Instability management in a signal driver circuit
AssigneeSemiconductor Components Industries, LLC
InventorsMichal OLSAK, Pavel BAROS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of operating a driver circuit includes receiving a data signal at a first input of an amplification circuit; amplifying, using the amplification circuit, the data signal to produce an output signal through an output pin; attenuating, using a feedback network, the output signal to produce a feedback signal; coupling the feedback signal to a second input of the amplification circuit; detecting, using a control circuit, a fault condition; and decoupling, responsive to detecting the fault condition, the feedback signal from the second input of the amplification circuit. In some embodiments, the driver circuit transmits a fault condition signal to an electronic control unit of an automobile.
Claims15
-17. (canceled)
A signal transmittal system, comprising:
- an amplification circuit having a first input operable to receive a feedback signal corresponding to an output signal, a second input operable to receive a data signal, a first output operable to provide the output signal, and a second output operable to provide a current signal;
- a detector circuit having a detector input coupled to the second output of the amplification circuit and a detector output operable to provide a detection signal, wherein the detection signal indicates that a present magnitude of the current signal exceeds a threshold;
- a control circuit having a first input coupled to the detector output, and a first output coupled to the second input of the amplification circuit operable to provide the data signal to the amplification circuit;
- and
- a feedback circuit having a first input coupled to the output signal of the amplification circuit, a second input operable to receive a control signal, and an output coupled to the first input of the amplification circuit, wherein the feedback circuit is configured to decouple the output signal from the first input of the amplification circuit in response to receiving the control signal,
- wherein the control circuit is operable to provide the control signal to the feedback circuit, responsive to detecting a fault condition in the amplification circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.