Abstract:
A system is described for the diagnosis of a driver (D) of the type adapted to detect one or more circuit anomalies which can occur in the said driver, including:
voltage comparator circuits (10, 20) adapted to generate diagnostic logic signals (F 1 , F 2 , F 3 ) each indicative of the existence of a corresponding type of anomaly; and a coding circuit (M, SM) adapted to receive these diagnostic signals (F 1 , F 2 , F 3 ) and to output information relating to an overall operating state of the circuit. The coding circuit (M, SM) includes a first portion adapted to provide at its output first logic signals (SHB, SHG, OL) indicative of the last anomaly occurred since a system reset operation, and a second portion for coding such first logic signals (SHB, SHG, OL). The second portion includes a sequential logic network (SM) adapted to:
receive the first logic input signals (SHB, SHG, OL) and at least one second logic signal (IN) indicative of the current operating phase of the driver (D); and achieve, as a function of the said first and second logic signals (SHB, SHG, OL; IN) a stable internal state such as to determine at the output information in the form of an N bit coded word representative of an occurred anomaly, of a condition of absence of anomaly in the current operating phase, or of a condition of absence of anomaly in any operating phase.
Abstract:
A differential amplifier with an outstandingly high common mode rejection and full input dynamic employs a comparator, to the inputs of which are applied the two input signals for outputting a signal whose sign is indicative of the sign of the difference between the two input signals. The operational amplifier of the basic diagram of the differential amplifier is fedback through a current mirror and the feedback signal is switchingly applied to the non inverting input or to the inverting input of the operational amplifier, depending on the sign of the difference detected by the comparator, thus ensuring in any case a negative feedback. To this end, in cascade to the output of the operational amplifier, there is also a stage whose function is to invert or not the sign of the output signal of the operational amplifier, depending on the sign information provided by the comparator. Whether inverted or not, the output signal drives an output stage consisting of a transistor and a resistive load, the value of which may be designed to define a certain multiplying factor of the difference between the input signals and constituting the input branch of a current mirror that, through a switch controlled by the output of the comparator, injects a feedback current either on the inverting or on the non inverting input node of the operational amplifier.
Abstract:
A guard circuit of a diagnostic output line (K-line) of a control unit (ECU) in the event of a ground (GND) disconnection or of a "below ground" condition, where the diagnostic output line (K-line) comprises a first interface DMOS transistor (MI) with a source connected to ground and a drain coupled to the diagnostic output lines (VOUT) through a second DMOS transistor (MP) with a source connected to the output line (VOUT) and a drain connected to the source of the first DMOS transistor (MI), a comparator (COMP) of the voltage (VOUT) of the diagnostic output line with the potential of the ground node (GND), a two-input logic (AND) gate (A1), with an input connected to the output of the comparator (COMP) and the other input coupled to the gate of said first DMOS transistor (MI), whose output controls a current generator (I) forcing a current, limited by a resistor (R), on the diagnostic output line (VOUT), the gate of the second DMOS transistor (MP) being coupled to the connection node between the generator (I) and the limiting resistor (R), employs a third MOS transistor (M) for switching off the second DMOS transistor (MP), functionally coupled in parallel to the resistor (R) and controlled by a line comprising a second current generator (I 1 ) controlled through an inverter (INV) by the output of the comparator (COMP) and forcing a current through a voltage divider (R 1 , R 2 ) on said diagnostic output line (VOUT). The intermediate node of the voltage divider is coupled to a gate of the third MOS transistor (M), and a third current generator (I 2 ) connected between the gate of the third transistor (M) and ground is controlled by the output of the comparator (COMP) in phase to the first current generator (I) and in phase opposition to the second current generator (I 1 ).