US 12,352,713 B2
Organic and/or inorganic material test system using differential drive-sense circuits
Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Leander, TX (US); Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Belton, TX (US); Gerald Dale Morrison, Redmond, WA (US); Patrick Troy Gray, Cedar Park, TX (US); Phuong Huynh, Fairfax, VA (US); Timothy W. Markison, Mesa, AZ (US); and Patricia M. Healy, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Assigned to SIGMASENSE, LLC., Austin, TX (US)
Filed by SIGMASENSE, LLC., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed on Aug. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/446,574.
Application 17/446,574 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/730,118, filed on Dec. 30, 2019, granted, now 11,935,397.
Prior Publication US 2022/0057349 A1, Feb. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 27/02 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 27/02 (2013.01) 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An organic and inorganic material test system comprises:
at least one test container;
a first and second set of electrodes embedded in the at least one test container;
a set of transmit circuits coupled to the first set of electrodes, wherein a first transmit circuit of the set of transmit circuits is coupled to a first electrode of the first set of electrodes, wherein the first electrode of the first set of electrodes is embedded in a first test container of the at least one test container, wherein the first transmit circuit is operable to produce a first transmit signal at a first frequency for transmission through contents of the first test container; and
a set of differential drive-sense circuits coupled to the second set of electrodes, wherein a first differential drive-sense circuit of the set of differential drive-sense circuits is coupled to a second electrode of the second set of electrodes, wherein the second electrode is embedded in the first test container, and wherein the first differential drive-sense circuit of the set of differential drive-sense circuits includes:
a pair of drive-sense circuits, wherein a first drive-sense circuit of the pair of drive-sense circuits is operable to:
generate a second transmit signal at a second frequency on the second electrode of the second set of electrodes; and
generate a first receive signal based on the first transmit signal at the first frequency; and
wherein a second drive-sense circuit of the pair of drive-sense circuits is operable to:
generate a third transmit signal at the second frequency on the second electrode; and
generate a second receive signal based on the first transmit signal at the first frequency; and
an output operational amplifier coupled to the pair of drive-sense circuits, wherein the output operational amplifier is operable to:
compare the first and second receive signals to produce an analog receive signal, wherein the analog receive signal has a greater magnitude than a magnitude of the first or second receive signals, and wherein the analog receive signal includes a representation of electrical characteristics of the contents of the first test container with respect to positioning of the first electrode of the first set of electrodes and second electrode of the second set of electrodes.