Method and circuitry for measuring current
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorRobert A. Neidorff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Transistor arrays are disclosed herein. An example transistor array includes a first node for coupling the transistor array to a circuit. A first transistor and a second transistor are coupled to the first node. A gate controller is coupled to the gate of the first transistor and the gate of the second transistor and is for selectively turning on the first transistor and the second transistor. A current source is coupled to the first node and is active when the second transistor is off. Calibration circuitry measures the voltage of the first node when the current source is active.
Claims20
A transistor array comprising:
- a node for coupling the transistor array to a circuit;
- a first transistor coupled to the node;
- a second transistor coupled to the node;
- a gate controller coupled to the gate of the first transistor and the gate of the second transistor, the gate controller for selectively turning on the first transistor and the second transistor;
- a current source coupled to the node, the current source being active when the second transistor is off and the first transistor is on;
- and
- calibration circuitry for measuring the voltage of the node when the current source is active.
A transistor array comprising:
- a node for coupling the transistor array to a circuit;
- a first transistor coupled to the node;
- a second transistor coupled to the node;
- a gate controller coupled to the gate of the first transistor and the gate of the second transistor, the gate controller for selectively turning on the first transistor and the second transistor;
- a voltage source coupled to the node, the voltage source being active when the second transistor is off and the first transistor is on;
- and
- calibration circuitry for measuring the current drawn by the first transistor when the voltage source is active.
A method for operating a current sensor, the current sensor comprising at least one first transistor and at least one second transistor coupled in parallel, the method comprising:
- turning on the at least one first transistor;
- turning off the at least one second transistor;
- driving a predetermined current through the at least one first transistor;
- measuring the voltage across the at least one first transistor in response to the predetermined current flowing through the at least one first transistor;
- and
- determining the on-resistance of the at least one first transistor in response to the measuring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.