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US 10,416,697 B2Granted
Wheatstone bridge sensing system with multiple current sources
AssigneeSemiconductor Components Industries, LLC
InventorJacques Jean Bertin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system, in some embodiments, comprises: a multi-resistor Wheatstone bridge supplied by a first current source; and a second current source coupled to the bridge and configured to at least partially compensate for a voltage detected by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), said voltage indicative of an alteration of a physical parameter affecting the bridge, wherein the ADC produces a digital code that represents said voltage.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- a multi-resistor Wheatstone bridge;
- wherein the bridge includes a first node, a second node, a third node, and a fourth node;
- wherein a first resistor couples the first node with the second node;
- wherein a second resistor couples the first node with the third node;
- wherein a third resistor couples the second node with the fourth node;
- wherein a fourth resistor couples the third node with the fourth node;
- wherein the bridge is supplied at the first node by a first current source and at the fourth node is continually and directly grounded;
- and
- an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to
- detect a voltage arising across the second node and the third node;
- and
- based on the detected voltage, output a first digital code;
- a second current source coupled to the bridge via each of the second node and the third node, coupled to receive the first digital code from the ADC, and configured to at least partially compensate for the voltage based on the first digital code;
- and
- wherein the voltage is indicative of an alteration of a physical parameter affecting the bridge.
12 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a Wheatstone bridge having a first node, a second node, a third node and a fourth node;
- wherein the fourth node is continually and directly coupled to ground;
- wherein a first resistor couples the first node with the second node;
- wherein a second resistor couples the first node with the third node;
- wherein a third resistor couples the second node with the fourth node;
- wherein a fourth resistor couples the third node with the fourth node;
- a first current source supplying current to the first node of the bridge;
- a static current source configured to at least partially compensate for an offset current associated with the bridge, if any;
- a variable current source configured to sink current received from the second node and to provide current to the third node;
- and
- an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to detect a voltage indicative of an alteration of a physical parameter affecting the bridge and to affect the current provided by the variable current source based on the detected voltage;
- wherein the detected voltage arises across the second node and the third node;
- wherein the ADC is further configured to provide a first digital code based on the detected voltage.
10 more elements
A method, comprising:
- providing a first current from a first current source to first node of a Wheatstone bridge;
- wherein a first resistor couples the first node with a second node;
- wherein a second resistor couples the first node with a third node;
- wherein a third resistor couples the second node with a fourth node;
- wherein a fourth resistor couples the third node with the fourth node;
- wherein the bridge is continually and directly grounded at the fourth node;
- detecting a voltage indicative of an alteration of a physical parameter affecting the bridge;
- wherein the voltage is detected across the second node and the third node;
- providing a second current from a second current source to the bridge based on the detected voltage;
- and
- providing, by an analog-to-digital converter to the second current source, a value, based on the detected voltage, that indicates the alteration of the physical parameter;
- wherein the second current source adjusts the second current based on the value received from the analog-to-digital converter.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.