The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 21, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 04, 1999
Robert Meyer, Hamburg, DE;
Othmar Pfarrkircher, Hamburg, DE;
U.S. Philips Corporation, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
A circuit arrangement for monitoring an output load (,) of a digital-to-analog current converter (,). The digital-to-analog converter supplies an analog output current dependent on a digital comparison data word to a first resistor (,) and, if present, to the output load (,) arranged in parallel with the first resistor. In order to provide a continuous monitoring of the output load, a digital first comparator (,) compares the data words applied to the digital-to-analog current converter (,) with at least one comparison data word. An analog second comparator (,) compares the voltage drop across the first resistor with at least one reference voltage and applies its output signal to a flip-flop (,). A comparison circuit (,) monitors the magnitude and/or the presence of the output load dependent on the output signals of the first comparator and the flip-flop.