Back to results
US 11,940,402 B2Granted
Circuit arrangement and sensor arrangements including the same
AssigneeSciosense B.V.
InventorsLuigi Di Piro, Giuseppe Pasetti, Monica Schipani
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A circuit arrangement comprises a first branch comprising a resistor of variable resistance and a diode-connected bipolar transistor and a second branch comprising a resistor of fixed resistance and another diode-connected bipolar transistor. A control loop reproduces a voltage drop at the resistor of variable resistance to a voltage drop at the resistor of fixed resistance. Output terminals are connected to the bipolar transistors to supply a differential voltage. The circuit arrangement may be used as an analog frontend circuit in a gas sensor or a temperature sensor arrangement.
Claims16
A circuit arrangement comprising:
- a first branch comprising:
- a terminal for a supply potential;
- a resistor of variable resistance;
- a bipolar transistor connected as a diode;
- a terminal for ground potential connected to the bipolar transistor;
- and
- a voltage shifter;
- a second branch, comprising:
- a resistor of fixed resistance, the resistor of fixed resistance connected to the resistor of the first branch;
- another bipolar transistor connected as a diode, the terminal for ground potential connected to the other bipolar transistor;
- and
- a transistor;
- a control loop configured to reproduce a voltage drop at the resistor of variable resistance to a voltage drop at the resistor of fixed resistance;
- an amplifier having input terminals connected to the resistors of the first and second branches and an output terminal configured to control the transistor of the second branch;
- and
- an output terminal connected to the bipolar transistor of the first branch and another output terminal connected to the other bipolar transistor of the second branch, the output terminals configured to supply a differential voltage.
13 more elements
A circuit arrangement comprising:
- a first branch comprising:
- a terminal for a supply potential;
- a resistor of variable resistance;
- a bipolar transistor connected as a diode;
- a terminal for ground potential connected to the bipolar transistor;
- and
- a current limiter;
- a second branch comprising:
- a resistor of fixed resistance, the resistor of fixed resistance connected to the resistor of the first branch;
- and
- another bipolar transistor connected as a diode, the terminal for ground potential connected to the other bipolar transistor;
- a control loop configured to reproduce a voltage drop at the resistor of variable resistance to a voltage drop at the resistor of fixed resistance;
- and
- an output terminal connected to the bipolar transistor of the first branch and another output terminal connected to the other bipolar transistor of the second branch, the output terminals configured to supply a differential voltage,
- wherein the current limiter comprises a current mirror having an input branch including a current source and an output branch, and
- wherein the output branch is connected between the terminal for the supply potential and the resistor of variable resistance, or
- wherein the output branch is connected between the bipolar transistor of the first branch and a voltage shifter.
14 more elements
A circuit arrangement comprising:
- a first branch comprising:
- a terminal for a supply potential;
- a resistor of variable resistance;
- a bipolar transistor connected as a diode;
- and
- a terminal for ground potential connected to the bipolar transistor;
- a second branch comprising:
- a resistor of fixed resistance, the resistor of fixed resistance connected to the resistor of the first branch;
- and
- another bipolar transistor connected as a diode, the terminal for ground potential connected to the other bipolar transistor;
- a control loop configured to reproduce a voltage drop at the resistor of variable resistance to a voltage drop at the resistor of fixed resistance;
- an output terminal connected to the bipolar transistor of the first branch and another output terminal connected to the other bipolar transistor of the second branch, the output terminals configured to supply a differential voltage;
- an analog-to-digital converter connected downstream of the output terminal and the other output terminal, the analog-to-digital converter configured to generate a digital representation of the differential voltage;
- and
- a calculator configured to generate a digital value representative of the resistance of the resistor of variable resistance,
- wherein the calculator performs a calculation according to the formula:
- R
- S
-
- E
-
- N
-
- S
-
- O
-
- R
- =
- R
- R
-
- E
-
- F
- ·
- exp
-
- (
- Δ
-
- V
- B
-
- E
- K
-
- T
- q
-
- η
- )
- ,
- and
- wherein RSENSOR represents a resistance value of the resistor of variable resistance, RREF represents a resistance value of the resistor of fixed resistance, ΔVBE represents the differential voltage, K represents a Boltzmann constant, T represents a temperature, q represents an electron charge and η represents an ideality factor at least one of the bipolar transistors.
52 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.