A sensor chip with multiplexed pins and pin multiplexing method

Abstract

The present application provides a sensor chip with multiplexed pins and a pin multiplexing method, comprising multiplexed pins, an input judgment unit, a detection unit, a signal generation unit, a pin multiplexing unit, a first functional unit, and a second functional unit. The input judgment unit is configured to receive an input signal from the multiplexed pin and output an enable signal based on whether the input signal meets a trigger condition. The detection unit is configured to detect a target environmental parameter and generate a detection signal corresponding to the target environmental parameter, where the target environmental parameter is the detection object of the sensor chip. The signal generation unit is configured to read the detection signal from the detection unit at preset intervals and generate a multiplexing signal based on the detection signal. The pin multiplexing unit is configured to output a control signal based on the multiplexing signal and the enable signal, where the control signal is used to enable a target functional unit, where the target functional unit is the first functional unit or the second functional unit. The present application is advantageous in reducing system complexity and improving the reliability and response speed of mode switching of the multiplexed pins.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of integrated circuits, and in particular to a sensor chip with multiplexed pins and a pin multiplexing method. Background Art

[0002] As chip functions and applications expand, the number of required chip pins also increases. To reduce the number of chip pins and reduce chip package size, some current chip designs use pin multiplexing technology, which allows the same pin to be used for different functions in different modes. Common pin multiplexing technology is usually implemented through configuration registers or state machines. For example, when a pin is used as a general-purpose input / output (GPIO), its function can be changed to input mode, output mode, or interrupt mode by configuring bits in a register.

[0003] Although existing solutions can achieve pin reuse and reduce the number of pins to a certain extent, existing solutions usually rely on software configuration registers to switch the functions of pins. The software configuration is highly complex and requires writing complex program code to set the pin functions, which has a high development cost. Moreover, when switching the pin function, not only is it necessary to configure the bits in the register through software programming operations, but data transmission based on communication between interfaces is also required to realize the configuration of the bits in the register, which increases the complexity of the system and may cause certain delays. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a sensor chip with multiplexed pins and a pin multiplexing method, which is conducive to reducing system complexity and cost, and improving the reliability and response speed of mode switching of the multiplexed pins.

[0005] In the first aspect, the present application provides a sensor chip with multiplexed pins, characterized in that it includes: multiplexed pins, an input judgment unit, a detection unit, a signal generating unit, a pin multiplexing unit, a first functional unit and a second functional unit; the input judgment unit is used to receive the input signal of the multiplexed pin, and output an enable signal according to whether the input signal meets the trigger condition; the detection unit is used to detect the target environmental parameters, and generate a detection signal according to the target environmental parameters, wherein the target environmental parameters are the detection objects of the sensor chip; the signal generating unit is used to read the detection signal of the detection unit at preset time intervals, and generate a multiplexing signal according to the read detection signal; the pin multiplexing unit is used to output a control signal according to the multiplexing signal and the enable signal, and the control signal is used to enable the target functional unit, and the target functional unit is the first functional unit or the second functional unit.

[0006] From the above, it can be seen that the present application realizes mode switching of multiplexed pins by multiplexing the pins of the sensor chip. For the existing sensor chips, there are fewer pins, usually less than 8 pins, or even only three pins of power, ground and output, and no other redundant pins are supported. By multiplexing the pins, one data pin can realize multiple working modes, which is beneficial to improving the working performance of the sensor chip. Moreover, the function of the sensor chip itself is used to realize the pin multiplexing of the sensor chip. Specifically, the multiplexed signal is generated by the change of the detection signal output corresponding to the target environmental parameter detected by the detection unit, and combined with the pin The control signal is output based on the input signal. Compared with the related art in which software operates the bits of the configuration register to achieve pin multiplexing, the present application does not need to specially set up a register to configure the pin multiplexing; and when switching the pin function, compared with the related art in which software configures the bits of the register to change the pin function, it is necessary to transmit a signal based on the communication function between interfaces to configure the register. The present application realizes pin multiplexing through the functional coordination between the units inside the sensor chip, and does not need to establish a communication mechanism based on the communication protocol, which is conducive to reducing system complexity, reducing the operational complexity of the pin function switching process, and reducing response delay.

[0007] Moreover, in the present application, the mode switching of the multiplexed pins is determined by the signal detected by the sensor chip, which helps to reduce manual intervention in the pin multiplexing process and improves the reliability of the mode switching of the multiplexed pins.

[0008] In addition, the pin function reuse in this application combines the target environmental parameters (such as magnetic field, temperature, and pressure) collected by the sensor chip to achieve scene adaptive control. It can be flexibly applied based on different sensor chips, and the pin reuse solution can also have good applicability.

