Abstract: An electrical device includes a power supply circuit configured to provide a first voltage and a second voltage, and a first verification circuit configured to derive a first and a second internal voltage from the first voltage, to compare the first and second internal voltages, and to generate a first output signal based on the comparison. The electrical device includes a second verification circuit including a first input terminal for the first voltage and a second input terminal for the second voltage, and configured to compare the first and second voltages and to generate a second output signal based on the comparison. Furthermore, the electrical device includes a combination circuit configured to generate a third output signal if the first output signal or the second output signal is indicative of the first voltage or the second voltage being outside a tolerance range.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a semiconductor circuit arrangement comprising a Hall sensor circuit integrated into a semiconductor substrate and configured to conduct a Hall supply current between a first terminal and a second terminal of a Hall effect region at an angle of 45° with respect to a normal to a primary flat plane of the semiconductor substrate laterally through the Hall effect region, wherein the Hall supply current has a first dependence on a mechanical stress of the semiconductor substrate. A resistance arrangement integrated into the semiconductor substrate, the resistance arrangement being different than the Hall effect region, is configured to conduct a current between a first terminal and a second terminal of the resistance arrangement, wherein the current through the resistance arrangement has a second dependence on the mechanical stress of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A sensor device comprises an electrically conductive chip carrier, wherein the chip carrier comprises an auxiliary structure, wherein the auxiliary structure comprises a first precalibration current terminal and a second precalibration current terminal, a magnetic field sensor chip arranged on a mounting surface of the chip carrier, wherein the magnetic field sensor chip comprises a sensor element, wherein the shape of the auxiliary structure is embodied such that an electrical precalibration current flowing from the first precalibration current terminal to the second precalibration current terminal through the auxiliary structure induces a predefined precalibration magnetic field at the location of the sensor element, wherein during measurement operation of the precalibrated sensor device, no precalibration current flows between the first precalibration current terminal and the second precalibration current terminal.

Abstract: Magnetic field sensors and sensing methods are provided. A magnetic sensor includes at least one magnetic field sensor element configured to generate an analog input sensor signal in response to a magnetic field; an inverting amplifier arranged on an analog signal path and configured to generate an analog output sensor signal having a gained value with respect to the analog input sensor signal; a switchable compensation capacitor disposed in a negative feedback path of the inverting amplifier, where the switchable compensation capacitor is configured to control a bandwidth of the analog signal path based on configuration information; and a digital controller configured to receive at least one measurement parameter, generate the configuration information based on the at least one measurement parameter, and transmit the configuration information to the switchable compensation capacitor for adjusting the bandwidth of the analog signal path.

Abstract: Sensor circuits having a filter and methods for filtering a sensor signal are provided. In this case, a passband width of an adjustable low-pass filter or bandpass filter is adjusted on the basis of a comparison of a measure of a signal change of a sensor signal with a threshold value.

Abstract: A device includes a chip and integrated circuit. Devices and integrated circuits are provided where a resistor is coupled to a terminal of a chip or integrated circuit.

Abstract: An integrated circuit has an oscillator circuit having an on-chip oscillator, a digital phase locked loop and a sensor. A frequency of an output signal from the oscillator circuit is adjustable. The digital phase locked loop receives the output signal from the oscillator circuit at an input and a synchronization signal based on an output signal from an external precision oscillator in the form of a crystal oscillator or MEMS oscillator at an external interface and generates a control signal in order to synchronize the frequency of the oscillator circuit with the frequency of the external crystal oscillator. The sensor is designed to measure at least one environmental parameter, wherein the digital phase locked loop is designed to take into account the at least one measured environmental parameter when generating the control signal.

Abstract: An output circuit including an output transistor configured to provide an output signal; and a gate switch configured to decouple a gate of the output transistor from other components of the output circuit when there is a decrease in a supply voltage of the output circuit, wherein when the gate of the output transistor is decoupled, a charge at the gate is maintained in a capacitor inherent within the gate of the output transistor.

Abstract: A vertical Hall sensor circuit comprises an arrangement comprising a vertical Hall effect region of a first doping type, formed within a semiconductor substrate and having a stress dependency with respect to a Hall effect-related electrical characteristic. The vertical Hall sensor circuit further comprises a stress compensation circuit which comprises at least one of a lateral resistor arrangement and a vertical resistor arrangement. The lateral resistor arrangement has a first resistive element and a second resistive element, which are parallel to a surface of the semiconductor substrate and orthogonal to each other, for generating a stress-dependent lateral resistor arrangement signal on the basis of a reference signal inputted to the stress compensation circuit.

Abstract: Various embodiments discussed herein can comprises systems or methods that can improve over existing spinning current Hall sensor systems via at least one of interleaving spinning phases or sliding averaging/summing. One example embodiment can comprise a sensor system comprising M (a positive integer) spinning current Hall sensors, each of which has N (an integer greater than one) distinct spinning phases during which it can acquire sensor data, and a multiplexer that can select sensor data of the sensors according to a M×N spinning phase sensor sequence. The M×N distinct spinning phases of the sensor sequence can be interleaved, wherein the average in the time domain of the N spinning phases for each sensor is the same. For each of the M sensors, a sum and/or an average can be determined for one or more most recent representations of sensor data from that sensor.

