Extending the dynamic range in an energy measurement device

1. An apparatus comprising:

an amplifier for amplifying an input signal and for generating a modified signal based upon said input signal;

an analog-to-digital converter coupled to said amplifier, said analog-to-digital converter for sampling said modified signal and generating data corresponding to said modified signal;

a scaling adjustment module coupled to said analog-to-digital converter, said scaling adjustment module for reducing a magnitude of said data and generating modified data; and

a gain control module coupled to said analog-to-digital converter, wherein said apparatus is for measuring energy usage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said gain control module is coupled to said scaling adjustment module, and wherein said gain control module is operable to determine a gain setting based upon said data received from said analog-to-digital converter.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said gain control module is operable to provide said gain setting to said scaling adjustment module.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said gain setting is used by said amplifier to generate said modified signal from said input signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said amplifier is coupled to said scaling adjustment module.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said amplifier provides a said gain setting to said scaling adjustment module.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said gain setting is selected to improve sampling of said modified signal by said analog-to-digital converter.

8. A method of measuring energy usage, said method comprising:

modifying an input signal based on a setting value to generate a modified signal;

sampling said modified signal and generating data corresponding to said modified signal;

determining whether to adjust said setting value; and

scaling said data based upon said setting value to generate modified data, wherein said scaling said data comprises reducing a magnitude of said data.

9. The method as described in claim 8 , wherein said determining whether to adjust said setting value comprises comparing said data to a threshold value.

10. The method as described in claim 8 , further comprising:

adjusting said setting value to improve said sampling.

11. The method as described in claim 8 , wherein said data comprises voltage peak-to-peak information associated with said modified signal.

12. The method as described in claim 8 , wherein said setting value is a gain setting value.

13. The method as described in claim 8 , wherein said setting value is an attenuation setting value.

14. The method as described in claim 8 , further comprising:

transmitting said setting value for use in performing said scaling.

15. A system comprising:

means for modifying an input signal based on a setting value to generate a modified signal;

means for sampling said modified signal and generating data corresponding to said modified signal;

means for determining whether to adjust said setting value; and

means for scaling said data based upon said setting value to generate modified data, wherein said scaling said data comprises reducing a magnitude of said data.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein said means for determining whether to adjust said setting value comprises means for comparing said data to a threshold value.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

means for adjusting said setting value to improve said sampling.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein said data comprises voltage peak-to-peak information associated with said modified signal.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein said setting value comprises a gain setting.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein said setting value comprises an attenuation setting.