Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Stmicroelectronics Gmbh

Robert Boschgmbh

Infineon Technologies Ag

Sgs-thomson Microelectronics Limited

Motorola Corporation

Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Epcos Ag

Lisa Draxlmaier Gmbh

Ricardo Erckert

Michael Lenz

Steffen Walker

Axel Wenzler

Peter Kirchlechner

Christian Hausperger

Thoralf Rosahl

Edgar Kindler

Will Specks

Sebastian Strache

Marco Neuscheler

Gerrit Utz

Bernhard Rollgen

Francoise Vareilhias

Markus Strecker

Christian Reger

Alexander Barner

A sensor and a sensor network. The sensor comprises a switchable RC low-pass filter, an evaluation unit, a synchronization unit, and a two-wire interface. The two-wire interface is configured to be connected to a control device to receive an electrical supply voltage, provided by the control device, for supplying the sensor with electrical energy, to receive sync pulses superimposed on the supply voltage for synchronizing a data transmission from the control device, and to transmit data to the control device. The RC low-pass filter generates a reference signal by low-pass filtering an input signal, and to have a first time constant in a first mode and a second time constant in a second mode, wherein the second time constant is shorter than the first time constant. The evaluation unit stabilizes the reference signal by alternately switching the RC low-pass filter into the first mode and into the second mode.

Sensor and sensor network

A circuit configuration for a node of a bus system includes a transceiver circuit and a control circuit connected to the transceiver circuit. The transceiver circuit has an idle mode, in which it has a reduced power consumption in comparison with at least one operating mode, and the transceiver circuit is supplied with power in the at least one operating mode via a power supply unit integrated into the transceiver circuit. The control circuit is connected to the power supply unit to supply the control circuit with power in the idle mode, and the circuit configuration has a controllable voltage regulator which is coupled to the transceiver circuit in such a way that the voltage regulator is deactivated in the idle mode to reduce the power consumption and activated in the operating mode to supply power to the transceiver circuit and the control circuit.

Circuit configuration having a transceiver circuit for a bus system and nodes for a bus system

A protection arrangement for a power semiconductor component made of a plurality of cells, in which a current sensor made of a current sense transistor and current sense resistors and also a temperature sensor, is disclosed. The current sense transistor and the temperature sensor are provided in a gap or in different gaps between the cells, while the current sense resistor is fitted directly on at least one cell. The temperature sensor may, include a plurality of stages which are located from the center of the power semiconductor component to an edge of the latter in the gap between two cells.

Protection arrangement for protecting a power semiconductor component against overcurrent and overtemperature

A device for measuring a current flowing in an electrical conductor having a sensor disposed in the region of the electrical conductor for measuring the magnetic field surrounding the electrical conductor. The sensor includes a magnetic circuit having a first and a second section. A magnetizing device for the saturation of the second section and an evaluation device for calculating the current flowing through the electrical conductor in dependence on measured values B(P), B(P), B(P), B(P), B(P+), B(P&#x2212;) of the magnetic field surrounding the electrical conductor and in dependence on the applicable magnetization of the second section is also provided. A method for operating the device is also disclosed.

Method and device for measuring a current flowing in an electrical conductor

A reference voltage circuit has a reference voltage source, a charge storage device and also switching devices, which enable occasional operation of the reference voltage source during an on-time period. A reference voltage generated by the reference voltage source during the on-time period is stored in analog form with the charge storage device for the duration of an off-time period. The reference voltage source draws an operating current only during the on-time period. The result is a reduction of the power consumption. During the generation of the reference voltage, the operating current of the reference voltage source is not reduced compared with conventional reference voltage circuits.

Reference voltage circuit and method of generating a reference voltage

A receiving circuit is described for a CAN (Controlled Area Network) system with digital data transfer via a bus with parallel, redundant pulse signal transfer via two fines. The receiving circuit includes a comparator circuit assembly for differential evaluation of the two pulse signals received via the two lines, with an offset voltage being superimposed on the pulse signal received via one of the two lines prior to said differential evaluation. The comparator circuit assembly superimposes both a positive offset voltage and a negative offset voltage. A bistable multivibrator circuit is connected between the output side of the comparator circuit assembly and the output of the receiving circuit.

Receiving circuit and method for a controlled area network system

An electronic system ( ) for use in a car has an electronic control unit ( ) and, in the alternative, either a passive load ( ) or an active logic ( ) attached thereto. The control unit ( ) comprises a push-pull arrangement ( ) which can provide drive signals for the load ( ) as well as for the logic ( ), a multiplexer ( ) to alternatively forward a load drive signal of a bus signal to the arrangement ( ), and a register ( ) to store a mode signal. Further, the control unit ( ) automatically determines whether either the load ( ) or the logic ( ) is attached by analyzing electrical parameters.

