Electronic circuit packaged with a position sensor

A highly reliable sensor for generating an output electrical signal representative of a condition comprising:

• sensing means for producing a first electrical signal representative of a first measured condition, said sensing means comprising a resistive element having two discrete terminations, an electrical contactor means for contacting said resistive element at a first position generally between said two discrete terminations, said electrical contactor means and said resistive element being relatively movable to vary said first position of contact relative to said two discrete terminations and to thereby vary said first electrical signal;
• an electrical circuit having a high impedance input and a low impedance output and receiving as an input signal said first electrical signal and generating as an output signal a second electrical signal, said second electrical signal having a voltage which follows a voltage of said first electrical signal;
• and
• enveloping means for enveloping said electrical circuit and said sensing means, said electrical circuit and said sensing means being proximal within said enveloping means, said electrical contacting means being protected from potentially harmful environmental conditions, said enveloping means only enveloping said sensing means and said electrical circuit.

A device for noise peak suppression during a potentiometer evaluation, comprising:

• a potentiometer located between a reference voltage and mass and formed as one of a throttle flap potentiometer and an air quantity measuring potentiometer, said potentiometer having a slider with a slider output delivering a slider current which by dimensioning of the device is such that it is smaller than one microampere;
• a control device adapted to receive a signal from said slider output of said potentiometer;
• an amplifying unit located between said potentiometer and said control device so that a signal picked up from said slider output is amplified in said amplifying unit before being supplied to said control device;
• and
• a potentiometer chamber which only surrounds said potentiometer and said amplifying unit, for protecting said potentiometer slider from potentially harmful enviromnental conditions.

A device for noise peak suppression during a potentiometer evaluation, comprising:

• a potentiometer located between a reference voltage and mass and formed as one of a throttle flap potentiometer, said potentiometer having a slider with a slider output delivering a slider current which by dimensioning of the device is a low level current;
• a control device adapted to receive a signal from said slider output of said potentiometer;
• an amplifying unit located between said potentiometer add said control device so that a signal picked up from said slider output is amplified in said amplifying unit before being supplied to said control device;
• and
• a potentiometer chamber which only surrounds said potentiometer and said amplifying unit, for protecting said potentiometer slider from potentially harmful environmental conditions.