[0009] In summary, the present application solution, based on the realization of pin reuse, is conducive to reducing system complexity and cost, and is conducive to improving the reliability and response speed of mode switching of the reused pins, and the pin reuse solution can also have good applicability.

[0010] In one implementation, the signal generating unit is specifically configured to determine a difference in the detection signals within a specified time interval, and generate the multiplexed signal according to whether the difference in the detection signals within the specified time interval is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0011] In one implementation, the multiplexing signal includes a first signal and a second signal; the control signal includes a first control signal and a second control signal, wherein the first control signal is used to enable the first functional unit and the second control signal is used to enable the second functional unit; the pin multiplexing unit is specifically used to output the first control signal when the enable signal is a preset signal and the multiplexing signal is the first signal, and output the second control signal when the enable signal is a preset signal and the multiplexing signal is the second signal.

[0012] In one implementation, the multiplexed pin is connected to an external trigger device; when the trigger device is triggered, a preset level is output to the multiplexed pin; the input judgment unit is specifically used to judge whether the input signal is at the preset level, and if the input signal is at the preset level, an enable signal is output.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the sensor chip is a magnetic angle sensor chip; the target environmental parameter is a magnetic field angle; the detection unit is specifically used to detect the magnetic field angle and generate a detection signal according to the detected magnetic field angle.

[0014] In one implementation, the first functional unit is used to start linear calibration or nonlinear calibration; the second functional unit is used to set a zero point angle value.

[0015] In one implementation, the enable signal and the multiplexing signal are both digital signals; the multiplexing signal includes a first signal and a second signal; the signal generating unit is specifically used to read the detection signal of the detection unit at preset time intervals, determine the difference of the detection signals within a specified time interval, generate a first signal when the difference of the detection signals within the specified time interval is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and generate a second signal when the difference of the detection signals within the specified time interval is less than the preset threshold; the pin multiplexing unit includes at least a logic gate circuit, the logic gate circuit has an enable end, the pin multiplexing unit is specifically used to input the enable signal and the multiplexing signal into the logic gate circuit, and input the enable signal to the enable end of the logic gate circuit; when the enable signal is a preset signal, the logic gate circuit is enabled to work, and when the multiplexing signal is the first signal, it outputs a first control signal, and when the multiplexing signal is the second signal, it outputs a second control signal, the first control signal is used to enable the first functional unit, and the second control signal is used to enable the second functional unit.

[0016] From the above, it can be seen that the present application uses a digital signal processing circuit module in the sensor chip to realize the multiplexing of the multiplexed pins. The digital signal processing circuit has a faster response speed and a relatively simple processing logic, which is conducive to further simplifying the system complexity of the sensor chip and improving the response speed of the mode switching of the multiplexed pins.

[0017] In the second aspect, the present application provides a pin multiplexing method, which is applied to a sensor chip with multiplexed pins, and the method includes: receiving an input signal input by the multiplexed pin, and outputting an enable signal based on whether the input signal meets the trigger condition; detecting the target environmental parameters, and generating a detection signal according to the detected target environmental parameters, wherein the target environmental parameters are the detection objects of the sensor chip; reading the detection signal at preset time intervals, and generating a multiplexing signal based on the read detection signal; outputting a control signal based on the multiplexing signal and the enable signal, and the control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to perform the target function, and the target function is the first function or the second function.

[0018] In one implementation, generating a multiplexed signal based on the read detection signal specifically includes: determining a difference in the detection signal within a specified time interval, and generating the multiplexed signal based on whether the difference in the detection signal within the specified time interval is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0019] In one implementation, the multiplexing signal includes a first signal and a second signal, and a control signal is output according to the multiplexing signal and the enable signal, specifically including: outputting a first control signal when the enable signal is a preset signal and the multiplexing signal is the first signal; outputting a second control signal when the enable signal is a preset signal and the multiplexing signal is the second signal; the first control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to perform a first function, and the second control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to perform a second function.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the sensor chip is a magnetic angle sensor chip; and the target environmental parameter is a magnetic field angle.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the first function is to start linear calibration or nonlinear calibration; the second function is to set a zero point angle value;

