Patent ID: 8055404

Claim:
A sensor apparatus, comprising: a drive circuit section for outputting a drive signal; a detection device, into which the drive signal from the drive circuit section is inputted; a detection circuit section for fetching a response signal from the detection device; a processing circuit section, into which the response signal from the detection circuit section is inputted and which fetches the sense signal from this response signal; a first output terminal for outputting a sense signal from the processing circuit section; and a failure diagnosis circuit for setting as a failure diagnosis object section at least any one of the drive circuit section, the detection device, the detection circuit section and the processing circuit section, determining whether the failure diagnosis object section is normal or abnormal, and also outputting a failure detection signal from a second output terminal in the case of determining abnormality, wherein a delay unit is provided at any place on an electric connection line from the failure diagnosis object section to the first output terminal, wherein time required for an output concerning the failure detection signal from the failure diagnosis object section to reach the second output terminal is shorter than time required for an output concerning the sense signal from the failure diagnosis object section to reach the first output terminal.