Patent ID: 9041390
Filing Date: 2015-05-26
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A digitally controlled direct current transducer comprising: an open-loop Hall-effect sensor operative to develop a first sensor analog output; a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) having an input coupled to the first sensor analog output and developing a first digital signal; a temperature sensor operative to develop a second sensor analog output; a second analog-to-digital converter (ADC) having an input coupled to the second sensor analog output and developing a second digital signal; a manually controlled mode-selection device operative to develop an operating mode selection digital signal for a plurality of operating modes, wherein the operating modes include a temperature-compensated direct current (DC) transducer mode and a calibration mode; a digital processor responsive to the first digital signal, the second digital signal and the operating mode selection digital signal; and digital memory coupled to the digital processor including thermal curve information and code segments executable on the digital processor for: a) performing initialization routines in response to the powering-up of the digital processor; b) operating in the temperature-compensated DC transducer mode using the first digital signal, the second digital signal and the thermal curve information to produce a digital output of the digital processor that is representative of the first sensor analog output when the manually controlled mode-selection device is set to develop the operating mode selection digital signal for the temperature-compensated DC transducer mode; and c) operating in the calibration mode when the manually controlled mode-selection device is set to develop the operating mode selection digital signal for the calibration mode.