Power switch with an integrated temperature and current sense circuit

1. An integrated circuit comprising:

a power switch comprising a current path and a current sense node; and

a temperature sense circuit internally coupled between the current path and the current sense node of the power switch; and

a current sense resistor and an additional switch coupled between the current sense node and the current path,

wherein the current path comprises a collector node and an emitter node, and the current sense node comprises a sense emitter node, and wherein the temperature sense circuit comprises a plurality of serial-connected diodes directly coupled to the power switch only between the sense emitter node and the emitter node.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the current path comprises a drain node and a first source node, and the current sense node comprises a second source node.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , further comprising an additional diode coupled in anti-parallel with the plurality of serial-connected diodes.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the power switch further comprises a first control node and the additional switch comprises a second control node coupled to the first control node of the power switch.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sense circuit is configured to be operated in a first mode of operation.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 5 , wherein the first mode of operation comprises a free-wheeling mode.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 5 , wherein the integrated circuit is configured to be operated as a current sensing circuit in a second mode of operation.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 7 , wherein the second mode of operation comprises an on-state of the power switch.

9. A method comprising: configuring a power switch to include a current path and a current sense node; and internal to the power switch, coupling a temperature sense circuit between the current path and the current sense node of the power switch; and external to the power switch, coupling a current sense resistor and an additional switch between the current sense node and the current path, wherein the current path comprises a collector node and an emitter node, and the current sense node comprises a sense emitter node, and wherein the temperature sense circuit comprises a plurality of serial-connected diodes directly coupled to the power switch only between the sense emitter node and the emitter node.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining a temperature of the temperature sense circuit in a first mode of operation.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining a current flowing in the current sense node in a second mode of operation.