Device for measuring the current flowing in an inductive load

An electronic device, comprising:

• a first node configured to receive a first supply voltage a configured to be coupled to a first terminal of an inductive load;
• a second node configured to be coupled to a second terminal of the inductive load;
• a third node configured to receive a second supply voltage;
• a switching circuit coupled to the first, second and third nodes, the switching circuit configured to couple the first node to the second node in a first operating mode and to couple the second node to the third node in a second operating mode;
• a current sensing circuit coupled to the switching circuit, the current sensing circuit configured to sense a first current between the first node and the second node in the first operating mode and to sense a second current between the second node and the third node in the second operation mode;
• a subtraction circuit coupled to the current sensing circuit and configured to generate an error signal based on a difference between the sensed first and second currents;
• and
• a comparator coupled to the subtraction circuit to receive the error signal and configured to generate a failure signal based upon the error signal having a value outside a window defined by first and second threshold values.

A method of sensing a current through an inductive load coupled between first and second nodes, the method comprising:

• applying a supply voltage to the node;
• coupling the first node to the second node;
• sensing a first current flowing between the first node and the second node;
• applying a reference voltage to a third node;
• sensing a second current flowing between the second node and the third node;
• generating a current error signal based on the difference between the sensed first current and the sensed second current;
• and
• generating a failure signal based upon the error signal having a value outside a window defined by a first threshold value and a second threshold value.