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US 2014/0176120 A1Published application
Current monitoring circuits and methods and transistor arrangement
AssigneeNXP B.V.
InventorSteven Aerts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various automatic range scaling solutions for smart power switches are provided, to enable current monitoring across a wide dynamic range. Use is made of current sensing transistors which implement different current sensing ratios.
Claims15
A transistor arrangement, comprising at least first and second sets of sense cells and at least one set of main cells, wherein each set of sense cells shares drain and gate connections with an associated set of main cells, with a different ratio of number of sense cells to associated main cells for the first set as for the second set.
A current monitoring method, comprising:
- controlling the gate of a transistor arrangement connected in series with a load, which transistor arrangement comprises at least first and second sets of sense cells and at least one set of main cells, wherein each set of sense cells shares drain and gate connections with an associated set of main cells, with a different ratio of number of sense cells to associated main cells for the first set as for the second set;
- measuring a current through the load by measuring a sense current from the first set of sense cells, or from the second set of sense cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.