Patent ID: 11946958
Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 16:
17. A method, comprising:
applying an input signal to an input node, a shunt resistor coupled between the input node and a load node coupled to an electrical load, wherein a voltage drop across the shunt resistor is indicative of a load current supplied to the electrical load;
replicating, by a replica resistor, the shunt resistor, the replica resistor having a first end and a second end;
producing, by a gain circuitry, an output signal that is a function of the voltage drop between a first sensing node and a second sensing node;
generating, by a current generator, a reference current;
switching, a set of electronic switches, in a first mode, wherein the replica resistor is coupled between the first sensing node and the second sensing node of the gain circuitry, and coupled to the current generator to be traversed by the reference current, alternately, in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction, wherein the output signal from the gain circuitry assumes a first value in response to the reference current traversing the replica resistor in the first direction and a second value in response to the reference current traversing the replica resistor in the second direction;
switching, the set of electronic switches, in a second mode, wherein the shunt resistor is coupled between the first sensing node and the second sensing node of the gain circuitry, and the output signal from the gain circuitry assumes a third value;
receiving, by a calibration circuitry, the output signal from the gain circuitry;
producing a compensated output signal as a function of the first value, the second value, and the third value; and
alternating the set of electronic switches between the first mode and the second mode, wherein, selectively, an occurrence of the first mode takes place at each second mode, or the first mode is repeated after several occurrences of the second mode.