Abstract: Magnetic field sensors and sensing methods are provided. A magnetic sensor includes at least one magnetic field sensor element configured to generate an analog input sensor signal in response to a magnetic field; an inverting amplifier arranged on an analog signal path and configured to generate an analog output sensor signal having a gained value with respect to the analog input sensor signal; a switchable compensation capacitor disposed in a negative feedback path of the inverting amplifier, where the switchable compensation capacitor is configured to control a bandwidth of the analog signal path based on configuration information; and a digital controller configured to receive at least one measurement parameter, generate the configuration information based on the at least one measurement parameter, and transmit the configuration information to the switchable compensation capacitor for adjusting the bandwidth of the analog signal path.

Abstract: A device may determine a sensor identifier corresponding to a sensor integrated circuit (IC) associated with a sensor system. The device may provide the sensor identifier corresponding to the sensor IC. The device may receive, based on providing the sensor identifier, compensation parameter information associated with the sensor IC. The device may cause a set of compensation parameters, associated with the compensation parameter information, to be stored on a controller associated with the sensor system. The set of compensation parameters may include one or more parameters associated with correcting a measurement performed by the sensor IC or a safety result provided by the sensor IC.

Abstract: Magnetic field sensors and sensing methods are provided. A magnetic sensor includes at least one magnetic field sensor element configured to generate an analog input sensor signal in response to a magnetic field, an inverting amplifier configured to generate an analog output sensor signal having a gained value with respect to the analog input sensor signal, a programmable current divider disposed in a negative feedback path of the inverting amplifier such that the gained value is dependent on an effective feedback resistor value of the programmable current divider, and a digital controller configured to receive at least one measurement parameter, generate a codeword based on the at least one measurement parameter, and transmit the codeword to the programmable current divider for compensating the gained value. The effective feedback resistor value is adjusted based on the codeword received by the programmable current divider.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided where switches associated with a magnetic field sensor are used to provide error information. In particular, a device is provided that includes a magnetic field sensor, a plurality of switches associated with the magnetic field sensor, and a control circuit configured to control the plurality of switches and to provide at least one signal indicative of a fault based on operation of the switches.

Abstract: Various embodiments discussed herein can comprises systems or methods that can improve over existing spinning current Hall sensor systems via at least one of interleaving spinning phases or sliding averaging/summing. One example embodiment can comprise a sensor system comprising M (a positive integer) spinning current Hall sensors, each of which has N (an integer greater than one) distinct spinning phases during which it can acquire sensor data, and a multiplexer that can select sensor data of the sensors according to a M×N spinning phase sensor sequence. The M×N distinct spinning phases of the sensor sequence can be interleaved, wherein the average in the time domain of the N spinning phases for each sensor is the same. For each of the M sensors, a sum and/or an average can be determined for one or more most recent representations of sensor data from that sensor.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for sensor self-diagnostics using multiple signal paths. In an embodiment, the sensors are magnetic field sensors, and the systems and/or methods are configured to meet or exceed relevant safety or other industry standards, such as SIL standards. For example, a monolithic integrated circuit sensor system implemented on a single semiconductor ship can include a first sensor device having a first signal path for a first sensor signal on a semiconductor chip; and a second sensor device having a second signal path for a second sensor signal on the semiconductor chip, the second signal path distinct from the first signal path, wherein a comparison of the first signal path signal and the second signal path signal provides a sensor system self-test.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided where switches associated with a magnetic field sensor are used to provide error information. In particular, a device is provided that includes a magnetic field sensor, a plurality of switches associated with the magnetic field sensor, and a control circuit configured to control the plurality of switches and to provide at least one signal indicative of a fault based on operation of the switches.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a sensor circuit having a first interface configured to receive a first sensor signal in response to a first measurement of a first physical quantity, a first analog-to-digital converter configured to sample the first sensor signal to generate a sampled first sensor signal, a second interface configured to receive a second sensor signal in response to a second measurement of the same first physical quantity, a third interface configured to receive at least one third sensor signal in response to at least one third measurement of at least one second physical quantity that is different from the first physical quantity, a multiplexer configured to multiplex the second and the at least one third sensor signal to a multiplexed sensor signal, and a second analog-to-digital converter coupled to the multiplexer and configured to sample the multiplexed sensor signal to generate a sampled multiplexed sensor signal.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a semiconductor circuit arrangement comprising a Hall sensor circuit integrated into a semiconductor substrate and configured to conduct a Hall supply current between a first terminal and a second terminal of a Hall effect region at an angle of 45° with respect to a normal to a primary flat plane of the semiconductor substrate laterally through the Hall effect region, wherein the Hall supply current has a first dependence on a mechanical stress of the semiconductor substrate. A resistance arrangement integrated into the semiconductor substrate, the resistance arrangement being different than the Hall effect region, is configured to conduct a current between a first terminal and a second terminal of the resistance arrangement, wherein the current through the resistance arrangement has a second dependence on the mechanical stress of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to stress compensation in differential sensors. In an embodiment, instead of compensating for stress on each sensor element independently, stress compensation circuitry aims to remove stress-related mismatch between two sensor elements using the sensor elements themselves to detect the mismatch. A circuit can be implemented in embodiments to detect mechanical stress-related mismatch between sensor elements using the sensor elements, and tune the output signal by a compensation factor to eliminate the mismatch. Embodiments are therefore less complicated and less expensive than conventional approaches. While embodiments have applicability to virtually any differential sensor, including magnetic field, pressure, temperature, current and speed, an example embodiment discussed herein relates to magnetic field.