This paper proposes a novel, tunable AC coupled capacitive feedback amplifier, exhibiting an ultra-low high pass corner frequency. This is accomplished by actively boosting the output resistive value of a MOS transistor in weak inversion. The circuit is based on a more general architecture, recently proposed by the authors, and is analyzed in terms of its capability to achieve ultra-low frequency operation, its DC performance, and noise. The proposed technique is demonstrated via measurement results from a fabricated test chip prototype using a standard 0.18 µm CMOS technology. The proposed amplifier provides a tunable high pass corner frequency from 20 mHz to 475 mHz, consuming 4.71 μW and a total area of 0.069 mm2., Grant PID2019-107258RB-C32 (AEI/FEDER), Ministry of Universities (grant BES-2017-080418) and Public University of Navarra. Open Access funding provided by Public University of Navarra

An improved class AB version of the super source follower is used to implement a compact and power-efficient second order analog low-pass filter. The proposed circuit achieves a 41% power reduction as well as an improvement in linearity and pass band gain with respect to its class A counterpart. Measurement results of a test chip prototype fabricated in a 180 nm CMOS technology show a power consumption ranging from 50.3 μW to 85.27 μW for cutoff frequencies from 600 kHz to 890 kHz, with a supply voltage of ±0.75 V. A third order intermodulation distortion of −35.34 dB (for an input signal of 0.4 mV pp and 350 kHz) and a THD of −69.7 dB (for an input signal of 0.4 mV pp and 100 kHz) are measured, which results in an improvement with respect to the conventional class A version of 13.98 dB and 43.6 dB, respectively. The silicon area is 0.0592 mm 2 (using external capacitors)., This work was supported by Grant PID2019-107258RB-C32 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. M. Martincorena-
Arraiza is funded by the Ministry of Universities under grant BES-2017-080418

A new method to process the vibration signal acquired by an accelerometer placed in a planetary gearbox housing is proposed, which is useful to detect potential faults. The method is based on the phenomenological model and consists of the projection of the healthy vibration signals onto an orthonormal basis. Low pass components representation and Gram–Schmidt’s method are conveniently used to obtain such a basis. Thus, the measured signals can be represented by a set of scalars that provide information on the gear state. If these scalars are within a predefined range, then the gear can be diagnosed as correct; in the opposite case, it will require further evaluation. The method is validated using measured vibration signals obtained from a laboratory test bench., Grant PID2019-107258RB-C32 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. M.M.-A. has a predoctoral grant BES-2017-080418 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ESF Investing in your future.

A family of capacitively coupled alternating current (AC) amplifiers featuring ultra-low (below 1 Hz) corner frequency is presented. This is achieved by using high-gain devices which actively boost feedback resistance and thus reduce corner frequency. This procedure is often termed, though with a different purpose, as 'bootstrapping'. The proposed architectures are very general and admit several possible practical implementations. To demonstrate their usefulness, the circuits are implemented with two operational amplifiers (OA), but other active devices such as operational transconductance amplifiers (OTAs) can be alternatively used. All circuits have been theoretically analyzed, extensively simulated and measured, exhibiting high-pass cutoff frequencies as low as 30 mHz., This work was supported by AEI/FEDER (Grant PID2019‐107258RB‐C32), Ministry of Universities (grant BES‐2017‐080418), and Public University of Navarra.

A novel architecture for an AC (i.e. high-pass) amplifier is proposed allowing a drastic reduction of the cutoff frequency to the sub-Hertz range. It builds upon the classic AC configuration with a high gain amplifier and a parallel RC circuit in the feedback loop, by increasing the feedback resistance through bootstrapping. Resistance multiplying factors higher than four orders of magnitude are easily achievable. The basic principle can be applied to several practical implementations, though in this letter it is demonstrate with measurement results of an op-amp based discrete implementation., This work was financially supported by the following grants from the Spanish Research Agency: TEC2016-80396-C2-1-R and PID2019-107258RB-C32 (AEI/FEDER). M.Martincorena Arraiza was funded by the Ministry of Universities under grant BES-2017-080418.