Current sensor with calibration for a current divider configuration

• US 8,604,777 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2011
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allegro Microsystems Incorporated (Sanken Electric Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Allegro Microsystems Incorporated (Sanken Electric Company Limited)
• Inventors: Doogue, Michael C., Milano, Shaun D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington, Jermele M
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, THANG XUAN
• Application Number:
  US13/181,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20130015843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 324/202
• US Class Current: 324/202
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/148 involving the measuring of a magnetic field or electric field G01R15/18, G01R15/20, G01R15/24, G01R15/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/207 Constructional details independent of the type of device used
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/005 Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence

Abstract

An integrated circuit (IC) current sensor that self-calibrates to adjust its signal gain when employed in a current divider configuration is presented. The current sensor includes an integrated current conductor, a magnetic field transducer, a controllable gain stage and a calibration controller. The integrated current conductor is adapted to receive a portion of a calibration current. The calibration current corresponds to a full scale current. The magnetic field transducer, responsive to the calibration current portion, provides a magnetic field signal having a magnitude proportional to a magnetic field generated by the calibration current portion. The controllable gain stage is configured to amplify the magnetic field signal with an adjustable gain to provide an amplified magnetic field signal. The calibration controller is responsive to a calibration command signal to adjust the adjustable gain of the controllable gain stage to a calibrated gain in order to provide the amplified magnetic field signal at a predetermined voltage level that corresponds to a desired current sensor output signal voltage level if the full scale current were received by the integrated current conductor.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit current sensor, comprising:

an integrated current conductor adapted to receive a portion of a calibration current, wherein the calibration current corresponds to a full scale current;

a magnetic field transducer responsive to the calibration current portion for providing a magnetic field signal having a voltage level proportional to a magnetic field generated by the calibration current portion;

a controllable gain stage configured to amplify the magnetic field signal with an adjustable gain in order to provide an amplified magnetic field signal; and

a calibration controller responsive to a calibration command signal from a controller for adjusting the adjustable gain of the controllable gain stage to a calibrated gain to provide the amplified magnetic field signal at a predetermined voltage level that corresponds to a desired current sensor output signal voltage level if the full scale current were received by the integrated current conductor.

2. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 1 wherein the calibration controller comprises:

a comparator having a first input responsive to a full scale reference voltage indicative of the predetermined voltage level, a second input responsive to the amplified magnetic field signal, and an output at which a comparator output signal is provided in a first state when the amplified magnetic field signal is less than the full scale reference voltage and in a second state when the amplified magnetic field signal is greater than the full scale reference voltage; and

a counter that is responsive to the calibration command signal to start counting, responsive to the comparator output signal to stop counting, and that provides a counter output signal to the controllable gain stage for adjusting the adjustable gain.

3. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 2 wherein the full scale reference voltage is determined by the calibration command signal.

4. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 3 wherein the calibration controller further comprises a resistive voltage divider configured to provide the full scale reference voltage, wherein the resistive voltage divider has a variable resistance and a fixed resistance and wherein the variable resistance is determined by the calibration command signal.

5. The integrated circuit sensor of claim 2 wherein the controllable gain stage comprises a variable resistor controlled by the counter output signal.

6. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 5 wherein the variable resistor comprises a digital-to-analog converter (DAC).

7. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 6 wherein the DAC comprises an R/2R DAC.

8. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 1 wherein the calibration command signal is a serial binary signal in a format selected from Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C), Single-Edge Nibble Transmission (SENT), Peripheral Sensor Interface 5 (PSI5) or Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI).

9. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 1 further comprising a gain storage device, wherein the calibrated gain is stored in the gain storage device.

10. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 9 wherein the gain storage device is selected from an EEPROM and a fuse network.

11. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 1 wherein the controllable gain stage comprises an adjustable reference voltage and wherein the calibration controller is responsive to a calibration command signal for adjusting the adjustable reference voltage to provide the amplified magnetic field signal at a predetermined voltage level corresponding to a calibration current of zero amps.

12. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 11 wherein the calibration controller further comprises:

a comparator having a first input responsive to an adjustable quiescent voltage output voltage (V_QVO) reference voltage indicative of the predetermined voltage level corresponding to the calibration current when the calibration current is zero amps, a second input responsive to the amplified magnetic field signal, and an output at which a comparator output signal is provided in a first state when the amplified magnetic field signal is less than the predetermined voltage level and in a second state when the amplified magnetic field signal is greater than the predetermined voltage level; and

a counter that is responsive to the calibration command signal to start counting, responsive to the comparator output signal to stop counting, and that provides a counter output signal to the controllable gain stage to adjust the adjustable reference voltage.

13. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 12 wherein the adjustable V_QVO reference voltage is determined by the calibration command signal.

14. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 13 wherein the calibration controller further comprises a resistive voltage divider configured to provide the (V_QVO) reference voltage, wherein the resistive voltage divider has a variable resistance and a fixed resistance and wherein variable resistance is determined by the calibration command signal.

15. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 12 wherein the controllable gain stage further comprises a resistive voltage divider configured to provide the adjustable reference voltage, wherein the resistive voltage divider has a variable resistance and a fixed resistance and wherein variable resistance is controlled by the counter output signal.

16. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 1 wherein the magnetic field transducer, the calibration controller and the controllable gain stage are provided in an integrated circuit.

17. The integrated circuit current sensor of claim 1 wherein the controllable gain stage comprises an adjustable reference voltage and the calibration controller is responsive to a second calibration control signal to control the adjustable reference voltage.

18. The integrated circuit sensor of claim 1 further comprising a package including a lead frame having a lead frame portion that forms the integrated current conductor.

19. A method of self-calibration by a current sensor having an integrated current conductor when coupled in parallel with an external shunt conductor in a current divider configuration, comprising:

sensing a magnetic field generated by a portion of a calibration current that is provided at a full scale current level to the current divider configuration, the calibration current portion being carried through the integrated current conductor, with a magnetic field transducer positioned in proximity to the integrated current conductor to provide a magnetic field signal having a voltage level proportional to the magnetic field;

amplifying the magnetic field signal with an adjustable gain to provide an amplified magnetic field signal; and

adjusting the adjustable gain to a calibrated gain in order to provide the amplified magnetic field signal at a predetermined voltage level associated with the calibration current when the calibration current is provided at a full scale current level.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

sensing a magnetic field generated by the calibration current portion when the calibration current is provided at a current level of zero amps, to provide a magnetic field signal having a voltage level proportional to the magnetic field;

amplifying the magnetic field signal with the calibrated gain to provide an amplified magnetic field signal; and

adjusting an adjustable reference voltage to provide the amplified magnetic field signal at a predetermined voltage level associated with the calibration current when the calibration current is provided at a current level of zero amps.