The present disclosure provides a device and methods to control a temperature of an integrated circuit (IC). For example, a device may include a circuit (e.g., an IC), a power monitor, a temperature sensor, and a controller. In some examples, temperature may be estimated based on power measured by a dynamic power monitor (DPM). In some cases, the estimated temperatures may be corrected based on temperature sensed by a temperature sensor on the IC. The power may be measured in shorter time periods and/or more frequent time periods compared to a time periods that the temperature sensor senses temperature. Accordingly, the temperature of an IC may be detected and adjusted more frequently based on the power measurements, and the temperature estimates may be adjusted for accuracy based on sensed temperatures.

The disclosure relates to technology for determining stress on integrated circuits. These include using ring oscillators formed on the integrated circuit, where one ring oscillator has its frequency dependent on the current flowing through its stages being limited by its NMOS devices and another ring oscillator has its frequency dependent on the current flowing through its stages being limited by its PMOS devices. This allows the stress on the integrated circuit to be determined in different directions along the integrated circuit. A temperature sensor can be used to compensate for temperature dependence on the frequencies of the ring oscillators.

Methods, non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums and electronic devices are provided for controlling temperature. A terminal obtains a target environment temperature value of an environment where the terminal is located. When the terminal is being charged, the terminal determines a target temperature control strategy according to the target environment temperature value. The terminal controls a temperature of the terminal according to the target temperature control strategy.

A method for determining soiling of a heat sink for cooling an electronic component is disclosed. A load curve controlled by the component and a temperature curve along a heat transfer chain from the at least one component to the heat sink are continuously captured. In a training phase, a decision function is determined, which is provided for application to a portion of the load curve and to at least one correspondingly captured portion of a temperature curve. In a classification phase, a non-soiled state of the heat sink is detected when the portion of the load curve presented to the decision function is similar to the portions of the load curve captured in the training phase and when the at least one corresponding portion of a temperature curve is similar to the portions of the temperature curve in question that were correspondingly captured in the training phase.

Semiconductor modules are used for controlling drive motors such as the electric motors of electric vehicles. IGBT modules are one type of such semiconductor modules. During operation, heat losses arise in the power transistors and the diodes of the semiconductor modules, which causes an increase in their temperature. Therefore, the manufacturers of the IGBT modules recommend that the software of a control unit that controls an IGBT module be provided with a protective function which continuously monitors the temperature of the IGBT module and intervenes as necessary if an unacceptable temperature of a component of the IGBT module is reached. A temperature model is used for the calculation. The manufacturers provide a more accurate higher-order temperature model that however causes an increased amount of computation. According to the proposal, a reduced temperature model is used that is calculated using the balanced truncation method and is optimized for certain working ranges.

This invention provides a temperature sensor circuit and its operation method. The temperature sensor circuit includes a temperature sensor, a temperature comparator, a plurality of temperature sensor enable clocks with different clock cycles and a clock selection circuit. The temperature sensor detects a temperature of an Integrated circuit and sending a signal indicative of the temperature. The temperature comparator executes a comparison between the temperature of the Integrated circuit and a predetermined temperature setting upon receiving the signal indicative of the temperature and sending an output according to the comparison. Upon receiving the output, the clock selection circuit provides one of the temperature sensor enable clocks according to the output to enable the temperature sensor. The temperature detection cycle of the temperature sensor is thus adjustable to save the temperature sensor power.

A method for determining a temperature of an Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (“IGBT”) driver, the IGBT driver may include two Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (“MOSFET”) elements, two direct voltage terminals for providing a base direct voltage for the two MOSFET elements, two gate terminals for providing two control voltages for the two MOSFET elements, a measurement output for outputting an output voltage, and an alternating voltage source for providing an alternating voltage, the method may include providing the control voltages, the base direct voltage, and the alternating voltage, superimposing the alternating voltage with the base direct voltage, capturing the output voltage at the measurement output of the IGBT driver, and determining the temperature of the respective MOSFET elements from the captured output voltage.

A thermal sensor for an integrated circuit including: a Proportional To Absolute Temperature (PTAT) circuit comprising n-type MOS transistors and providing a first voltage; and a voltage generator circuit comprising a p-type MOS transistor and providing a second voltage. A reference voltage is based on the first voltage and the second voltage. At least one thermal output signal is based on the reference voltage together with the first voltage and/or the second voltage. In another aspect, an integrated circuit has a power routing arrangement, providing a power supply core voltage (VDDcore) to operate functional circuitry on the integrated circuit. One or more local thermal sensors are located on the integrated circuit, each comprising a PTAT circuit having MOS transistors using the power supply core voltage to generate a temperature-dependent voltage that varies independently of power supply core voltage variation.

A circuit for sensing local operating properties of an integrated circuit is disclosed. The circuit may include one or more sensor circuits configured to sense the local operating properties of the integrated circuit. The sensor circuits may receive a supply voltage with a magnitude in a limited range from a digital power supply that is different from the digital power supply that provides power to functional circuits in the integrated circuit. Level shifters may be coupled to the sensor circuits to shift output signals from the sensor circuits to levels that correspond to the digital power supply that provides power to functional circuits in the integrated circuit. Counters and a shift register may be coupled to the level shifters to receive the shifted output signals, the values of which may be used to determine the local operating properties of the integrated circuit as sensed by the sensor circuits.

A controller for a power converter includes an output terminal operative to output a modulation signal for controlling a phase current of the power converter. A modulator is operative to generate the modulation signal such that an output voltage of the power converter follows a first portion of a load-line when load current is above a first threshold, the first portion of the load-line having a first slope that determines a rate of change of the output voltage as a function of the load current. An interface is operative to receive a temperature signal. Circuitry is operative to change the first threshold in response to receipt of the temperature signal.