Abstract: Electronic circuits and methods sense an electromagnetic property of a target, and transmit data packets that encode the property along with diagnostic messages while avoiding data loss due to truncation at high sensing speeds. Data address bits may be used to split messages across multiple data packets. Data bits may be combined into a unified header that takes less time to transmit than in prior communication protocols. The transmission duration of each data bit may be lowered, thereby increasing throughput. The receiving system may synchronize its own operation against these shortened data bits, increasing its speed. Error packets may be sent between data packets, thereby reducing time to respond to faults in safety-critical systems. And additional current levels may be used to increase the data information rate.

Abstract: A method is provided for transmitting a message concurrently with a pulse-encoded signal, the method comprising: assigning an identifier to the message; transmitting an identifier of the message between every two consecutive pulses of the pulse-encoded signal until the whole message is transmitted; transmitting a first portion of a payload of the message between every two consecutive pulses of the pulse-encoded signal until the whole message is transmitted; and transmitting a different part of a second portion of the payload of the message between every two consecutive pulses of the pulse-encoded signal until the whole message is transmitted, wherein the pulse-encoded signal encodes information by varying a frequency of pulses of the pulse-encoded signal, and the message is transmitted over a plurality of transmission periods that are delimited by respective consecutive pulses of the pulse-encoded signal.

Abstract: In one aspect, an angle sensor includes a first plurality of magnetoresistance elements located at a first location on an axis and a second plurality of magnetoresistance elements located at a second location on the axis. The first plurality of magnetoresistance elements includes a first one or more magnetoresistance elements each having a reference direction in a first direction; and a second one or more magnetoresistance elements each having a reference direction in a second direction. The second plurality of magnetoresistance elements includes a third one or more magnetoresistance elements each having a reference direction in the first direction, and a fourth one or more magnetoresistance elements each having a reference direction in the second direction. The angle sensor senses movement of a magnetic target, and the magnetic target is a ring magnet or a single pole magnet.

Abstract: A method including: calculating a value of an average phase offset between a first signal and a second signal, wherein: (i) the first signal is generated by one or more first magnetic field sensing elements in response to the magnetic field, (ii) the second signal is generated by one or more second magnetic field sensing elements in response to the magnetic field, and (iii) the magnetic field is associated with a rotating target; storing the value of the average phase offset between the first signal and the second signal at an address in a non-volatile memory of the sensor; when the sensor is restarted, copying the value of the average phase offset from the address in the non-volatile memory to a working memory of the sensor; and using the copy of the value of the average phase offset that is stored in the working memory of the sensor to generate an output signal, the output signal being generated further based on the first signal and the second signal.