Patent ID: 8573842
Filing Date: 2013-11-05
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A sensor control circuit for controlling a sensor unit for measuring a physical value, comprising: a timing controller configured to select periodically at least one sensor unit among a plurality of sensor units and convert an output signal from the sensor unit to a continuous serial input signal; an oscillator configured to receive the continuous serial input signal input by the timing controller and output a frequency signal corresponding to the output signal detected by the sensor unit; a counter configured to count for a predetermined duration a number of pulses of the frequency signal which is output from the oscillator; a data converter configured to convert the number of pulses to voltage data and output the voltage data; and an RLC selector configured to input to the data converter an information indicating a characteristic value on which the number of pulses counted by the counter is based, wherein the characteristic value is one of resistance, inductance and electrostatic capacitance, the plurality of sensor units are configured to measure a plurality of physical values, respectively, and the timing controller is configured to transmit a signal to connection switches of the sensor units at a predetermined interval such that the at least one sensor unit is selected periodically among the plurality of sensor units.