Pulse switched high side driver for vehicle sensor background

A circuit comprising:

• a vehicle sensor for sensing exhaust gas temperature values;
• a transistor;
• a first resistor in parallel with a second resistor and connected between the vehicle sensor and the transistor, wherein the transistor is configured to selectively connect the first resistor to the vehicle sensor during a first time period in which exhaust gas temperature values of the vehicle are within a first range of exhaust gas temperatures values;
• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• switch, by providing a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal with an on signal value, the transistor to connect the second resistor to the vehicle sensor for a second period of time in which exhaust gas temperature values of the vehicle are within a second range of exhaust gas temperatures values that are greater than the first range of exhaust gas temperature values;
• switch, by providing a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal with an off signal value, the transistor to disconnect the second resistor from the vehicle sensor for a third period of time, the third period of time being greater than the second period of time;
• and
• read, using an analog to digital converter (ADC) an output of the vehicle sensor during or after the first period of time.

A method comprising:

• switching a transistor of a vehicle circuit to connect a first resistor to a vehicle sensor for a first time period in which exhaust gas temperature values of the vehicle are within a first range of exhaust gas temperatures values;
• switching, by providing a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal with an on signal value, the transistor to connect a second resistor to a vehicle sensor for a second period of time in which exhaust gas temperature values of the vehicle are within a second range of exhaust gas temperatures values that are greater than the first range of exhaust gas temperature values, wherein the second resistor and vehicle sensor are also included in the vehicle circuit, wherein the second resistor is in parallel with a first resistor and connected between the transistor and the vehicle sensor;
• switching, by providing a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal with an off signal value, the transistor to disconnect the second resistor from the vehicle sensor for a third period of time, the third period of time being greater than the second period of time;
• and
• reading, using an analog to digital converter (ADC) an output of the vehicle sensor during or after the first period of time.