System-Level Modeling and Simulation of MEMS-based Sensors

The growing complexity of MEMS devices and their increased used in embedded systems (e.g., wireless integrated sensor networks) demands a disciplined approach for MEMS design as well as the development of techniques for system-level modeling of these devices so that a seamless integration with the existing embedded system design methodologies is possible. In this paper, we present a MEMS design methodology that uses VHDL-AMS based system-level model of a MEMS device as a starting point and combines the top-down and bottom-up design approaches for design, verification, and optimization. The capabilities of our proposed design methodology are illustrated through the design of a microaccelerometer