A sensor interface circuit comprises an input arranged to receive a sensor signal being an electrical signal representative of an electrical quantity. The electrical quantity includes a physical quantity converted in a sensor. The sensor interface circuit includes conversion means arranged for converting the sensor signal into a digital signal, memory to store sensor characterisation data, signal processing means adapted to obtain a first sensor result by processing the digital signal using the sensor characterisation data, and an output unit arranged to receive and output the first sensor result, the digital signal and the sensor characterisation data.

Systems and methods described herein provide a current sensor having fault detection circuitry configured to detect over-current and/or current faults corresponding to current through a conductor being greater than a predetermined level. The current sensor can include a shared signal path, a main signal path, and a fault detection signal path to perform both fault detection and current detection signal processing. The current sensor can include one or more magnetic field sensing elements configured to generate a magnetic field signal indicative of the current through the conductor, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to receive the magnetic field signal and convert the magnetic field signal into a digital signal, and a fault detector responsive to the digital signal to generate a fault signal indicative of the current through the conductor being greater than a predetermined level.

Systems and methods described herein provide a current sensor having fault detection circuitry configured to detect over-current and/or current faults corresponding to current through a conductor being greater than a predetermined level. The current sensor can include a shared signal path, a main signal path, and a fault detection signal path to perform both fault detection and current detection signal processing. The current sensor can include one or more magnetic field sensing elements configured to generate a magnetic field signal indicative of the current through the conductor, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to receive the magnetic field signal and convert the magnetic field signal into a digital signal, and a fault detector responsive to the digital signal to generate a fault signal indicative of the current through the conductor being greater than a predetermined level.

A device includes an electronic circuit and a voltage-controlled oscillator configured to receive information representative of a power supply voltage of the device. The voltage-controlled oscillator is coupled to the electronic circuit. A first counter is configured to count pulses supplied by the voltage-controlled oscillator and a second counter is configured to count pulses of a clock signal. The device is configured to estimate an average power of the electronic circuit based on the pulses counted by the first counter.

A device for measuring low currents is proposed to include: a transimpedance amplifier to convert an analog current signal into an analog voltage signal; an analog-to-digital converter to acquire a graph that plots a curve representing variation of the analog voltage signal using digital codes; a statistic module to acquire a set of crossing numbers by: for each of the digital codes, making a straight line that has a constant value equaling the digital code across time in the graph, and counting a number of crossings of the curve with the straight line; and an analysis module to analyze distribution of the crossing numbers, and to output an output code based on the distribution of the crossing numbers.

A device for measuring low currents is proposed to include: a transimpedance amplifier to convert an analog current signal into an analog voltage signal; an analog-to-digital converter to acquire a graph that plots a curve representing variation of the analog voltage signal using digital codes; a statistic module to acquire a set of crossing numbers by: for each of the digital codes, making a straight line that has a constant value equaling the digital code across time in the graph, and counting a number of crossings of the curve with the straight line; and an analysis module to analyze distribution of the crossing numbers, and to output an output code based on the distribution of the crossing numbers.

An oscillator-based sensor interface circuit includes an oscillator and a switching means is arranged for switching between at least two signals to be applied to the oscillator via that input. At least one of the signals is an electrical signal representative of an electrical quantity. A counter is arranged to count a number of cycles produced by the oscillator. A control logic is arranged to control the switching means and to derive a control output signal from a first number of counted oscillator cycles. A feedback element is arranged for converting a representation of the control output signal into a feedback signal used directly or indirectly to maintain a given relation between the first number of counted oscillator cycles.

An oscillator-based sensor interface circuit includes an oscillator and a switching means is arranged for switching between at least two signals to be applied to the oscillator via that input. At least one of the signals is an electrical signal representative of an electrical quantity. A counter is arranged to count a number of cycles produced by the oscillator. A control logic is arranged to control the switching means and to derive a control output signal from a first number of counted oscillator cycles. A feedback element is arranged for converting a representation of the control output signal into a feedback signal used directly or indirectly to maintain a given relation between the first number of counted oscillator cycles.

A method for fail-safe provision of an analog output value for a control process designed for functional safety, wherein the output value is specified by a control unit as a digital output value and, in a first step, the digital output value is converted into the analog output value via a converter, in a second step, the analog output value is converted into a fail-safe digital output value using fail-safe criteria via a read-back device and, in a third step, the originally provided digital output value is compared with the converted fail-safe digital output value, where in the event of the comparison revealing a deviation or of a plausibility criterion being infringed, a safety action is performed, otherwise, the analog output value is output to the control process with the aid of a release device.

A method for fail-safe provision of an analog output value for a control process designed for functional safety, wherein the output value is specified by a control unit as a digital output value and, in a first step, the digital output value is converted into the analog output value via a converter, in a second step, the analog output value is converted into a fail-safe digital output value using fail-safe criteria via a read-back device and, in a third step, the originally provided digital output value is compared with the converted fail-safe digital output value, where in the event of the comparison revealing a deviation or of a plausibility criterion being infringed, a safety action is performed, otherwise, the analog output value is output to the control process with the aid of a release device.