Power controller

Abstract

One example discloses a power controller [] configured to modulate a load current sent to a load, including: a first chip [] including a set of higher-power circuits configured to directly modulate the load current sent to the load []; a second chip [] electrically coupled to the first chip and including a set of lower-power circuits; wherein the set of higher-power circuits are electrically isolated from the set of lower-power circuits; a power control path [] distributed between the first chip and the second chip, and configured to modulate the load current sent to the load; a diagnostics path [] distributed between the first chip and the second chip, and configured to monitor the higher-power circuits in the first chip and the lower-power circuits in the second chip for a set of fault conditions; wherein a portion of the diagnostics path in the second chip includes a plausibility circuit [] configured to compare a load current commanded by a first portion of the power control path in the second chip to the load current sent to the load by a second portion of the power control path in the first chip; and wherein the plausibility circuit is configured to transmit a safe-state request [] if the load current sent to the load is not equivalent to the load current commanded; and wherein the safe-state request is transmitted in parallel to the load current commanded by the first portion of the power control path in the second chip.