents a digital self-calibration circuit specifically designed for this purpose. The circuit performs dynamic calculation of the threshold level, continuously compensating for encoder nonidealities while the system is normally operating. This avoids the need for manual calibration, provides thermal stabilization, and prevents performance degradation. The proposed digital calibration system was integrated in conventional CMOS technology and was then successfully evaluated.