High-impedance mode for precision measurement unit
AssigneeSemtech Corporation
InventorsChung-Kai Chow, Jeffrey Blackburn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high-impedance mode is provided for an output of a precision measurement unit (PMU). The PMU includes an output amplifier that that provides a forcing voltage or current to a device under test. When the high-impedance mode is activated, the output amplifier is decoupled from an output terminal of the PMU and the output amplifier is disabled. This prevents the voltage on the output terminal from rising in an uncontrolled manner, and prevents current spikes from forming on the output terminal when connected to a device under test. The high-impedance mode is deactivated to permit connection of the PMU to another device under test by re-coupling the output amplifier to the output terminal and enabling operation of the output amplifier.
Claims17
A method of operating a precision measurement unit (PMU) having an output amplifier that provides a forcing voltage or current to a device under test, comprising the steps of:
- activating a high-impedance mode of said PMU to permit disconnection of said PMU from a device under test by decoupling the output amplifier from an output terminal of the PMU and disabling operation of said output amplifier;
- and
- deactivating said high-impedance mode to permit connection of said PMU to another device under test by coupling said output amplifier to said output terminal and enabling operation of said output amplifier.
A precision measurement unit (PMU), comprising:
- an amplifier operatively connected to an output terminal of said PMU to selectively provide either a forcing voltage or a forcing current therefrom;
- a high impedance mode circuit operatively connected to said amplifier to decouple said output amplifier from said output pin and disable operation of said output amplifier;
- wherein, said high impedance mode circuit is enabled to permit disconnection of said output pin from a device under test and disabled to permit connection of said output pin to a device under test.
A precision measurement unit (PMU), comprising:
- an amplifier operatively connected to an output terminal of said PMU to selectively provide either a forcing voltage or a forcing current therefrom;
- means operatively connected to said amplifier for decoupling said output amplifier from said output pin and disabling operation of said output amplifier to permit disconnection of said output pin from a device under test.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.