Sgs-thomson Microelectronics S.r.l.

Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur

Sgs Microelettronica Spa

Sgs-thomson Microelectronics S.p.a.

Sgs-thomson Microelectronics Limited

Fabio Marchio

Alessio Pennisi

Bruno Murari

Marco Morelli

Pietro Menniti

Didier Canitrot

Jean M Pierret

Giampietro Maggioni

Giorgio Rossi

Franco Cocetta

Francesco Tricoli

Jean-Marie Pierret

Mauro Merlo

Sandro Storti

Massimo Grasso

Enrico Novarini

Roberto Toscani

Francois Brandy

Bruno Cavalli

A voltage reference circuit with programmable thermal coefficient, comprising first and second bipolar transistors having their base terminals connected together and collector terminals connected to two legs of a current mirror circuit. The emitter terminal of the first transistor is connected to ground through two resistors in series with each other, and the emitter terminal of the second transistor is connected to a node between the two resistors. The emitter of at least one of the two transistors has discrete portions adapted to be connected electrically together in a predetermined fashion.

Voltage reference circuit with programmable thermal coefficient

A reference voltage generator having a dual slope temperature characteristic, for use in an automotive alternator voltage regulator, comprises a bandgap circuit (R1,R2,R3,R4) which generates a voltage (A) having a thermal drift coefficient of zero and a voltage (B) having a non-zero thermal drift coefficient. These voltages are applied to a voltage divider (R5,R6) and a voltage-follower type of circuit (OPA1). A unidirectional conduction amplifier circuit (OPA2) has an input terminal connected to an intermediate point (C) on the voltage divider. A second voltage divider (R7,R8) is connected between the output terminals of the voltage-follower circuit (D) and the amplifier circuit (E) . An intermediate node (F) of the second voltage divider is coupled to an output terminal (VREF) of the generator.

Reference voltage generator, having a double slope temperature

A manufacturing method for fabricating integrated electronic circuits on a semiconductor support provides a plurality of integrated circuits and provides a plurality of scribing lines. The scribing lines are located such that the electronic circuits are regularly spaced apart by the scribing lines. A network of electrical connection lines is provided in at least one of the scribing lines. Metallization strips are provided in the scribing lines as electrical connection lines, and the electrical connection lines are connected to the integrated circuit. At least one current limitation element is provided between the electrical connection line and the integrated circuit. In this manner it is possible to simultaneously perform electrical testing of all the circuits present on the same wafer.

Semiconductor wafers with device protection means and with interconnect

The functioning of a simple voltage regulator loop of an integrated power stage employing a plurality of bond-wires is ensured by realizing a conductive path connecting said pads to each other having a resistance lower by at least two orders of magnitude than the resistance of a voltage sensing divider of the regulation loop. Eventual ruptures of any of the bond-wires remain detectable through a final testing of the integrated circuit.

Safeguard for integrated power stages employing multiple bond-wires to a

A circuit for controlled discharge of energy stored in an inductive load, comprising an active semiconductor device (T) connected serially with the inductive load (L) between first and second terminals of a voltage supply source and having a control terminal for connection to a driver circuit (C), and a control circuit (R1, R2, COMP) connected between the inductive load and said control terminal. The control circuit comprises a voltage divider (R1, R2) connected between the inductive load (L) and the first terminal of the voltage supply source, and a comparator (COMP) having first and second input terminals respectively connected to the voltage divider and to a voltage reference and an output terminal which is coupled to the control terminal of the active element (T).

Temperature stable circuit for controlled current discharge during the

A detection circuit for detecting the voltage between phases of a polyphase alternator for the purpose of controlling the putting into operation of a regulator for regulating the charging of a motor vehicle battery by said alternator, the circuit comprising differential discrimination means for the amplitude of the voltage between a pair of phase signals delivered by the alternator. The differential discrimination means comprise a pair of transistors each constituting means for comparing the inter-phase voltage with a threshold voltage defined by its emitter-base junction voltage, said threshold voltages being of small magnitude and of opposite polarity with respect to each other.

Circuit for detecting the inter-phase voltage of an alternator for

A circuit for temperature compensating the inverse saturation current of a bipolar transistor having a collector region, base and emitter regions defining a base-emitter junction is disclosed. A diode element having substantially said same saturation current is parallel-connected in reverse configuration to said base-emitter junction of the bipolar transistor. If the bipolar transistor is NPN type, the diode has an anode and cathode connected respective to the emitter and base regions of the transistor.