[0022] In one implementation, the multiplexed signal includes a first signal and a second signal; generating the multiplexed signal based on the read detection signal specifically includes: reading the detection signal of the detection unit at preset time intervals, determining the difference of the detection signals within a specified time interval, generating a first signal when the difference of the detection signals within the specified time interval is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and generating a second signal when the difference of the detection signals within the specified time interval is less than the preset threshold; outputting a control signal based on the multiplexed signal and the enable signal specifically includes: using a digital signal processing circuit to process the multiplexed signal and the enable signal, wherein when the enable signal is a preset signal, the digital signal processing circuit is enabled to work, and when the multiplexed signal is the first signal, the digital signal processing circuit is enabled to output a first control signal, and when the multiplexed signal is the second signal, the digital signal processing circuit is enabled to output a second control signal, the first control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to perform a first function, and the second control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to perform a second function. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a sensor chip with multiplexed pins provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a pin multiplexing method provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] As chip functions develop, the number of chip pins required is also increasing. In order to reduce the chip package volume, the number of pins that can be set on the chip is also correspondingly smaller. In particular, sensor chips have fewer pins, usually only 3-8 pins. For example, some sensors only have power, ground, and output pins, and do not support other redundant pins. At this time, the chip pins need to be reused to ensure the chip function.

[0026] The following takes an 8-pin magnetic angle sensor chip as an example to illustrate that the magnetic angle sensor chip can generally choose the serial peripheral interface output mode (hereinafter referred to as the SPI mode) or the incremental encoder output format (hereinafter referred to as the ABZ mode). In the magnetic angle sensor chip, 3 pins can be designed for ABZ mode output or SPI mode output, and 1 pin is designed to switch between ABZ mode and SPI mode output. In addition, the power interface and the ground interface also occupy 2 pins, and the remaining 2 pins of the magnetic angle sensor chip can be configured with other functions. However, the technical personnel of this application found that during the actual mass production test of the manufacturer, the use of the SPI mode for communication calibration will lead to an increase in the mass production test cost. What the manufacturer needs to do during the mass production test is to use button calibration and display calibration to complete the calibration, so many manufacturers will not use SPI communication during mass production testing; it can be seen that the sensor chip pin design needs to take into account the mass production test requirements and the package size of the magnetic angle sensor chip. In order to take into account the needs of mass production testing and reduce the cost of sensor chip development and testing, these two pins must complete three functions in the mass production test scenario: 1. Start linear calibration or nonlinear calibration, 2. Set the current angle value to the zero-point angle value, 3. Display calibration completion or calibration failure signal; among them, function 3 "display calibration completion or calibration failure signal" is the output signal of the chip, and it is preferably allocated to a pin to implement this function. In this way, one pin needs to be multiplexed to implement function 1 "start linear calibration or nonlinear calibration" and function 2 "set the current angle value to the zero-point angle value".

[0027] In the related art, pin multiplexing is usually achieved by configuring registers or state machines. For example, one or more registers specifically for switching pin functions are configured in the chip, and the various bits of the registers are configured through software (writing programs / codes) to switch the functions of each multiplexed pin. However, the software configuration is highly complex and requires writing complex program codes to set the functions of the pins, resulting in high development costs. Moreover, when switching the pin functions, not only is it necessary to configure the bits in the register through software programming operations, but data transmission based on communication between interfaces is also required to achieve the configuration of the bits in the register, which increases the complexity of the system and may also result in certain delays.

[0028] To address the issues of high pin reuse system complexity and slow mode switching response speed of multiplexed pins in related technologies, the present invention provides a sensor chip with multiplexed pins. The present invention is described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, with the development of technology and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the present invention are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0029] See first Figure 1 The present invention provides a sensor chip with multiplexed pins. The sensor chip includes a multiplexed pin 11, an input determination unit 12, a detection unit 13, a signal generation unit 14, a pin multiplexing unit 15, a first functional unit 161, and a second functional unit 162. Each unit in the sensor chip is described in detail below.

[0030] In an embodiment of the present application, the input judgment unit 12 is connected to the multiplexed pin 11, and is used to receive the input signal of the multiplexed pin 11, and judge whether the input signal meets the trigger condition, and output an enable signal according to whether the input signal meets the trigger condition.

[0031] In the embodiment of the present application, a multiplexed pin 11 is connected to an external trigger device 2. When the trigger device 2 is triggered, it outputs a specified signal to the multiplexed pin 11. By comparing the input signal of the multiplexed pin 11 with the trigger condition, it is determined whether the trigger device 2 is triggered and whether the input is valid. The trigger device 2 can be a button, switch, or other device that does not require communication based on a communication protocol. Different trigger devices correspond to different input signals.

[0032] For example, when the trigger device is a button, the input signal of the multiplexed pin is a level signal. When the button is pressed, the level of the input multiplexed pin will change. For example, when the button is pressed, the level of the input multiplexed pin changes from high to low. At this time, it is possible to determine whether the input signal of the multiplexed pin corresponds to a level change from high to low, and then determine whether the input signal is valid. For example, by detecting whether there is a falling edge in the input signal to determine whether the input signal is valid, it can be understood that the trigger condition can be detecting the falling edge of the input signal. For another example, by detecting whether the input signal is low level to determine whether the input signal is valid, it can be understood that the trigger condition can be the input signal is low level. For another example, when the multiplexed pin is a digital IO pin, by detecting whether the input signal is digital signal 0 to determine whether the input signal is valid, it can be understood that the trigger condition can be the input signal is digital signal 0.