Electronic driver circuit with multiplexer for alternatively driving a load or a bus line, and method

A driver circuit for slope-controlled pulsed switching of a load having a MOS switching transistor switching the load and a control loop with an amplifier having an amplifier input coupled with a switch control pulse source, an amplifier output connected with the gate of the MOS switching transistor, and a feedback capacitor. The driver circuit also includes a switchable current mirror circuit with a current mirror transistor formed by the MOS switching transistor and a diode transistor wired as a current mirror diode, a connection point between the diode transistor and the gate of the MOS switching transistor being connected with the amplifier output. A timer circuit is supplied on the input side with the switch control pulses from the switch control pulse source, and switches the diode transistor into a conductive state for essentially the duration of each switch control pulse edge and otherwise into a nonconductive state.

Driver circuit for slope-controlled pulse switching of a load

Driver and overload protection circuit for an electrical switch means. Switching control pulses with a minimum edge duration are fed to a two stage comparator circuit having first, lower and second, higher comparator threshold values. When the lower comparator threshold value is exceeded by a switching control pulse, the electrical switch means is rendered conducting. There is provided an overload detection circuit which, upon detection of overload of the electrical switch means, effects switching off of the same. For avoiding that turning on spikes upon each turning on of the electrical switch means, for example when switching capacitive loads, lead to deactivation of the switch means, any overload signal of the overload detector means is blocked as long as the instantaneous voltage value of the particular switching control pulse is not above the upper comparator threshold.

Driver and overload protection circuit

An electric circuit comprising at least one MOS switching transistor disposed on the side of high potential and a switchable charge pump supporting the switching-on phase of the MOS switching transistor at a pumping voltage output thereof with a pumping voltage higher than the potential of the supply voltage on the side of high potential at a pumping voltage output thereof. A control gate of the MOS switching transistor is connectable by means of a controllable switch to a high-potential-side supply voltage terminal or to the pumping voltage output depending on whether a predetermined threshold value on the switching-on ascending edge of the MOS switching transistor signal is exceeded or not.

Voltage boosting circuit for high-potential-side MOS switching transistor

A comparator with hysteresis in bipolar technology having a voltage/current converter with a voltage input forming the comparator input connection, and a current output, a bistable current source with a current feeding connection coupled with the current output of the voltage/current converter and a current output connection forming the comparator output, the bistable current source being currentless in a first stable state and consuming current only in the second stable state, the firing current which must be fed to the current feeding connection to switch the bistable current source from the currentless state to the power-consuming state being different from the quenching current which must be fed to the current feeding connection to switch the bistable current source from the power-consuming state to the currentless state, to obtain a hysteresis of the comparator, and all transistors being formed as bipolar transistors. The entire power consumption of such a comparator can be made extremely low in one of its two switching positions.

Comparator with hysteresis in bipolar technology

Driver circuit for a stepping motor

A method for limiting the frequency of a voltage-controlled oscillator in a control circuit of a resonant converter switched-mode power supply includes adjusting a delay time of a delay element disposed in a feedback branch of the voltage-controlled oscillator with a signal indicating a transition from negative to positive values of a current through an oscillating circuit of the switched-mode power supply. A resonant converter switched-mode power supply has an output voltage and an oscillating circuit with a current. A control circuit for the resonant converter switched-mode power supply includes a control amplifier being acted upon by the output voltage and by a reference voltage. A voltage-controlled oscillator is connected to and triggered by the control amplifier. A comparator detects a transition from positive to negative values of the current in the oscillating circuit. A flip-flop has a setting input being connected to and triggered by the voltage-controlled oscillator and has a reset input being connected to and triggered by the comparator. A delay element has a variable delay time and is triggered by a signal indicating a transition from negative to positive values of the current in the oscillating circuit.

Method for limiting the frequency of a voltage-controlled oscillator in

A switching regulator includes an inductive load. A monolithically integrated active free-running element includes an npn transistor switching the inductive load to generate a free-running current carried by the transistor. The transistor has a base terminal and collector and emitter terminals defining a collector-to-emitter voltage. A drive circuit has an output terminal connected to the base terminal of the transistor to trigger the transistor for operating the transistor largely into the saturation range, whenever the collector-to-emitter voltage of the transistor is positive.

Active free-running element

A method and circuit configuration for closed-loop control of trigger signals of switching transistors in a resonant converter power supply circuit element having closed-loop control dependent on a zero crossing recognition, wherein a prematurely responding zero crossing detector is provided, includes comparing a period of time between the generation of a trigger signal and the switching of a power transistor with a time interval between a premature response of a zero crossing detector and an actual zero crossing. This is done in order to obtain a closed-loop control signal for controlling a deviation action threshold of the zero crossing detector.

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Bad Aibling, Germany

Ricardo Erckert