MEMS-based capacitive sensor

1. An apparatus comprising:

a seismic acquisition system, comprising an accelerometer,

wherein the accelerometer comprises:

a capacitive MEMS-based sensor comprising a proof mass, input terminals to receive a first signal and an output terminal electrically connected to the proof mass to provide a second signal indicative of an acceleration sensed by the sensor, wherein the first signal controls an equilibrium restoring force for the sensor and causes the sensor to provide the second signal; and

a charge amplifier to provide a third signal indicative of a position of the proof mass, the charge amplifier having an input terminal to receive the second signal during a continuous time interval that includes a first time subinterval in which the first signal controls the equilibrium restoring force and a second time subinterval in which the sensor provides the second signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer further comprises:

an amplitude detector to receive the third signal and generate a fourth signal indicative of an amplitude of the third signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the amplitude detector is adapted to double sample the third signal to separate a first component of the third signal indicative of the position of the proof mass from a second component of the third signal indicative of the first signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a controller to perform an analog-to-digital conversion of the third signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller comprises a sigma delta modulator.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the charge amplifier has an input bias voltage connected to a supply voltage rail of the accelerometer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the charge amplifier comprises a feedback capacitor that is part of the sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a circuit to adjust a magnitude of the first signal based on the third signal to cause the equilibrium restoring force to be substantially independent of movement of the proof mass.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a controller to provide a third signal indicative of the acceleration;

a complementary driver to provide the first signal in response to a pulse train signal; and

a pulse generator to provide the pulse train signal based on the third signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

a clock generator to synchronize cycles of the pulse train signal,

wherein the first signal both controls an equilibrium restoring force for the sensor and causes the sensor to provide the second signal during each cycle of the clock signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

a jitter filter electrically coupled between the clock generator and the pulse generator.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the seismic acquisition system comprises sensor modules that are connected by wireless or wired connections.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the seismic acquisition system comprises a streamer, a land-based sensor cable or a seabed-based sensor cable.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the seismic acquisition system comprises a streamer, the system further comprising:

a survey vessel to tow the streamer.

15. A method comprising:

providing a seismic acquisition system having an accelerometer, the accelerometer comprising a capacitive MEMS-based sensor comprising a proof mass, input terminals to receive a first signal and an output terminal electrical connected to the proof mass to provide a second signal;

regulating an equilibrium restoring force for the sensor;

energizing the sensor to cause the sensor to provide the second signal; and

sensing the second signal in a continuous time interval during which the acts of regulating and energizing occur.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sensing occurs continuously connecting an input terminal of a charge amplifier for the duration of the time interval.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

doubling sampling to separate a first component of signal information provided by the charge amplifier indicative of a position of the proof mass from a second component of the signal information indicative of a signal used to energize the sensor.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

using a capacitor of the sensor in a feedback path for the charge amplifier.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

adjusting a signal applied to energize the sensor based on an output signal provided by the charge amplifier to cause the equilibrium restoring force to be substantially independent of movement of the proof mass.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the seismic acquisition system comprises sensor modules that are connected by wireless or wired connections.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the seismic acquisition system comprises a streamer, a land-based sensor cable or a seabed-based sensor cable.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

towing the streamer with a survey vessel.

23. An accelerometer comprising:

a capacitive MEMS-based sensor comprising a proof mass, input terminals to receive a first signal and an output terminal electrical connected to the proof mass to provide a second signal indicative of an acceleration sensed by the sensor, wherein the first signal controls an equilibrium restoring force for the sensor and causes the sensor to provide the second signal; and

a charge amplifier to provide a third signal indicative of a position of the proof mass, the charge amplifier having an input terminal to receive the second signal during a continuous time interval that includes a first time subinterval in which the first signal controls the equilibrium restoring force and a second time subinterval in which the sensor provides the second signal.

24. The accelerometer of claim 23 , wherein the accelerometer further comprises:

an amplitude detector to receive the third signal and generate a fourth signal indicative of an amplitude of the third signal.

25. The accelerometer of claim 24 , wherein the amplitude detector is adapted to double sample the third signal to separate a first component of the third signal indicative of the position of the proof mass from a second component of the third signal indicative of the first signal.

26. The accelerometer of claim 23 , further comprising a controller to perform an analog-to-digital conversion of the third signal.

27. The accelerometer of claim 26 , wherein the controller comprises a sigma delta modulator.

28. An accelerometer comprising:

a capacitive MEMS-based sensor comprising a proof mass, input terminals to receive a first signal and an output terminal electrical connected to the proof mass to provide a second signal indicative of an acceleration sensed by the sensor, wherein the first signal controls an equilibrium restoring force for the sensor and causes the sensor to provide the second signal;

a charge amplifier to provide a third signal indicative of a position of the proof mass, the charge amplifier having an input terminal; and

a non-switched path to communicate the second signal from the sensor to the input terminal of the charge amplifier.

29. The accelerometer of claim 28 , wherein the accelerometer further comprises:

an amplitude detector to receive the third signal and generate a fourth signal indicative of an amplitude of the third signal.

30. The accelerometer of claim 29 , wherein the amplitude detector is adapted to double sample the third signal to separate a first component of the third signal indicative of the position of the proof mass from a second component of the third signal indicative of the first signal.

31. The accelerometer of claim 28 , further comprising a controller to perform an analog-to-digital conversion of the third signal.

32. The accelerometer of claim 31 , wherein the controller comprises a sigma delta modulator.