Atmel Automotive Gmbh

Temic Telefunken Microelectronic Gmbh

Berthold Gruber

Lars Hehn

Karl-Diether Nutz

A voltage comparator for comparing a reference voltage with a threshold, includes a first voltage-to-current converter to convert a reference voltage that determines the threshold into a reference current that depends on the reference voltage, a second voltage-to-current converter to convert the comparison voltage into a comparison current that depends on the comparison voltage, and an output stage to output a digital output level, wherein the digital output level depends on the reference current and the comparison current.

Voltage comparator utilizing voltage to current conversion

An integrated circuit having a first connection, a second connection, a substrate, and a control connection, in provided. The control connection controls a conductivity of the integrated circuit between the first connection and the second connection. The integrated circuit further includes a first transistor and n additional transistors with conductive paths connected between the first connection and the second connection, n diodes, each of the n diodes being connected between a control connection of the n transistors and a driver supply voltage that corresponds to the voltage at the first connection combined with an additive offset, and wherein the control connection of the integrated circuit connects either the driver supply voltage or the voltage at the first connection to a control connection of the first transistor, and a voltage divider that is connected between the first connection and the second connection in parallel to the conductive paths and that connects the control connections of the transistors to one another and to both the first connection and the second connection. The control connections of each set of two transistors are connected to one another by a subsection of the voltage divider, which lies between them.

Integrated circuit having a predefined dielectric strength

A circuit array, adapted to be coupled to a load and a source of a main AC voltage, for reverse phase angle control whereby a current flow in the load is limited to a defined phase angle (.alpha.) of the main AC voltage, comprising the following components for sequential control of the reverse phase angle control: a switching element, connected to the load and coupled to the source of the main AC voltage, for actuating the current flow in the load; a time determining component; and an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes: an actuating circuit, connected to the time determining component, responsive to a first control signal for generating a ramp voltage, and responsive to a second control signal for selecting one of at least two predetermined temporal voltage curves for the ramp voltage; a synchronizing circuit, coupled to the source of the main AC voltage and connected to the actuating circuit, for detecting a zero crossing of the main AC voltage, for synchronizing the ramp voltage to the main AC voltage, and for generating the first control signal; an evaluation circuit, connected to the actuating circuit and the synchronizing circuit, for monitoring the ramp voltage during reverse phase angle control and for generating the second control signal and a third control signal; an output stage, connected between the evaluation circuit and the switching element, and responsive to the third control signal for controlling the switching element; and a voltage supply circuit.

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Bad Rappenau, Germany

Berthold Gruber