Method and apparatus for current and temperature measurement in an electronic power circuit
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsReinhold Bayerer, Markus Thoben
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Abstract
A current/temperature measurement method using parasitic components in an electronic power circuit is disclosed. The measured values derived from these parasitic components with inadequate precision are first of all compensated for, in terms of their current/temperature or voltage dependence, during the production process. The evaluation which takes place during operation involves compensating for the temperature or current dependence of the sensor components using two measurements which are linearly independent of one another and appropriate arithmetic operations in an evaluation unit.
Claims9
A method for current/temperature measurement in an electronic power circuit, comprising:
- using a first sensor component and at least one second sensor component in the electronic power circuit to respectively measure a first current/temperature value or a first variable value which is distinctly dependent on the first current/temperature value and at least one second current/temperature value or a second variable value which is distinctly dependent on the second current/temperature value, wherein the first and the at least one second sensor component respectively have voltage/current temperature characteristics which are linearly independent from one another and wherein at least one of the sensor components is a parasitic component of the electronic power circuit;
- and
- during operation of the electronic power device, calibrating a first current/temperature value or first variable value measured by the first sensor component on the basis of current/temperature measurements by the at least one second sensor component at least two different temperatures and different current values using a calibration process which takes place during a production process of the electronic power circuit, wherein the first current/temperature value or first variable value measured by the first sensor component is adjusted using parameters ascertained during the calibration process to compensate for the temperature and/or current dependence of the measured first variable value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.