On-chip temperature sensor circuits
A diode voltage from a diode circuit can be combined with a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) voltage generated by a PTAT circuit to determine a temperature sensor voltage. This temperature sensor voltage may correspond to a temperature of a circuit or a localized temperature. By determining the temperature sensor voltage using a combination of a PTAT voltage and diode voltage, it is possible to remove or a PTAT circuit used to generate a bandgap voltage, which may shrink the temperature sensor and increase the accuracy of the temperature sensor circuit.
1. A temperature sensor comprising:
a voltage generator circuit including a diode circuit and a proportional to absolute temperature circuit, the diode circuit being configured to generate a diode voltage, and the proportional to absolute temperature circuit being configured to generate a proportional to absolute temperature voltage;
a first scalar circuit configured to weigh the diode voltage to obtain a weighted diode voltage;
a second scalar circuit configured to weigh the proportional to absolute temperature voltage to obtain a weighted proportional to absolute temperature voltage; and
a combiner configured to combine the weighted diode voltage and the weighted proportional to absolute temperature voltage to obtain a temperature sensor voltage.
2. The temperature sensor of claim 1 , wherein the combiner is implemented using an adder or an operational amplifier.
3. The temperature sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first scalar circuit or the second scalar circuit is implemented using an operational amplifier.
4. The temperature sensor of claim 1 , wherein the proportional to absolute temperature circuit is an active matching circuit that includes a current mirror circuit or a differential pair circuit.
5. The temperature sensor of claim 1 , wherein the voltage generator circuit further includes a second combiner configured to combine the diode voltage and the proportional to absolute temperature voltage to obtain a bandgap voltage.
6. The temperature sensor of claim 5 , further comprising a third scalar circuit configured to weigh the bandgap voltage.
7. A front-end module comprising:
a power amplifier module configured to amplify a transmit signal; and
a temperature sensor that includes a voltage generator circuit, a first scalar circuit, a second scalar circuit, and a combiner, the voltage generator circuit including a diode circuit and a proportional to absolute temperature circuit, the diode circuit being configured to generate a diode voltage, the proportional to absolute temperature circuit being configured to generate a proportional to absolute temperature voltage, the first scalar circuit being configured to weigh the diode voltage to obtain a weighted diode voltage, the second scalar circuit being configured to weigh the proportional to absolute temperature voltage to obtain a weighted proportional to absolute temperature voltage, the combiner being configured to combine the weighted diode voltage and the weighted proportional to absolute temperature voltage to obtain a temperature sensor voltage, and the temperature sensor being in electrical communication with the power amplifier module and configured to supply a bandgap voltage generated by the voltage generator circuit to the power amplifier module.
8. The front-end module of claim 7 , wherein the combiner is implemented using an adder.
9. The front-end module of claim 7 , wherein the combiner is implemented using an operational amplifier.
10. The front-end module of claim 7 , wherein the first scalar circuit or the second scalar circuit is implemented using an operational amplifier.
11. The front-end module of claim 7 , wherein the proportional to absolute temperature circuit is an active matching circuit that includes a current mirror circuit or a differential pair circuit.
12. The front-end module of claim 7 , wherein the voltage generator circuit further includes a second combiner configured to combine the diode voltage and the proportional to absolute temperature voltage to obtain a bandgap voltage.
13. The front-end module of claim 12 wherein the temperature sensor further includes a third scalar circuit configured to weigh the bandgap voltage.
14. A wireless device comprising:
a front-end module including a power amplifier module configured to amplify a signal to obtain an amplified signal, and a temperature sensor that includes a voltage generator circuit, a first scalar circuit, a second scalar circuit, and a combiner, the voltage generator circuit including a diode circuit and a proportional to absolute temperature circuit, the diode circuit being configured to generate a diode voltage, the proportional to absolute temperature circuit being configured to generate a proportional to absolute temperature voltage, the first scalar circuit being configured to weigh the diode voltage to obtain a weighted diode voltage, the second scalar circuit being configured to weigh the proportional to absolute temperature voltage to obtain a weighted proportional to absolute temperature voltage, the combiner configured to combine the weighted diode voltage and the weighted proportional to absolute temperature voltage to obtain a temperature sensor voltage, the temperature sensor being in electrical communication with the power amplifier module and configured to supply a bandgap voltage generated by the voltage generator circuit to the power amplifier module; and
and an antenna in communication with the front-end module and configured to transmit the amplified signal.
15. The wireless device of claim 14 , wherein the combiner is implemented using an adder.
16. The wireless device of claim 14 , wherein the combiner is implemented using an operational amplifier.
17. The wireless device of claim 14 , wherein the first scalar circuit or the second scalar circuit is implemented using an operational amplifier.
18. The wireless device of claim 14 , wherein the proportional to absolute temperature circuit is an active matching circuit that includes a current mirror circuit or a differential pair circuit.
19. The wireless device of claim 14 , wherein the voltage generator circuit further includes a second combiner configured to combine the diode voltage and the proportional to absolute temperature voltage to obtain a bandgap voltage.
20. The wireless device of claim 19 , wherein the temperature sensor further includes a third scalar circuit configured to weigh the bandgap voltage.