Method for acquiring measured values by comparison with a stepped ramp voltage
AssigneeTemic Telefunken microelectronic GmbH
InventorGerhard Schafer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for acquiring measured values in electronic analog circuits having at least one measurement point, in particular safety-relevant circuits for passenger protection systems in motor vehicles. The electrical potentials generated at the measurement points are each compared as measured quantities with a ramp voltage that rises in steps, where the number of steps required to reach the voltage value of the measured quantity at the respective measurement point is provided as a unit of measurement that is proportional to the measured quantity. This allows the comparison of all measured quantities with the ramp voltage to be performed simultaneously, the ramp voltage being selected to cover the entire range of measurement.
Claims6
A method for acquiring measured values in electronic, analog circuits having at least one measurement point, in particular safety-critical electronic circuits for passenger protection services in motor vehicles, comprising the steps of:
- detecting electrical potentials generated at the measurement points as measured quantities (U.sub.M1, U.sub.M2, U.sub.M3);
- generating a ramp voltage (U.sub.R) which increases in steps and independently of any measured quantity;
- comparing the respective measured quantities detected at the measurement points (M1, M2, M3) with the ramp voltage (U.sub.R);
- determining the number of voltage steps of the ramp voltage required until the voltage value of the measured quantity (U.sub.M1 U.sub.M2, U.sub.M3) is reached at the respective measurement point (M1, M2, M3) as a unit of measurement;
- and calibrating the unit of measurement by comparing the ramp voltage (U.sub.R) to a reference voltage (U.sub.ref).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.