Aparatuses and methods for comparing redundant signals in functional safe systems

A method for comparing a first signal and a second signal, the method comprising:

• providing a first measurement signal of a physical quantity via a first signal path having a first signal propagation delay;
• providing a second measurement signal of the physical quantity via a second signal path having a first signal propagation delay different from the first signal propagation delay;
• compensating for a difference between the first and second signal propagation delays to generate a delay-compensated first measurement signal and a second delay-compensated measurement signal;
• and
• comparing the delay-compensated first and second measurement signals.

A method for sensing a physical quantity, the method comprising:

• receiving a first measurement signal of the physical quantity from a first sensor in accordance with a first sensor technology;
• receiving at least a second measurement signal of the physical quantity from a second sensor in accordance with a second sensor technology, wherein the first and the second sensor technologies are different;
• determining an expected accuracy of the first and the second sensors;
• computing an estimate of the physical quantity based on a combination of the first and the second measurement signal, wherein a result of the combination is dependent on the expected accuracy of the first and the second sensors.