Method for measuring a physical quantity by means of a digital sensor

A method for controlling a motor-vehicle electronic control unit (1) with a view to acquiring the measurement of a physical quantity using a digital sensor (2) connected to the electronic control unit (1), in which method the sensor (2) sends measurement digital data (Q) with a send period (Te) and the electronic control unit (1) processes these measurement data (Q) with a processing period (Tt), the send period (Te) being shorter than the processing period (Tt), wherein in this method, at the end of each processing period (Tt), the average value of the measured physical quantity is determined over an interval (5) of N preceding processing periods (Tt), the method comprising:

• storing, in a buffer memory (6) of storage capacity equal to N+2 measurement data (Q), a measurement datum assigned to each processing period (Tt), the measurement datum assigned to a processing period being defined as the last measurement datum (Q) received by the electronic control unit (1) in this processing period;
• with each assigned measurement datum that is stored in the buffer memory (6), also storing the age (A) of the assigned measurement datum, the age (A) of a measurement datum (Q) being defined as the duration between the reception of the measurement datum by the electronic control unit (1) and the end of the corresponding processing period (Tt);
• at the end of each processing period (Tt), determining an interpolation curve of the assigned measurement data stored in the buffer memory (6);
• on the basis of the interpolation curve, determining the average value, over an interval (5) of N processing periods (Tt), of the measured physical quantity.