A thermal sensor with non-ideal coefficient elimination is shown. The thermal sensor has a bandgap circuit, a dual-phase voltage-to-frequency converter, and a frequency meter. The bandgap circuit outputs a temperature-dependent voltage. The dual-phase voltage-to-frequency converter is coupled to the bandgap circuit in the normal phase to perform a voltage-to-frequency conversion based on the temperature-dependent voltage, and is disconnected from the bandgap circuit in the coefficient capturing phase to perform the voltage-to-frequency conversion based on the supply voltage. The frequency meter is coupled to the dual-phase voltage-to-frequency converter to calculate the temperature-dependent frequency corresponding to the normal phase of the dual-phase voltage-to-frequency converter. The frequency meter also calculates the temperature-independent frequency corresponding to the coefficient capturing phase of the dual-phase voltage-to-frequency converter. The temperature-dependent frequency and the temperature-independent frequency are provided for temperature evaluation with non-ideal coefficient elimination.

Self-calibrating a humidity sensor of an integrated humidity and temperature sensor, using the integrated heating element, and the temperature and humidity sensors, of the device, together with a firmware-based control loop running on a controller. The controller actively calculates and monitors one or both sensor output, and the slopes of the sensor outputs, in real time, while the heating element is on, and compares one or both slopes to a pre-programmed threshold, while in a programmable control loop, to then capture the appropriate relative humidity offset to apply to the device during normal operation (with the integrated heating element switched off) for correcting the relative humidity output from the device. Any singularly mounted in-system device can be calibrated, independent of external references, for in-system calibration.

Disclosed is an apparatus for determining the temperature, comprising a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and electronics which are configured to apply an electrical signal to the first temperature sensor and/or the second temperature sensor and to tap off at least one reception signal from the first temperature sensor and/or the second temperature sensor. The apparatus also comprises at least six connection lines for making electrical contact with the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, wherein the connection lines are arranged and configured such that the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are connected in series and can have the transmission signal applied thereto such that the first reception signal can be tapped off from the first temperature sensor and/or the second reception signal can be tapped off from the second temperature sensor.

A temperature sensor malfunction diagnosis apparatus is provided in a vehicle that includes a device, a refrigerant circuit, an electric pump, a battery, and a temperature sensor, and configured to diagnose malfunction of the temperature sensor. The temperature sensor malfunction diagnosis apparatus includes a pump driver and a malfunction diagnosis unit. The pump driver is configured to drive the electric pump after stopping of driving of the vehicle, on the basis of the battery as a power supply. The malfunction diagnosis unit is configured to perform a malfunction diagnosis of the temperature sensor, on a condition that a charged time reaches a temperature converging time of the temperature sensor while the electric pump is driven. The charged time is a time during which charging of the battery is performed from start of the charging of the battery.

A thermal sensor in some embodiments comprises two temperature-sensitive branches, each including a thermal-sensing device, such as one or more bipolar-junction transistors, and a current source for generating a current density in the thermal-sensing device to generate a temperature-dependent signal. The thermal sensor further includes a signal processor configured to multiply the temperature-dependent signal from the branches by respective and different gain factors, and combine the resultant signals to generate an output signal that is substantially proportional to the absolute temperature the thermal sensor is disposed at.

A thermal sensor in some embodiments comprises two temperature-sensitive branches, each including a thermal-sensing device, such as one or more bipolar-junction transistors, and a current source for generating a current density in the thermal-sensing device to generate a temperature-dependent signal. The thermal sensor further includes a signal processor configured to multiply the temperature-dependent signal from the branches by respective and different gain factors, and combine the resultant signals to generate an output signal that is substantially proportional to the absolute temperature the thermal sensor is disposed at.

The present disclosure includes an HVAC system that includes a plurality of dampers each corresponding to one building zone of a plurality of building zones, a plurality of sensors each corresponding to the one of the plurality of building zones, and a control board communicatively coupled with the plurality of dampers and sensors. The control board includes a plurality of status light sources, each corresponding to one damper the plurality of dampers, a plurality of communication light sources each corresponding to one sensor of the plurality of sensors, and a microcontroller programmed to control operation of equipment in the HVAC system. The microcontroller is configured to perform “a hardware test mode” to facilitate diagnosis of the plurality of dampers by causing the plurality of status light sources to sequentially execute a first light scheme or a second light scheme in response to instructions to the plurality of dampers.

A method for determining a temperature of an object includes contacting the object with a first electrical conductor. A difference in electronegativity between the object and the first electrical conductor is greater than a predetermined value. The method also includes contacting the object or a substrate on which the object is positioned with a second electrical conductor. A difference in electronegativity between the object or the substrate and the second electrical conductor is less than the predetermined value. The method also includes connecting the first and second electrical conductors together. The method also includes measuring the temperature of the object using the first and second electrical conductors. The first and second electrical conductors form at least a portion of a thermocouple.

Disclosed are a temperature measurement circuit and method. The circuit includes a first temperature sensing circuit, a second temperature sensing circuit and a data processing unit. The first temperature sensing circuit is configured to generate a first measurement signal for characterizing a temperature based on an inputted first current signal, a magnitude of the first current signal being correlated to temperature. The second temperature sensing circuit is configured to generate a second measurement signal for characterizing the temperature based on an inputted second current signal, the second current signal being independent of temperature. The data processing unit is configured to determine a current temperature based on a first characteristic parameter corresponding to the first measurement signal and a second characteristic parameter corresponding to the second measurement signal.

A thermal sensor in some embodiments comprises two temperature-sensitive branches, each including a thermal-sensing device, such as one or more bipolar-junction transistors, and a current source for generating a current density in the thermal-sensing device to generate a temperature-dependent signal. The thermal sensor further includes a signal processor configured to multiply the temperature-dependent signal from the branches by respective and different gain factors, and combine the resultant signals to generate an output signal that is substantially proportional to the absolute temperature the thermal sensor is disposed at.