Sensor connection circuit
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics (Tours) SAS
InventorMartial Boulin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A circuit for converting the state of a sensor into a signal interpretable by an electronic circuit, including: a comparator of the voltage level of an input terminal with respect to a reference level, the sensor being intended to be connected between a terminal of application of a first power supply voltage and the input terminal; a current-limiting element between said input terminal and the ground; and a switching element in series with the current source and intended to be controlled by a pulse train.
Claims17
A circuit for converting the state of a sensor into a signal interpretable by an electronic circuit, the sensor being configured to be connected between a terminal of application of a first power supply voltage and an input terminal, comprising:
- a comparator of the voltage level of the input terminal with respect to a reference level;
- the electronic circuit configured to sample an output of the comparator at a first frequency;
- a current-limiting element between said input terminal and ground;
- and
- a switching element in series with the current-limiting element and configured to be controlled by a pulse train, the first frequency being synchronized with falling edges of the pulse train.
A method of acquiring the state of a sensor comprising:
- receiving at an input terminal a current corresponding to a state of the sensor;
- limiting the current flowing between said input terminal and ground by way of a current-limiting element;
- controlling operation of said current-limiting element by way of a switching element, said switching element controlled by a pulse train;
- comparing a voltage level of said input terminal with respect to a reference level;
- and
- sampling the output of a comparator circuit at preselected times, the preselected times being synchronized with falling edges of the pulse train.
A method of converting a state of a sensor into a signal interpretable by an electronic circuit, the method comprising:
- receiving a first current at an input terminal, the first current corresponding to a state of the sensor;
- controlling the current flowing between the input terminal and a ground with a current-limiting element;
- operating the current-limiting element with a switching element, the switching element being controlled by a pulse train;
- comparing a first voltage level of the input terminal with a second voltage level, the second voltage level being a reference level;
- and
- acquiring an output of a comparator circuit at preselected times, the preselected times being synchronized with falling edges of the pulse train.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.