Patent ID: 8710853
Filing Date: 2014-04-29
Classification: G01R,G06F

Abstract:
1. A microcontroller comprising: an analog-to-digital converter to provide a digital value based on an analog input signal from a capacitance, the digital value representing the voltage between electrodes of the capacitance; a limit checker to determine whether the digital value is within a predetermined range and to generate a first output signal when the digital value reaches an upper limit of the predetermined range and to generate a second output signal when the digital value reaches a lower limit of the predetermined range, the predetermined range being a programmable predetermined range associated with the limit checker; at least a first input connected or connectable to the analog-to-digital converter; at least one switch configured to alternately couple the first input to a first potential for charging the capacitance based on applying the second signal to the switch and to couple the first input to a second potential for discharging the capacitance based on applying the first signal to the switch; and an entity capable to determine a value or a change of the capacitance based on the alternately charging and discharging of the capacitance.