Pressure sensor including switchable sensor elements

A semiconductor device comprising:

• an array of pressure sensor elements;
• an array of reference elements;
• an array of first switches, each first switch configured to selectively electrically couple a pressure sensor element to a first reference voltage;
• an array of second switches, each second switch configured to selectively electrically couple a pressure sensor element to a second reference voltage;
• an array of third switches, each third switch configured to selectively electrically couple a pressure sensor element to a first output node;
• an array of fourth switches, each fourth switch configured to selectively electrically couple a pressure sensor element to a second output node,
• wherein the array of first switches, the array of second switches, the array of third switches, and the array of fourth switches are configured to switch the array of pressure sensor elements and the array of reference elements into a Wheatstone bridge configuration.

A method for operating a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

• providing a first pressure sensor element arranged in a first branch of a Wheatstone bridge configuration;
• providing a second pressure sensor element;
• providing a first reference element and a second reference element;
• and
• selectively switching the first and second pressure sensor element into the first branch of the Wheatstone bridge configuration.

A method for operating a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

• sequencing a first pressure sensor element to be electrically coupled between a first reference voltage and a first output node and between a second reference voltage and a second output node in a Wheatstone bridge configuration;
• sequencing a second pressure sensor element to be electrically coupled between the second reference voltage and the second output node and between the first reference voltage and the first output node in the Wheatstone bridge configuration, the second pressure sensor opposite the first pressure sensor in the Wheatstone bridge configuration;
• electrically coupling a first reference element between the second reference voltage and the first output node;
• electrically coupling a second reference element between the first reference voltage and the second output node;
• and
• comparing the voltage between the first and second output nodes to a tolerance band during the sequencing of the first and second pressure sensor elements to determine if one of the first and second pressure sensor elements has failed.