Sensor calibration using selectively disconnected temperature

A circuit comprising:

• a sensor that is structured such that when the sensor is operating, the sensor senses a physical parameter and generate an electrical sensor output signal representing the physical parameter;
• a temperature measurement circuit configured to output a measured temperature;
• a signal processing path coupled to the sensor so as to receive the electrical sensor output signal, wherein during an operation mode, the signal processing path is configured to use the measured temperature to compensate for temperature variations in the electrical sensor output signal;
• and
• a selective disconnection mechanism configured to selectively disconnect the signal processing path from using the measured temperature to compensate for temperature variations in the electrical sensor output signal.

A computer program product comprising one or more physical computer-readable media having thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method for calibrating a sensor circuit that is communicatively coupled to the computing system and that includes a sensor that is configured to sense a physical parameter and generate an electrical sensor output signal representing the physical parameter, a temperature measurement circuit configured to output a measured temperature, and a signal processing path coupled to the sensor so as to receive the electrical sensor output signal and use the measured temperature to compensate for temperature variations in the electrical sensor output signal, the method comprising:

• an act of measuring a first value of an output voltage of the signal processing path while exposing the sensor circuit to a first temperature and a first value of the physical parameter;
• an act of measuring a second value of the output voltage of the signal processing path while exposing the sensor circuit to approximately the first temperature and a second value of the physical parameter;
• an act of measuring a third value of the output voltage of the signal processing path while exposing the sensor circuit to a second temperature and approximately the first value of the physical parameter;
• an act of measuring a fourth value of the output voltage of the signal processing path while exposing the sensor circuit to approximately the second temperature and approximately the second value of the physical parameter;
• an act of disconnecting the signal processing path from using the measured temperature of the temperature measurement circuit to compensate for temperature variations in the electrical sensor output signal during the acts of measuring the first, second, third, and fourth values of the output voltage of the signal processing path;
• and
• an act of at least estimating at least one of an offset of the signal processing path, an offset temperature coefficient of the signal processing path, a gain of the signal processing path, and a gain temperature coefficient of the signal processing path at least indirectly using the measured first, second, third and fourth values of the output voltage.