Patent · US Expired

Circuit arrangement for monitoring an output load

US6278390A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
2References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 4, 1999
Grant dateAug 21, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 4, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03M1/1076
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A circuit arrangement for monitoring an output load (4) of a digital-to-analog current converter (1). The digital-to-analog converter supplies an analog output current dependent on a digital comparison data word to a first resistor (2) and, if present, to the output load (4) arranged in parallel with the first resistor. In order to provide a continuous monitoring of the output load, a digital first comparator (12) compares the data words applied to the digital-to-analog current converter (1) with at least one comparison data word. An analog second comparator (5) compares the voltage drop across the first resistor with at least one reference voltage and applies its output signal to a flip-flop (8). A comparison circuit (11) monitors the magnitude and/or the presence of the output load dependent on the output signals of the first comparator and the flip-flop.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.