[0033] In the embodiment of the present application, the input judgment unit 12 is preferably implemented by a digital processing circuit. In this case, the input signal needs to be processed into a digital signal. For example, the multiplexed pin can be a digital IO pin. After the trigger device is triggered, the multiplexed pin reads the trigger device state and determines the logic value by detecting whether the voltage (specified signal) is higher or lower than the threshold. The input signal of the multiplexed pin will be a digital signal of 0 or 1. For example, when the multiplexed pin is an analog IO pin and the input signal is an analog signal, the input signal can be converted from an analog signal to a digital signal through a comparison circuit. The use of digital signal processing is conducive to eliminating noise and distortion in analog signal processing and improving the reliability of the sensor chip. In addition, the circuit design method is conducive to simplifying the system operation of the sensor chip, reducing system complexity, reducing the delay of software operation, and improving the response speed of the sensor chip.

[0034] It should be noted that the above is only an example and does not limit the scope of protection of this application. Of course, the trigger component can also be other components, which are not listed here one by one.

[0035] In the embodiment of the present application, the detection unit 13 is used to detect the target environmental parameter and generate a detection signal according to the target environmental parameter, wherein the target environmental parameter is the detection object of the sensor chip. It can be understood that the sensor chip is used to convert non-electrical quantities such as physical quantities, chemical quantities, and biological quantities in the environment into electrical signals. Each different sensor chip has its corresponding detection object. Specifically, for example, the sensor chip is a magnetic angle sensor chip, and the magnetic angle sensor chip is used to detect the magnetic field angle. It can be understood that the target environmental parameter is the magnetic field angle; for another example, the sensor chip is a temperature sensor chip, and the temperature sensor chip is used to detect temperature, then the target environmental parameter is temperature; for another example, if the sensor chip is a photoelectric encoder, then the target environmental parameter can be luminous flux.

[0036] Specifically, the detection unit 13 may include a sensing module, an analog-to-digital conversion module, and a signal processing module. The sensing module in the detection unit 13 generates a corresponding change in current or voltage after detecting the target environmental parameter. The analog-to-digital conversion module converts the current / voltage into a digital quantity, and the signal processing module performs digital processing on the digital quantity to calculate the corresponding detection signal. For example, if the sensor chip is a magnetic angle sensor chip, the sensing module is a Hall effect disc; if the sensor chip is a photoelectric encoder, the sensing module is composed of an optical encoder disc and a photosensor.

[0037] In an embodiment of the present application, the signal generating unit 14 is connected to the detection unit 13, and the signal generating unit 14 is used to read the detection signal of the detection unit at preset time intervals, and generate a multiplexed signal based on the read detection unit. Specifically, the signal generating unit 14 can generate a multiplexed signal based on the change of the detection signal within a specified time interval. For example, the signal generating unit 14 can generate a multiplexed signal based on whether the difference of the detection signals read within a specified time interval is greater than or equal to a preset threshold. For another example, the signal generating unit 14 can generate a multiplexed signal based on the rate of change of the detection signal read within a specified time interval. The signal generating unit 14 can also generate a multiplexed signal based on whether the deviation of the detection signal read at every preset time interval from the initial signal is greater than a first value. It should be noted that this is only an example and does not limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0038] The specified time interval can be different from or the same as the preset time. The preset time and the specified time interval can be set according to actual needs, and the preset threshold can also be set according to specific needs. Of course, the shorter the preset time, the faster the sampling frequency, and the more timely monitoring of changes in the detection signal. Combined with an appropriate specified time interval, the computing resources of the sensor chip can be saved. If the sampling frequency is too low, the detection signal may change very little, but the object used to generate the target environmental parameters has changed significantly. For example, when a magnetic angle sensor chip detects the rotation angle of a magnet, if the preset time is 1 second, the magnet may rotate very fast and many times, but the sampled angle may change very little.

[0039] When the sensor chip is a magnetic angle sensor chip, for example, the signal generation unit reads the detection signal of the detection unit every 1 microsecond (an example of a preset time interval) and generates a multiplexed signal based on whether the difference in the detection signal within 1 second (an example of a specified time interval) is greater than 5° (an example of a preset threshold). For another example, the signal generation unit reads the detection signal every 1 microsecond and determines whether the difference in the detection signal within 1.5 seconds is greater than or equal to 7° to generate the multiplexed signal. For another example, the signal generation unit reads the detection signal of the detection unit every 1 microsecond and generates the multiplexed signal based on whether the rate of change of the detection signal within 1 millisecond is greater than or equal to 0.5° / millisecond.

