Simulation Of Microelectromechanical Systems

: A method for simulation of microelectromechanical systems is presented. It is based on usage of behavioural simulators and their hardware description languages. Behaviour of a micromachined sensor can be described in such language. For the first time, partial differential equations are used for modelling in environment of this kind. Models of micromechanical sensors can be invoked in the same manner as electronic components. In that way, complex microelectromechanical systems can be simulated. As an example, a piezoresistive pressure sensor is simulated together with processing circuitry. 1. INTRODUCTION Micromechanical devices can be produced on a silicon chip, using techniques based on those developed for microelectronics. This technological relation gave rise to creation of a new field - microelectromechanics. The term microelectromechanical system (MEMS) is used to describe functional connection of micromechanical and electronic devices. Usage of same technology for both parts o..

Mechatronic Simulation Using Alecsis. Anatomy of the Simulator

ting since a large community of SPICE users exists. However, such an approach is difficult to use, demands excellent knowledge of the circuit simulation techniques, and is applicable only to simpler non-electrical systems. Another way to tackle this problem is by using behavioural simulators. Those simulators allow nearly free composition of the system equations [2], and are therefore relatively complex to use, or are upgrades of circuit simulators with possibility to write new component models, not necessarily of the electrical nature [3]. Alecsis, which we had developed, can be also considered as a behavioural simulator, but its internal organisation and properties of its hardware description language AleC++ allow us to describe it as an open simulation environment. Alecsis is made by merging simulator with the programming language. It allows the user to play in the space between these two boundaries. Alecsis has simulation tools for SPICE-like and discrete-event sim