Integrated circuit pin for reference voltage and fault communication
AssigneeAllegro MicroSystems, LLC
InventorsMatthew Hein, Benjamin Damkroger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensor integrated circuit includes a sensing circuit configured to generate the sensor output signal and a fault circuit to detect a fault and generate a fault signal indicative of the fault. A combined signal indicative of the fault signal when a fault is detected and indicative of a reference voltage associated with the sensor IC at other times is provided at a shared connection of the sensor IC. Embodiments include a current sensor IC and fault detectors configured to detect one or more faults.
Claims22
A sensor integrated circuit configured to generate a sensor output signal indicative of a sensed parameter, comprising:
- a power connection configured to receive a supply voltage;
- a ground connection;
- a sensing circuit configured to generate the sensor output signal at a sensor output signal connection, wherein the sensing circuit has a reference voltage;
- a fault circuit comprising a fault detector configured to detect a fault and generate a fault signal indicative of the fault;
- and
- a combined connection at which a combined signal is provided, wherein the combined signal is indicative of the fault signal during times when the fault is detected and the reference voltage during times when the fault is not detected.
A method comprising:
- generating a sensor output signal indicative of a sensed parameter at a sensor output signal connection with a sensing circuit having a reference voltage;
- generating a fault signal indicative of a fault being detected;
- and
- generating a combined signal indicative of the reference voltage and the fault signal during times when the fault is detected and the reference voltage during times when the fault is not detected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.