Isolated Differential Amplifier for High Voltage Sensor Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing temperature measurement systems in high voltage environments, such as those on printed circuit boards with power components, face challenges in ensuring adequate isolation and protection for sensors from voltage incidents, leading to potential damage and increased costs due to the need for additional isolating barriers.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing an isolated differential amplifier with galvanic isolation to protect temperature sensors, which includes a linearization stage to establish a linear relationship between sensor voltage and temperature, allowing for effective temperature measurement in high voltage environments while reducing space and cost requirements by leveraging existing components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional isolating barriers are added to protect the sensor from high voltage incidents, then the reliability of the sensor is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an isolated differential amplifier as an intermediary component between the high voltage sensor environment and the low voltage processing circuitry. This amplifier provides galvanic isolation, protecting the sensor and processing circuits from voltage incidents while maintaining signal integrity, thus improving reliability without requiring multiple additional isolating barriers
Solution Approach 2:
The isolated differential amplifier serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides galvanic isolation for protection, performs differential signal amplification, and enables accurate temperature measurement. This multi-functionality improves sensor protection while reducing device complexity by consolidating multiple required functions into a single component
2Reliability
If additional isolating barriers are added to protect the sensor, then the reliability is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The isolated differential amplifier combines multiple functions (isolation, amplification, signal conditioning) into a single component, reducing the total component count and assembly complexity. This multi-functionality maintains reliable sensor protection while lowering manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for multiple separate isolating barriers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the isolation function with the signal amplification and processing functions into a single integrated isolated differential amplifier component. This consolidation reduces the number of discrete components required, simplifying manufacturing and reducing overall system cost while maintaining protection reliability
3Device complexity
If the sensor is placed directly in the high voltage environment without adequate isolation, then the device complexity is reduced, but the sensor becomes vulnerable to voltage incidents
Solution Approach 1:
The isolated differential amplifier acts as a mediator that allows the sensor to operate in the high voltage environment while protecting it from voltage incidents. The amplifier's galvanic isolation capability blocks harmful voltage transients from reaching the sensor, enabling direct placement in high voltage environments without complex additional isolation structures
4Measurement precision
If a linearization stage is added to establish a linear relationship between sensor voltage and temperature, then the measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The linearization function is merged into the isolated differential amplifier stage, which simultaneously performs differential amplification and signal linearization. This integration improves temperature measurement precision while minimizing device complexity by combining multiple signal processing functions in a single component rather than requiring separate linearization circuitry
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides reliable temperature measurement in high voltage environments, withstanding peak voltages of up to 4 kV and enabling cost-effective implementation by using capacitive or inductive galvanic isolation, reducing the risk of damage to the isolation components and ensuring accurate temperature readings across a wide range.
Implementation Method 1
The isolation of the differential amplifier may be of the capacitive type. As a variant, it may be an isolation of the inductive type.
Implementation Method 2
As a variant, it may be an isolation of the inductive type.
Implementation Method 3
the sensor 100 which here is a negative temperature coefficient thermistor (still referred to as a CTN in English)
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for measuring the temperature of at least one electronic component (2) using a sensor (4) that supplies a temperature-dependent voltage. The method comprises the following steps in which: a signal representative of the voltage delivered by the sensor (4) is made to pass through an isolated differential amplifier (13), and the signal output from said isolated differential amplifier (13) is used to determine the temperature measured by the sensor (4).