[0040] In the embodiment of the present application, the signal generating unit 14 generates a multiplexed signal based on the read detection signal, wherein the signal generating unit 14 can be implemented by a digital signal processing circuit, and the multiplexed signal output after processing by the signal generating unit 14 is a digital signal; the signal generating unit 14 can also be implemented by software instructions, and the multiplexed signal output at this time is an instruction signal. It can be understood that a microcontroller unit (MCU) is configured in the sensor chip, and the signal generating unit is implemented by the MCU. Of course, the signal generating unit of the sensor chip in the embodiment of the present application preferably adopts a digital circuit processing method, and the transmission between units preferably adopts digital signals for transmission, which is conducive to reducing the system's computing cost for complex data, simplifying the system complexity, and further improving the response speed of the sensor chip, and is conducive to improving the noise resistance and reliability.

[0041] In the embodiment of the present application, the input end of the pin multiplexing unit 15 is connected to the output end of the input judgment unit 12 and the output end of the signal generation unit 14, respectively. The output end of the pin multiplexing unit 15 is connected to the first functional unit 161 and the second functional unit 162, respectively. The pin multiplexing unit 15 is configured to output a control signal based on a multiplexing signal and an enable signal. The control signal is used to enable a target functional unit, which is either the first functional unit 161 or the second functional unit 162. It will be understood that the pin multiplexing unit 15 switches the function of the multiplexing pin 11 based on the enable signal and the multiplexing signal. If the multiplexing pin 11 is currently operating in the first functional mode (i.e., the input state of the multiplexing pin is used to enable the sensor chip to perform the first function), if the control signal output by the pin multiplexing unit 15 after processing is to enable the second functional unit 162, the multiplexing pin 11 will operate in the second functional mode. If the control signal output by the pin multiplexing unit 15 after processing is to enable the first functional unit 161, the multiplexing pin 11 will continue to operate in the first functional mode.

[0042] In the embodiment of the present application, the multiplexing signal includes a first signal and a second signal; the control signal includes a first control signal and a second control signal, wherein the first control signal is used to enable the first functional unit 161, and the second control signal is used to enable the second functional unit 162; the pin multiplexing unit 15 is specifically used to output the first control signal when the enable signal is a preset signal and the multiplexing signal is the first signal; and output the second control signal when the enable signal is a preset signal and the multiplexing signal is the second signal.

[0043] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, the pin multiplexing unit 15 receives an enable signal, and when the enable signal is a preset signal, the pin multiplexing unit 15 is enabled to work. The pin multiplexing unit can be implemented by configuring an MCU in the sensor chip. It can be understood that the pin multiplexing unit 15 determines whether the enable signal is valid by running a software instruction. For example, the enable signal is a command signal, and the pin multiplexing unit 15 is used to determine whether the enable signal is a preset command (in this case, the preset signal is a preset command). If the enable signal is a preset command, the enable signal is valid, and the pin multiplexing unit 15 is enabled to work. The pin multiplexing unit can also determine whether the enable signal is valid through a hardware circuit (such as a digital signal processing circuit). For example, the enable signal is input into the enable end of the circuit in the pin multiplexing unit 15. The pin multiplexing unit can be enabled to work when the enable signal is a digital signal 0, and the preset signal is a digital signal 0, or it can be enabled to work when the enable signal is a digital signal 1, and the preset signal is a digital signal 1. In the embodiment of the present application, the preset signal can be set according to the type of the enable signal and the enable logic of the pin multiplexing unit.

[0044] When the enable signal is valid (ie, the enable signal is a preset signal), the pin multiplexing unit 15 may output the control signal only according to the multiplexing signal, or may output the control signal according to the enable signal and the multiplexing signal.

[0045] Specifically, in the embodiments of the present application, the control signal can be an instruction signal or a digital signal. For example, when the control signal is a digital signal, the digital signal is sent to the enable terminal corresponding to the target functional unit to enable the target functional unit. The control signal can also be an instruction signal, and the target functional unit is triggered to work by the instruction. For example, when the control signal is a digital signal, the pin multiplexing unit can be connected to the enable terminal of the first functional unit and the enable terminal of the second functional unit respectively. The first functional unit is enabled when the enable terminal receives a digital signal 0, and the second functional unit is enabled when the enable terminal receives a digital signal 1. In this case, the first control signal is a digital signal 0, and the second control signal is a digital signal 1. In this way, different functional units can be enabled according to the output control signal.

