Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Angelo Recchia

Michele Vaiana

Antonio Cicero

Calogero Marco Ippolito

Giuseppe Bruno

Pasquale Biancolillo

Pierpaolo Lombardo

Pasquale Franco

Stefano Rossi

Maria Eloisa Castagna

A thermographic sensor is proposed. The thermographic sensor includes one or more thermo-couples, each for providing a sensing voltage depending on a difference between a temperature of a hot joint and a temperature of a cold joint of the thermo-couple; the thermographic sensor further comprises one or more sensing transistors, each driven according to the sensing voltages of one or more corresponding thermo-couples for providing a sensing electrical signal depending on its temperature and on the corresponding sensing voltages. A thermographic device including the thermographic sensor and a corresponding signal processing circuit, and a system including one or more thermographic devices are also proposed.

Thermographic sensor with thermal transistors driven by thermo-couples

An amplification interface includes first and second differential input terminals, first and second differential output terminals providing first and second output voltages defining a differential output signal, and first and second analog integrators coupled between the first and second differential input terminals and the first and second differential output terminals, the first and second analog integrators being resettable by a reset signal. A control circuit generates the reset signal such that the first and second analog integrators are periodically reset during a reset interval and activated during a measurement interval, receives a control signal indicative of offsets in the measurement sensor current and the reference sensor current, and generates a drive signal as a function of the control signal. First and second current generators coupled first and second compensation circuits to the first and second differential input terminals as a function of a drive signal.

Amplification interface, and corresponding measurement system and method for calibrating an amplification interface

A thermally-isolated-metal-oxide-semiconducting (TMOS) sensor has inputs coupled to first and second nodes to receive first and second bias currents, and an output coupled to a third node. A tail has a first conduction terminal coupled to the third node and a second conduction terminal coupled to a reference voltage. A control circuit applies a control signal to a control terminal of the tail transistor based upon voltages at the first and second nodes so that a common mode voltage at the first and second nodes is equal to a reference common mode voltage. A differential current integrator has a first input terminal coupled to the second node and a second input terminal coupled to the first node, and provides an output voltage indicative of an integral of a difference between a first output current at the first input terminal and a second output current at the second input terminal.

A touchscreen resistive sensor includes a network of resistive sensor branches coupled to a number of sensor nodes arranged at touch locations of the touchscreen. A test sequence is performed by sequentially applying to each sensor node a reference voltage level, jointly coupling to a common line the other nodes, sensing a voltage value at the common line, and declaring a short circuit condition as a result of the voltage value sensed at the common line reaching a short circuit threshold. A current value level flowing at the sensor node to which the reference voltage level is applied is sensed and a malfunction of the resistive sensor branch coupled with the sensor node to which a reference voltage level is applied is generated as a result of the current value sensed at the sensor node reaching an upper threshold or lower threshold.

Self-test method, corresponding circuit and device

An amplification interface includes an input terminal receiving a sensor current and an output terminal supplying an output voltage. An analog integrator is connected to the input terminal and supplies the output voltage. A current generator is connected to the input of the analog integrator and generates a compensation current based on a drive signal. A control circuit generates the drive signal for the current generator based on a control signal representing an offset in the sensor current supplied by the sensor. The current generator generates, based on the driving signal, a positive or negative current. The control circuit determines a first duration and a second duration as a function of the control signal representing the offset in the sensor current, during the measurement interval, and sets the driving signal to a first logic value for the first duration and to a second logic value for the second duration.

An amplification interface includes a drain of a first FET connected to a first node, a drain of a second FET connected to a second node, and sources of the first and second FETs connected to a third node. First and second bias-current generators are connected to the first and second nodes. A third FET is connected between the third node and a reference voltage. A regulation circuit drives the gate of the third FET to regulate the common mode of the voltage at the first node and the voltage at the second node to a desired value. A current generator applies a correction current to the first and/or second node. A differential current integrator has a first and second inputs connected to the second and first nodes. The integrator supplies a voltage representing the integral of the difference between the currents received at the second and first inputs.

A device for measuring an electrical impedance of biologic tissue may include electrodes configured to contact the biologic tissue and generate a differential voltage thereon. The device may include a first circuit coupled to the electrodes and configured to force an oscillating input signal therethrough, and a differential amplitude modulation (AM) demodulator coupled to the plurality of electrodes. The differential AM demodulator may be configured to demodulate the differential voltage, and generate a base-band signal representative of the demodulated differential voltage. The device may further include an output circuit downstream from the differential AM demodulator and may be configured to generate an output signal representative of the electrical impedance as a function of the base-band signal.

Method and device for measuring electrical impedance of biological tissues

A gas measurement device measures gas using a gas sensor including a sense resistance exposed to the gas and a reference resistance not exposed to the gas. The gas measurement device applies a first current value and a second current value to the sensor. A detector functions to detect a first resistance variation and a second resistance variation of the sense resistance exposed to the gas with respect to the reference resistance as a function of the first current value and the second current value, respectively. The resistance variation dependent on relative humidity is then determined as a function of the first and second resistance variations and a first constant. The resistance variation dependent on gas content is then determined as a function of the first and second resistance variations and a second (different) constant.

Gas measurement device and measurement method thereof

A semiconductor gas sensor device includes a first cavity that is enclosed by opposing first and second semiconductor substrate slices. At least one conducting filament is provided to extend over the first cavity, and a passageway is provided to permit gas to enter the first cavity. The sensor device may further including a second cavity that is hermetically enclosed by the opposing first and second semiconductor substrate slices. At least one another conducting filament is provided to extend over the second cavity.

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Fasano, Italy

Angelo Recchia