PWM as a Low Cost Method for the Analog Control of MEMS Devices

In this paper, we discuss the use of pulse width modulation (PWM) to control analog MEMS devices. We achieve a precise linear analog control of MEMS by applying PWM signal with a frequency well above the system’s mechanical natural frequency. We first demonstrate this using a parallel plate actuator and comb-drive, and then extend the technique to control a commercial deformable mirror. Such an approach allows the system designer to replace expensive drive electronics such as the high precision DACs and high voltage, linear amplifiers with a simple on-off switch. The advancements in the electronics industry tend to make precise timing cheaper and faster; our approach exploits these long-term trends to create low-cost control circuits. We also show how PWM control can linearize the positional response of the devices, where typically the position would depend quadratically on the applied analog voltage.