[0046] From the above, it can be seen that the embodiment of the present application utilizes the function of the sensor chip itself to realize the pin multiplexing of the sensor chip. Specifically, the multiplexing signal is generated by the change of the detection signal output corresponding to the target environmental parameter detected by the detection unit. Compared with the related art that implements pin multiplexing by software operation configuration register bits, the embodiment of the present application does not need to specially set up registers to configure pin multiplexing; and when switching pin functions, compared with the related art that changes the pin function by software configuration register bits, it is necessary to transmit signals based on the communication function between interfaces to configure the register. The present application realizes pin multiplexing through the functional coordination between the units inside the sensor chip, without the need to establish a communication mechanism, which is conducive to reducing system complexity, reducing the operational complexity of the pin function switching process, and reducing response delay.

[0047] Furthermore, this application generates multiplexed signals directly based on changes in the detection signals outputted by the target environmental parameters detected by the sensor chip. The mode switching of the multiplexed pins is determined by the signals detected by the sensor chip. This helps reduce manual intervention during pin multiplexing and improves the reliability of the mode switching of the multiplexed pins. Furthermore, the pin function multiplexing in this application combines the target environmental parameters (such as magnetic field, temperature, and pressure) collected by the sensor chip to achieve scene-adaptive control. This allows for flexible application based on different sensor chips, and the pin multiplexing solution also has good applicability.

[0048] Below, taking the aforementioned sensor chip as a magnetic angle sensor chip as an example, the multiplexed pins of the magnetic angle sensor chip are multiplexed through digital circuit processing to enable the multiplexed pins to work in the "start linear calibration or nonlinear calibration" mode (first functional mode) and the "set zero point angle value" mode (second functional mode) respectively, and the multiplexing scheme of the multiplexed pins in the embodiment of the present application is illustrated by example.

[0049] The multiplexed pin of the magnetic angle sensor chip is a digital IO. The multiplexed pin is connected to an external button (trigger device). When the button is pressed / triggered, a low level (input signal) is sent to the multiplexed pin. At this time, the multiplexed pin will transmit a digital signal 0 (input signal) to the input judgment unit. When the button is not pressed / triggered, the multiplexed pin will receive a high level. At this time, the multiplexed pin will input an input signal of 1 to the input judgment unit.

[0050] The input judgment unit receives the input signal input from the multiplexed pin, and processes the processed input signal and digital signal 0 (trigger condition) through a logic gate circuit (such as an OR gate) and other circuits to output an enable signal; wherein, if the input signal is digital signal 0, the input judgment unit outputs digital signal 0 (enable signal) accordingly; if the input signal is digital signal 1, the input judgment unit outputs digital signal 1 accordingly.

[0051] The detection unit of the magnetic angle sensor chip detects the magnetic field angle (target environmental parameter). After detecting the change in the magnetic field angle, there will be a corresponding change in current / voltage. The detection unit will convert the current / voltage into an angle value (detection signal) and then transmit the angle value to the signal generation unit. Specifically, the detection unit will convert the current / voltage into a digital quantity through ADC analog-to-digital conversion, calculate the angle value using digital processing, and then transmit the angle value to the signal generation unit.

[0052] The signal generating unit reads the angle value of the detection unit every 1 microsecond (preset time) and determines the difference of the read angle values ​​within 1 second. When the difference of the angle values ​​within 1 second is greater than or equal to 5° (preset threshold), a digital signal 0 (first signal) is generated. When the difference of the angle values ​​within 1 second is less than 5°, a digital signal 1 (second signal) is generated.

[0053] The pin multiplexing unit at least includes a logic gate circuit (such as an OR gate), which has an enable end. The enable signal and the multiplexing signal are input into the logic gate circuit, and the enable signal is input to the enable end of the logic gate circuit. When the enable signal is digital signal 0 (preset signal), the logic gate circuit is enabled to work; the logic gate circuit performs logical processing on the enable signal and the multiplexing signal, and outputs digital signal 0 (first control signal) when the multiplexing signal is digital signal 0 (first signal), and outputs digital signal 1 (second control signal) when the multiplexing signal is digital signal 1 (second signal); the first control signal is used to enable the "start linear calibration or nonlinear calibration" function unit (first functional unit), and the second control signal is used to enable the "set zero point angle value" function unit (second functional unit).

[0054] It should be noted that the circuit and specific examples involved in this example description are one implementation method of the embodiment of the present application, and do not limit the solution of the present application. They can be designed according to actual needs and are all within the scope of protection of this application.

