US 12,235,169 B2
Temperature-sensing circuit and operating method thereof
Ju-An Chiang, Hsinchu (TW)
Assigned to WINBOND ELECTRONICS CORP., Taichung (TW)
Filed by Winbond Electronics Corp., Taichung (TW)
Filed on Dec. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/565,179.
Prior Publication US 2023/0204433 A1, Jun. 29, 2023
Int. Cl. G01K 7/01 (2006.01); G01K 3/00 (2006.01); G01K 7/00 (2006.01); G01K 15/00 (2006.01); H03M 1/46 (2006.01)
CPC G01K 7/00 (2013.01) [G01K 3/005 (2013.01); G01K 7/01 (2013.01); G01K 15/005 (2013.01); H03M 1/46 (2013.01); G01K 2219/00 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A temperature-sensing circuit, comprising:
a search-control circuit, configured to generate a reference-voltage selection signal according to a plurality of control signals;
a voltage-reference circuit, configured to select a first reference voltage from a plurality of candidate reference voltages according to the reference-voltage selection signal, and provide a second reference voltage;
a CTAT (complementary to absolute temperature) circuit, configured to convert the second reference voltage into a first comparison voltage;
a digital-to-analog converter circuit, configured to convert the first reference voltage into a second comparison voltage;
a comparison circuit, configured to compare the first comparison voltage and the second comparison voltage to generate a comparison-result signal; and
an SAR (successive approximation register) control circuit, configured to output each bit of a temperature-segment signal of an operating temperature of the temperature-sensing circuit according to the comparison-result signal,
wherein the control signals comprise the temperature-segment signal.