A circuit and a method for detecting a current zero-crossing point, and a circuit and method for detecting a load voltage are disclosed. The circuit for detecting current zero-crossing point includes: a load power supply circuit (14), a voltage-dividing resistor (16), a transistor switch (15), a zero-crossing detection circuit (19); the load power supply circuit (14) includes: a load (11), a diode (13), and an inductor (12); one end of the load power supply circuit (14) is connected with the operating voltage input terminal, the other end of the load power supply circuit (14) is connected with a first end of the transistor switch (15) and a first end of the voltage-dividing resistor (16), a second end of the voltage-dividing resistor (16) and a second end of the transistor switch (15) are connected with the ground, the load voltage is controlled by the transistor switch (15), the voltage-dividing terminal of the voltage-dividing resistor (16) is connected to a signal input terminal of the zero-crossing detection circuit (19), the zero-crossing detection circuit (19) is used to determine whether the current of the diode (13) crosses zero to obtain the on time of the diode (13), and the circuit for detecting load voltage uses the on time of the diode (13) and the on time of the transistor switch (15) to obtain the load voltage. The circuits are simple, but with high detection efficiency and low cost.

Non-ideal diodes have a non-zero resistance across a PN junction when the junction is forward biased. When a diode comprising a power supply has a voltage drop across the junction that exceeds a predetermined threshold, the threshold-exceeding voltage drop trips a comparator, the output of which controls a switch between a power supply and a load.

Lighting and surge protection circuitry for protection of a differential pair includes a diode bridge circuit having a first pair and a second pair of connections to the diode bridge circuit, with the first pair of connections configured to be coupled to a pair of differential inputs of a functional circuit and a first diode coupled between the second pair of connections; and second and third diodes coupled between the first pair of connections and ground. The lighting and surge protection circuitry also includes a diode pair coupled between an output of the functional circuit being protected and power and ground terminals and a small resistance in series with the output of the functional circuit.

The present application relates generally to silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) detector arrays. In one aspect, there is a system including an array of cells each including a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) reverse-biased above a breakdown voltage of the SPAD. The system may further include a trigger network configured to generate pulses on a trigger line in response to SPADs of the array undergoing breakdown. The system may still further include a pulse-width filter configured to block pulses on the trigger line whose pulse width is less than a threshold width.

A sensor system according to the present invention includes a sensor unit that is formed of a pair of a sensor and an electronic circuit unit for each of the sensors, switching circuits in the electronic circuit units are connected in series, and the electronic circuit units are configured such that, when outputs from all the sensors are normal, all the switching circuits are electrically connected in series.