[0055] Another embodiment of the present application further provides a pin multiplexing method, which is applied to a sensor chip having multiplexed pins. The pin multiplexing method includes:

[0056] Step S200: receiving an input signal from a multiplexed pin and outputting an enable signal according to whether the input signal meets a trigger condition;

[0057] Step S201: detecting target environmental parameters and generating a detection signal according to the detected target environmental parameters, wherein the target environmental parameters are detection objects of the sensor chip;

[0058] Step S202: reading a detection signal at a preset time interval, and generating a multiplexed signal according to the read detection signal;

[0059] Step S203: outputting a control signal according to the multiplexing signal and the enable signal, wherein the control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to execute a target function, where the target function is the first function or the second function.

[0060] In the embodiment of the present application, generating a multiplexed signal based on the read detection signal in step S202 may specifically include: determining the difference of the detection signals within a specified time interval, and generating a multiplexed signal based on whether the difference of the detection signals within the specified time interval is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0061] In an embodiment of the present application, the multiplexed signal includes a first signal and a second signal. Outputting a control signal based on the multiplexed signal and the enable signal may specifically include: outputting a first control signal when the enable signal is a preset signal and the multiplexed signal is the first signal; outputting a second control signal when the enable signal is a preset signal and the multiplexed signal is the second signal; the first control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to perform a first function, and the second control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to perform a second function.

[0062] In the embodiment of the present application, the sensor chip can be a magnetic angle sensor chip, and the target environmental parameter is the magnetic field angle; detecting the target environmental parameter and generating a detection signal according to the detected target environmental parameter is specifically: detecting the magnetic field angle, and generating a detection signal according to the detected magnetic field angle.

[0063] In the embodiment of the present application, the first function may be to start linear calibration or nonlinear calibration; the second function may be to set the zero point angle value.

[0064] The multiplexed signal includes a first signal and a second signal; generating the multiplexed signal based on the read detection signal may specifically include: reading the detection signal of the detection unit at preset time intervals, determining the difference of the detection signals within a specified time interval, generating a first signal when the difference of the detection signals within the specified time interval is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and generating a second signal when the difference of the detection signals within the specified time interval is less than the preset threshold; outputting a control signal based on the multiplexed signal and the enable signal, specifically including: using a digital signal processing circuit to process the multiplexed signal and the enable signal, wherein when the enable signal is a preset signal, the digital signal processing circuit is enabled to work, and when the multiplexed signal is the first signal, the digital signal processing circuit is enabled to output a first control signal, and when the multiplexed signal is the second signal, the digital signal processing circuit is enabled to output a second control signal, the first control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to perform a first function, and the second control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to perform a second function.

[0065] The pin multiplexing method in the embodiment of the present application corresponds to the function implementation process of each unit in the sensor chip with multiplexed pins in the aforementioned embodiment of the present application. The parameters and related detailed schemes involved in the embodiment of the present application can be referred to the specific description of the aforementioned embodiment of the present application and will not be repeated here.

[0066] From the above, it can be seen that the embodiment of the present application utilizes the function of the sensor chip itself to realize the pin multiplexing of the sensor chip. Specifically, the multiplexing signal is generated by the change of the detection signal output corresponding to the target environmental parameter detected by the sensor chip, and the control signal is output in combination with the input signal of the multiplexed pin. Compared with the software operation configuration register bit in the related art to realize pin multiplexing, the present application does not need to specially set up a register to configure the pin multiplexing; and when switching the pin function, compared with the software configuration register bit in the related art to change the pin function, it is necessary to transmit the signal based on the communication function between the interfaces to configure the register. The embodiment of the present application does not require external communication for configuration in the mode switching of the multiplexed pin, which is beneficial to reducing the system complexity, reducing the operational complexity of the pin function switching process, and reducing response delay.

[0067] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present application, the mode switching of the multiplexed pins is determined by the signals detected within the sensor chip. This reduces manual intervention during the pin multiplexing process and improves the reliability of the multiplexed pin mode switching. Furthermore, the pin function multiplexing in the embodiments of the present application combines the target environmental parameters (such as magnetic field, temperature, and pressure) collected by the sensor chip to achieve scene-adaptive control. This allows for flexible application based on different sensor chips, and the pin multiplexing solution also has good applicability.

[0068] Finally, it should be emphasized that the above is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and modifications. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A sensor chip with multiplexed pins, characterized in that: include: Multiplexing pins, an input judgment unit, a detection unit, a signal generation unit, a pin multiplexing unit, a first functional unit, and a second functional unit; The input judgment unit is used to receive the input signal of the multiplexed pin and output an enable signal according to whether the input signal meets the trigger condition; The detection unit is used to detect a target environmental parameter and generate a detection signal according to the target environmental parameter, wherein the target environmental parameter is a detection object of the sensor chip; The signal generating unit is configured to read the detection signal of the detection unit at predetermined intervals and generate a multiplexed signal according to the read detection signal; The pin multiplexing unit is used to output a control signal according to the multiplexing signal and the enable signal, and the control signal is used to enable a target functional unit, and the target functional unit is the first functional unit or the second functional unit.

