ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT FOR READ RESISTANCE VALUES, METHOD FOR READ RESISTANCE VALUES AND METHOD FOR PROGRAMMING AN ON AND OFF SWITCHING SPEED OF AN INTEGRATED POWER SWITCH

Abstract

A method for measuring digital resistance values, comprising: providing a semiconductor chip having a first pin and a second pin, wherein the semiconductor chip is configured to be supplied with a supply voltage, wherein the first pin is configured to accept a first voltage, and wherein the second pin is configured to accept either the first voltage or a second voltage, wherein the first voltage is lower than the supply voltage and the second voltage is non-zero and lower than the first voltage, connecting a first external resistor between the second pin and a reference potential, and connecting a second external resistor between the first pin and the second pin, wherein in a first step the first voltage is applied to the second pin and a first current is drawn.The current flowing from the second pin through the first external resistor to the reference potential due to the first voltage is internally mirrored to determine a first digital resistance value, representing a resistance of the first external resistor, using an analog-to-digital converter. In a second step, the second voltage is applied to the second pin, and a second current flowing through the second pin due to the second voltage, which has a first current component flowing from the first pin through the second resistor to the second pin minus a second current component flowing from the second pin through the first external resistor to the reference potential, is internally mirrored. An error correction current is added to the internally mirrored current to determine a second digital resistance value, representing a resistance of the second external resistor, using the analog-to-digital converter.and where the first digital resistance value is used to generate the error correction current.

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