An object of the present invention is to provide a charge amplifier which can
be operated at low cost so that electric charge generated in a piezoelectric pressure
sensor having one end grounded is converted into a voltage signal.
In the charge amplifier (1) according to an embodiment of the present
invention,
a plus side power source input terminal of an operational amplifier (5)
is connected to a plus power source (+5 V) while a minus side power source input
terminal of the operational amplifier (5) is grounded, so that the operational
amplifier (5) is supplied with a single power source. Further, an offset
voltage lower than the plus power source voltage but higher than the ground potential
is applied to a non-inverted input terminal of the operational amplifier (5).
Accordingly, change of pressure in both positive and negative directions can be
converted into a voltage signal with the offset voltage as its center though the
operational amplifier (5) is driven by a single power source. That is, cost
can be suppressed because a double power source is not required.