2. The sensor chip with multiplexed pins according to claim 1, characterized in that: The signal generating unit is specifically configured to determine a difference value of the detection signals within a specified time interval, and generate a multiplexed signal according to whether the difference value of the detection signals within the specified time interval is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

3. The sensor chip with multiplexed pins according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multiplexed signal includes a first signal and a second signal; The control signal includes a first control signal and a second control signal, wherein the first control signal is used to enable the first functional unit, and the second control signal is used to enable the second functional unit; The pin multiplexing unit is specifically configured to output the first control signal when the enable signal is a preset signal and the multiplexing signal is a first signal, and output the second control signal when the enable signal is a preset signal and the multiplexing signal is a second signal.

4. The sensor chip with multiplexed pins according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The multiplexed pin is connected to an external trigger device; When the trigger device is triggered, outputting a preset level to the multiplexed pin; The input judgment unit is specifically configured to judge whether the input signal is at the preset level, and output an enable signal if the input signal is at the preset level.

5. The sensor chip with multiplexed pins according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The sensor chip is a magnetic angle sensor chip; the target environmental parameter is a magnetic field angle; The detection unit is specifically used to detect the magnetic field angle and generate a detection signal according to the detected magnetic field angle; The first functional unit is used to start linear calibration or nonlinear calibration; The second functional unit is used to set a zero point angle value.

6. The sensor chip with multiplexed pins according to claim 5, characterized in that: The enable signal and the multiplexed signal are both digital signals; The multiplexed signal includes a first signal and a second signal; the signal generating unit is specifically configured to read the detection signal of the detection unit at predetermined intervals, determine a difference in the detection signals within a specified time interval, generate a first signal when the difference in the detection signals within the specified time interval is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, and generate a second signal when the difference in the detection signals within the specified time interval is less than the predetermined threshold; The pin multiplexing unit includes at least a logic gate circuit, which has an enable end. The pin multiplexing unit is specifically used to input the enable signal and the multiplexing signal into the logic gate circuit, and input the enable signal to the enable end of the logic gate circuit; when the enable signal is a preset signal, the logic gate circuit is enabled to work, and when the multiplexing signal is the first signal, it outputs a first control signal, and when the multiplexing signal is the second signal, it outputs a second control signal, the first control signal is used to enable the first functional unit, and the second control signal is used to enable the second functional unit.

7. A pin multiplexing method, applied to a sensor chip with multiplexed pins, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving an input signal inputted by the multiplexed pin, and outputting an enable signal according to whether the input signal meets a trigger condition; Detecting a target environmental parameter and generating a detection signal according to the detected target environmental parameter, wherein the target environmental parameter is a detection object of the sensor chip; Reading the detection signal at a preset time interval, and generating a multiplexed signal according to the read detection signal; A control signal is output according to the multiplexing signal and the enable signal, where the control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to execute a target function, where the target function is the first function or the second function.

8. The pin multiplexing method according to claim 7, characterized in that: Generating a multiplexed signal according to the read detection signal specifically includes: A difference value of the detection signal within a specified time interval is determined, and a multiplexed signal is generated according to whether the difference value of the detection signal within the specified time interval is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

9. The pin multiplexing method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The multiplexed signal includes a first signal and a second signal, and outputting a control signal according to the multiplexed signal and the enable signal specifically includes: outputting a first control signal when the enable signal is a preset signal and the multiplexed signal is a first signal; outputting a second control signal when the enable signal is a preset signal and the multiplexed signal is a second signal; The first control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to perform a first function, and the second control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to perform a second function.

10. The pin multiplexing method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The sensor chip is a magnetic angle sensor chip; the target environmental parameter is a magnetic field angle; The first function is to start linear calibration or nonlinear calibration; The second function is to set the zero angle value; The multiplexed signal includes a first signal and a second signal; generating the multiplexed signal based on the read detection signal specifically includes: determining a difference between the detection signals within a specified time interval, generating a first signal when the difference between the detection signals within the specified time interval is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and generating a second signal when the difference between the detection signals within the specified time interval is less than the preset threshold; The outputting of the control signal according to the multiplexing signal and the enable signal specifically includes: using a digital signal processing circuit to process the multiplexing signal and the enable signal, wherein when the enable signal is a preset signal, the digital signal processing circuit is enabled to operate, and when the multiplexing signal is a first signal, the digital signal processing circuit is enabled to output a first control signal, and when the multiplexing signal is a second signal, the digital signal processing circuit is enabled to output a second control signal, the first control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to perform a first function, and the second control signal is used to enable the sensor chip to perform a second function.

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