Abstract: A drive arrangement for activating a car safety device activation element, such as an air bag, comprises a drive circuit, which is coupled to the car safety device activation element. The drive circuit generates an activation signal which activates the car safety device. The arrangement includes a power supply transistor which is coupled in series with a power supply input of the drive circuit and an energy reservoir such as a capacitor. The arrangement further comprises control means which controls the supply voltage to the drive circuit by controlling the power supply transistor to operate in an active region to provide a voltage drop during activation of the car safety device activation element. Hence, a significant voltage drop and thus energy dissipation may be moved from the drive circuit to the power supply transistor. The drive circuit may therefore be reduced in size and the power supply transistor may be implemented in a cheap technology suitable for energy dissipation.

Abstract: A communication system comprises a twisted pair communication link operably coupled to at least two driver stages for providing at least two independent input signals on the twisted pair communication link. The at least two independent input signals on the twisted pair communication link are summed and input to a comparator arranged to compare the summed signal to a reference value. The output of the comparator is input to the at least two driver stages. The outputs from the at least two driver stages are summed and fed back and summed with one or more of the independent input signals. In this manner, adverse effects due to non-ideal symmetry between components in a twisted pair communication link, such as a Controller Area Network system, are reduced.

Abstract: A drive arrangement for activating a car safety device activation element, such as an air bag, comprises a drive circuit, which is coupled to the car safety device activation element. The drive circuit generates an activation signal which activates the car safety device. The arrangement includes a power supply transistor which is coupled in series with a power supply input of the drive circuit and an energy reservoir such as a capacitor. The arrangement further comprises control means which controls the supply voltage to the drive circuit by controlling the power supply transistor to operate in an active region to provide a voltage drop during activation of the car safety device activation element. Hence, a significant voltage drop and thus energy dissipation may be moved from the drive circuit to the power supply transistor. The drive circuit may therefore be reduced in size and the power supply transistor may be implemented in a cheap technology suitable for energy dissipation.

Abstract: A drive arrangement for activating a car safety device activation element, such as an air bag, comprises a drive circuit, which is coupled to the car safety device activation element. The drive circuit generates an activation signal which activates the car safety device. The arrangement includes a power supply transistor which is coupled in series with a power supply input of the drive circuit and an energy reservoir such as a capacitor. The arrangement further comprises control means which controls the supply voltage to the drive circuit by controlling the power supply transistor to operate in an active region to provide a voltage drop during activation of the car safety device activation element. Hence, a significant voltage drop and thus energy dissipation may be moved from the drive circuit to the power supply transistor. The drive circuit may therefore be reduced in size and the power supply transistor may be implemented in a cheap technology suitable for energy dissipation.

Abstract: A circuit which energizes a disk drive motor via three branches U, V, W each including 2 switching elements in series and which energizes an actuator for the displacement of the read-write heads via two branches each including 2 switching elements, which circuit comprises isolating devices to allow energization by the drive motor operating as a generator, for a withdrawal of the heads to a safe position during a supply voltage cut.