Sensor signal conditioning circuit

• US 5,508,651 A
• Filed: 09/26/1994
• Issued: 04/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burri, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Trong
• Application Number:
  US08/312,170
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 307/308, 307/309, 307/310, 307/311, 307/303, 307/303.1, 307/10.1, 328/1, 328/2, 328/3, 328/4, 328/5, 328/6, 318/701, 341/141, 123/179 B, 327/378, 327/379, 327/512, 327/530, 327/532, 327/535, 327/538, 327/565
• US Class Current: 327/378
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/244 influencing characteristics of pulses or pulse trains; generating pulses or pulse trains
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/481 of pulse signals

Abstract

An automotive sensor arrangement including an automotive sensor coupled via first and second wires to signal sensor evaluation means, a signal conditioning circuit comprising a first gate means connected to provide a bias operating voltage signal on said first wire to the sensor, a second gate means of similar construction to the first gate means and mounted in the same environment and first gate means, the second gate means being coupled to the second wire of the leas means for receive the voltage signal bears a predetermined relationship to the switching point voltage of the second gate means.

Claims

1. An automotive sensor arrangement including an automotive sensor for providing an output signal and coupled via first and second wires to a signal conditioning circuit comprising a reference voltage means including a first gate means connected to the first wire to provide a bias operating voltage through said first wire to the sensor, a signal detector including a second gate means of similar construction to the first gate means and mounted in the same environment as the first gate means, the second gate means being coupled to the second wire to receive the output signal from the sensor, the bias operating voltage being coupled to the second wire through the sensor and through the second wire to the signal detector.

2. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second gate means are formed in a common integrated circuit.

3. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first gate means has a resistive feedback connection between its input and output to provide a D.C. output voltage intermediate of voltage output levels of the switched conditions of the gate.

4. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 including a Schmitt trigger means coupled between the second wire and the second gate means.

5. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 including processor flag means for initiating operation of the first gate means.

6. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1 including first and second R.C. low pass filters connected in said first and second wires, respectively.

7. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second wires comprise a twisted wire pair.

8. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automotive sensor comprises a tachogenerator.

9. A sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further including a 3-state buffer coupled to the first gate means.