Structure for temperature compensating the inverse saturation current of

A regulator device for charging a battery from an alternator that delivers a rectified voltage including a ripple component. The device is of the type including a regulator circuit acting on the mean value of the rectified alternator voltage and includes a circuit for obtaining the main value, a threshold comparator, a time delay circuit, and a power stage for controlling the current flowing through the excitation winding of the alternator. According to the invention, the device includes a negative feedback circuit between a point downstream from the time delay circuit, and the input to the circuit for obtaining the mean value. The device also shifts the mean value downwards during periods when the excitation current is decreasing. The device is particularly applicable to increasing the frequency of regulation under a heavy load.

Voltage regulator device for charging a battery by an alternator

The device for protection comprises a zener diode voltage limiter having a breakdown voltage pre-set at a value (say, 30 volts) lower than the maximum value sustainable by the protected circuit in the closed condition and a quenching circuit having a pre-set lag controlled by each overvoltage impulse and suitable for disactivating said voltage limiter and to control the opening of said protected circuit with a time lag pre-set with respect to the start of each overvoltage impulse. In succession to said voltage limiter there is introduced in addition a zener diode with a higher breakdown voltage, say, equal to 110 volts, which allows the limitation to such a value of any overvoltages having a very low energy content superimposed over overvoltages having limited amplitude and long duration.

Device for protection against overvoltages of integrated electronic

The invention relates to a regulator device for charging a battery by an alternator that delivers a rectified voltage including a ripple component. The device is of the type comprising a regulator circuit acting on the mean value of the rectified alternator voltage and a regulator circuit acting on the voltages of the positive peaks of the ripple component. The regulator circuits are powered by a stabilized voltage derived from the rectified alternator voltage and the device further comprises a power stage for controlling the excitation current of the alternator. According to the invention, the device further includes a regulator circuit acting on the values of the negative peaks of the ripple component. This regulator circuit is also powered by the stabilized voltage, and capable of causing the excitation current to be reduced whenever the voltage of the negative peaks falls below a given threshold.

Device for regulating the battery charging voltage delivered by an

A circuit for recirculating an inductive load's (L) discharge current through the driving power switching transistor (Tpw) utilizes a control transistor (Tc) of opposite polarity to that of the power transistor and capable of withstanding a minimum fraction (1/.beta.) of the discharge current. The circuit has the advantage of allowing recirculation of current with a fixed overvoltage independent of the value of the supply voltage, without requiring additional power devices. The circuit may also be provided with means (D1, D2 and DZ1) to turn-on the control transistor in the presence of concomitant supply overvoltages to protect the power device from dumping effects.

Transitory current recirculation through a power switching transistor

An integrated circuit for driving inductive loads comprises at least one substrate and a plurality of separate epitaxial wells, and has at least one output terminal for connection to an inductive load and a reference terminal for connection to a reference voltage. To reliably isolate the different epitaxial wells in each operating state, the circuit comprises diodes interposed between the substrate on one side and the output and reference terminals on the other to set the substrate to the reference potential when the potential on the output terminal is greater than the reference potential and to set the substrate to the output potential when the latter becomes smaller than the reference potential.

Integrated circuit for driving inductive loads

To detect the phase signal, particularly for alternators of motor vehicles, with simple and inexpensive measures, an active rectifier is employed, which supplies at the output a signal with constant polarity (e.g. positive) which can thus be used to verify the correct operation or malfunction of the alternator.

Phase signal detecting device

An antisaturation circuit for an integrated PNP transistor, having a generic current generator in the base branch of the bias circuit capable of limiting the maximum base current, comprises two NPN transistors, a diode and a voltage divider formed by two resistors, and permits to limit the base current of the PNP transistor below the maximum value, set by the current generator, every time the voltage across the base-collector junction of the PNP transistor exceeds a certain preset value thus preventing saturation or limiting it.

Antisaturation circuit for integrated PNP transistor

A voltage regulator for an alternator has an integrated actuator stage consisting of a Darlington transistor pair and includes an auxiliary stage which, at the time of starting of the alternator, causes a low voltage drop across the actuator stage by causing only one of the two transistors in the Darlington transistor pair to conduct. This provides, at the exciter winding of the alternator, disposed in series with the actuator stage, the current required for the starting of the alternator at a low rotational speed.

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Gallarate, Italy

Fabio Marchio