Multi range pressure sensor apparatus and method utilizing a single sense die and multiple signal paths
First Claim
1. A multi-range sensor apparatus, comprising:
- a sensor for producing a sensor output signal at a sensor output;
a compensation circuit;
an amplification circuit connected between the sensor output and the compensation circuit, the amplification circuit configured to amplify the sensor output signal using a first gain to produce a first amplified sensor output signal, and to amplify the sensor output signal using a second gain to produce a second amplified sensor output signal;
a memory associated with the compensation circuit, wherein said memory stores a first compensation parameter for the first amplified sensor output signal and a separate second compensation parameter for the second amplified sensor output signal; and
the compensation circuit configured to receive the first and second amplified sensor output signals from the amplification circuit, and to apply the first compensation parameter to the first amplified sensor output signal and the second compensation parameter to the second amplified sensor output signal.
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Abstract
A multi-range pressure sensor apparatus and method that provide multiple signal paths for detecting a broad range of pressures with a high accuracy. A pressure transducer can be configured to include the use of a pressure sense die with piezoresistive elements integrated into the sensor die and in a Wheatstone bridge configuration. A sensed output signal from the sense die can be transferred to one or more amplifier circuits. A programmable compensation circuit can be utilized to multiplex different amplified output signals from each of the amplifier circuits and to provide a digital output. A memory associated with the programmable compensation circuit provides separate compensations, which are stored for each of the different signal paths and removes errors due to amplifier gain and offset.
66 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A multi-range sensor apparatus, comprising:
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a sensor for producing a sensor output signal at a sensor output; a compensation circuit; an amplification circuit connected between the sensor output and the compensation circuit, the amplification circuit configured to amplify the sensor output signal using a first gain to produce a first amplified sensor output signal, and to amplify the sensor output signal using a second gain to produce a second amplified sensor output signal; a memory associated with the compensation circuit, wherein said memory stores a first compensation parameter for the first amplified sensor output signal and a separate second compensation parameter for the second amplified sensor output signal; and the compensation circuit configured to receive the first and second amplified sensor output signals from the amplification circuit, and to apply the first compensation parameter to the first amplified sensor output signal and the second compensation parameter to the second amplified sensor output signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An integrated circuit for processing an analog sensor output signal from a sensor, comprising:
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an amplifier configured to receive the sensor output signal from the sensor and amplify the sensor output signal using at least two different gain values to produce at least two corresponding amplified sensor output signals; a memory, wherein said memory stores separate compensations for each of the at least two amplified sensor output signals; and a compensation block receiving the at least two amplified sensor output signals from the amplifier, and applying the compensations stored in the memory to the corresponding amplified sensor output signals, and outputting a compensated output signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for processing an analog sensor output signal from a sensor, comprising:
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receiving the sensor output signal from the sensor; amplifying the sensor output signal using a first gain to produce a first amplified sensor output signal; amplifying the sensor output signal using a second gain to produce a second amplified sensor output signal; applying a first compensation parameter set to the first amplified sensor output signal, resulting in a first compensated amplified sensor output signal; applying a second compensation parameter set, which is separate from the first compensation parameter set, to the second amplified sensor output signal, resulting in a second compensated amplified sensor output signal; outputting an output signal that corresponds to the first compensated amplified sensor output signal; and outputting an output signal that corresponds to the second compensated amplified sensor output signal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification