Patent WO-2019123408-A1 (WO)
Title: Device for emulating energy sources used to power embedded systems/devices
Inventor: LATTANZI EMANUELE
IPC: G01R31/40
Filed: 2018-12-21
Abstract: The present invention relates to an energy source emulator (3) for embedded devices, designed to be connected to an embedded device (4) which includes a positive terminal (41) and a negative terminal (42). Said energy source emulator (3) comprises: a microcontroller (31) comprising a digital- to-analog converter (311) and an analog-to-digital converter (312); a first amplifier (32) comprising a first operational amplifier (A1) in a non-inverting configuration including a respective non-inverting input terminal connected to the digital-to-analog converter (311) and a respective inverting input terminal connected to the ground through a first resistor (R1) and to a respective output of said first operational amplifier (A1) through a second resistor (R2); a first voltage buffer (33) which comprises a second operational amplifier (A2) in non-inverting configuration which includes a respective output connected to a first channel of the analog-to-digital converter (312) through a third resistor (R3) and to the positive terminal (41) of the embedded device (4) and a respective inverting input terminal connected to said respective output of said second operational amplifier (A2); a second amplifier (35) which comprises a third operational amplifier (A3) in non-inverting configuration which includes a respective inverting input terminal connected to the ground through a fourth resistor (R4) and to a respective output of said third operational amplifier (A3) through a fifth resistor (R5), a respective non-inverting input terminal connected to the negative terminal (42) of the embedded device (4) through a sixth resistor (R6) and to the ground through a seventh resistor (R7) and the respective output connected to a second channel of the analog-to-digital converter (312); and a sensing resistor (34) connected between the negative terminal (42) of the embedded device (4) and the ground. The microcontroller (31) is configured to: store a predefined mathematical model related to a predefined energy source; and generate a first voltage based on the predefined mathematical model and the current consumed by said embedded device (4), providing in output said first voltage through the digital-to-analog converter (311). The first amplifier (32) is configured to amplify the first voltage provided in output by the microcontroller (31) through the digital-to- analog converter (311), thereby obtaining a second voltage. The second amplifier (35) is configured to amplify a third electric voltage present at ends of the sensing resistor (34) thereby providing the microcontroller (31), through the analog-to-digital converter (312), with an electrical signal indicative of the current consumed by the embedded device (4). The energy source emulator (3) further comprises a hardware compensation circuit (36) which includes a second voltage buffer (361) and an adder circuit (362). Said second voltage buffer (361) comprises a fourth operational amplifier (A4) in non-inverting configuration which includes: a respective non-inverting input terminal connected to the negative terminal (42) of the embedded device (4); and a respective inverting input terminal connected to a respective output of said fourth operational amplifier (A4). Said adder circuit (362) comprises a fifth operational amplifier (A5) in non-inverting configuration which includes: a respective non-inverting input terminal connected to the output of the fourth operational amplifier (A4) through an eighth resistor (Rs) and to the output of the first operational amplifier (A1) through a ninth resistor (R9); a respective inverting input terminal connected to the ground through a tenth resistor (R10) and to a respective output of said fifth operational amplifier (A5) through an eleventh resistor (R11); and the respective output connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the second operational amplifier (A2). Thus the hardware compensation circuit (36) is configured to add the second voltage and the third voltage thereby obtaining a fourth voltage provided to the first voltage buffer (33) and said first voltage buffer (33) is configured to electrically power the embedded device (4) based on said fourth voltage.