Two-wire active sensor interface circuit
View Patent ↗A two-wire active sensor interface circuit includes a constant current circuit adapted to be coupled to a two-wire active sensor for receipt of a sensor current signal indicating one of two sensor states. The constant current circuit provides a preselected constant current amount positioned between the two sensor states that vary the sensor current signal thereby generating a current level indicator signal. Additionally, the two-wire active sensor interface circuit includes a digital interface circuit operably coupled to the constant current circuit for receipt of the current level indicator signal and produces an interface output indicating which of the two sensor states is present.
1. A two-wire active sensor interface circuit comprising,
a constant current circuit adapted to be coupled to a two-wire active sensor for receipt of a sensor current signal indicating one of two sensor states, the constant current circuit having a preselected constant current amount positioned between the two sensor states that varies the sensor current signal thereby generating a current level indicator signal; and,
a digital interface circuit operably coupled to the constant current circuit for receipt of the current level indicator signal and operative to produce an interface output indicating which of the two sensor states is present;
wherein the constant current circuit drains a current amount from the digital interface circuit whenever the sensor current signal is less than the preselected constant current amount; and,
wherein the constant current circuit comprises a first transistor, wherein the digital interface circuit further comprises a second transistor comprising a control terminal that communicates with the first transistor without communicating with an intervening transistor, wherein the second transistor is a PNP transistor, and wherein the interface output is provided at a collector terminal of the second transistor; and
a diode and a resistance that communicate in parallel with an emitter terminal and a base terminal of the second transistor.
2. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 1 , wherein a first sensor state comprises a low current level and a second sensor state comprise a high current level, wherein the preselected constant current amount is approximately halfway between the low current level and the high current level.
3. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 2 , wherein the constant current circuit drains substantially all of the sensor current away from the digital interface circuit whenever the sensor current signal is less than the preselected constant current amount.
4. The two-wire active sensor Interface circuit of claim 2 , wherein the digital interface circuit produces a high signal output when the two-wire active sensor produces the low current level.
5. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 2 , wherein the digital interface circuit produces a low signal out when the two-wire active sensor produces the high current level
6. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 1 , wherein the current level indicator signal comprises a voltage signal generated by an impedance element coupled to the digital interface circuit
7. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 1 , wherein the constant current circuit is further operative to reduce the sensor current signal during a high voltage fault condition.
8. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature compensator operably coupled to the constant current circuit and operative to stabilize the preselected constant current amount as ambient temperatures fluctuates to hot and cold temperatures.
9. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a two-wire active sensor operably coupled to the constant current circuit and the digital interface circuit, wherein the two-wire active sensor is operative to sense a change in value or in a physical quality through an input and outputting that change as the current signal.
10. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 1 , wherein the constant current circuit comprises a current sink circuit and wherein the current sink circuit drains an amount of the sensor current signal equal to the preselected current amount whenever the sensor current signal is greater than the preselected current amount.
11. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 1 , wherein the digital interface circuit produces a pulse train having pulses transitioning between first and second interface output levels respectively corresponding to first and second sensor states, and wherein frequency of pulses in the pulse train is representative of a speed of a vehicular wheel associated with the two-wire active sensor.
12. A two-wire active sensor interface circuit comprising,
a first transistor adapted to be coupled to an output of a two-wire active sensor for receipt of a current signal indicating one of two states of the two wire active sensor, wherein the first transistor sinks a predetermined constant current amount of the current signal to generate a current indicator; and,
a switching device coupled to the first transistor for generating a signal indicating one of two states of the two-wire active sensor;
wherein the first transistor drains current from the switching device when the current signal is less than the predetermined constant current amount; and,
wherein the switching device further comprises a switching transistor comprising a control terminal that communicates with the first transistor without communicating with an intervening transistor, wherein the switching transistor is a PNP transistor, and wherein the generated signal is provided at a collector terminal of the switching transistor; and
a diode and a resistance that communicate in parallel with an emitter terminal and a base terminal of the switching transistor.
13. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 12 , wherein the first transistor is coupled to a resistor and a power source to set the predetermined constant current amount.
14. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 12 , wherein the current signal comprises a low current level and a high current level, and wherein the predetermined constant current amount is set approximately halfway between the low current level and the high current level.
15. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 12 , wherein the first transistor drains all of the current signal when the current signal is less than or equal to the predetermined constant current amount.
16. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 12 , wherein the first transistor drains a portion of the current signal when the current signal is greater than the. predetermined constant current amount.
17. The two-wire active sensor interface circuit of claim 12 , further comprising: a two-wire active sensor operably coupled to the first transistor and the switching device, wherein the two-wire active sensor is operative to sense a change in value or in a physical quality through an input and output that change as the current signal.