System and method for current sense resistor compensation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019064231-A1
Application number	US-201815962955-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 25, 2018
Priority date	Aug 25, 2017
Publication date	Feb 28, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for compensating for parasitics in current measurements utilizing series current sense resistors. In one or more embodiments, the techniques include connecting a probe to a terminal of a circuit and a waveform measuring device. A waveform measuring device then acquires, through the probe, a voltage waveform. A virtual probe netlist is generated, where the netlist is descriptive of a series resistance and associated parasitics. A virtual probe processor converts, based on the virtual probe netlist, the voltage waveform to a current waveform representative of a current in the circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for generating a current waveform, the method comprising:
connecting a probe to a terminal of a circuit and a waveform measuring device; acquiring, by the waveform measuring device through the probe, a voltage waveform; generating a virtual probe netlist descriptive of a series resistance and associated parasitics; converting, by a virtual probe processor based on the virtual probe netlist, the voltage waveform to the current waveform, wherein the current waveform is representative of a current in the circuit.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the associated parasitics includes a parasitic inductance and wherein the virtual probe processor compensates for the parasitic inductance based on the virtual probe netlist to generate the current waveform.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising tuning a value representing the parasitic inductance in the virtual probe netlist until unexpected characteristics associated with the parasitic inductance are substantially removed.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the unexpected characteristics include Fourier series components of the current waveform.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the unexpected characteristics include time-domain discontinuities.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the associated parasitics includes a parasitic capacitance and wherein the virtual probe processor compensates for the parasitic capacitance based on the virtual probe netlist to generate the current waveform.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the circuit is a power converter, the method further comprising tuning a value representing at least one parasitic in the virtual probe netlist until unexpected characteristics associated with a power converter are substantially removed.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, through a user interface, an adjustment to at least one value approximating the associated parasitics; and in response to receiving, through the user interface, the adjustment to the at least one value, updating the virtual probe netlist and the current waveform.

9 . The method of claim 9 , wherein converting the voltage waveform comprises applying a filter that is generated as a function of the virtual probe netlist.

10 . A system for generating a current waveform, the system comprising:
a probe that is connected to a terminal of a circuit a waveform measuring device connected to the probe that acquires, through the probe, a voltage waveform; a virtual probe processor that receives a virtual probe netlist descriptive of a series resistance and associated parasitics; wherein the virtual probe processor converts, based on the virtual probe netlist, the voltage waveform to the current waveform; wherein the current waveform is representative of a current in the circuit.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the associated parasitics includes a parasitic inductance and wherein the virtual probe processor compensates for the parasitic inductance based on the virtual probe netlist to generate the current waveform.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the virtual probe processor further tunes a value representing the parasitic inductance in the virtual probe netlist until unexpected characteristics associated with the parasitic inductance are substantially removed.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the unexpected characteristics include Fourier series components of the current waveform.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the unexpected characteristics include time-domain discontinuities.

15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the associated parasitics includes a parasitic capacitance and wherein the virtual probe processor compensates for the parasitic capacitance based on the virtual probe netlist to generate the current waveform.

16 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the circuit is a power converter, wherein the virtual probe processor further tunes a value representing at least one parasitic in the virtual probe netlist until unexpected characteristics associated with a power converter are substantially removed.

17 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a user interface for adjusting at least one value approximating the associated parasitics; wherein in response to receiving, through the user interface, an adjustment to the at least one value, the virtual probe processor updates the current waveform.

18 . The system of claim 10 , wherein virtual probe process converts the voltage waveform by applying a filter that is generated as a function of the virtual probe netlist.

19 . An apparatus for generating a current waveform, the apparatus comprising:
a probe input that includes or connects to a probe for connecting to a terminal of a circuit; a waveform processor connected to the probe input that acquires, through the probe, a voltage waveform; and a virtual probe processor that receive a virtual probe netlist descriptive of a series resistance and associated parasitics and converts, based on the virtual probe netlist, the voltage waveform to a current waveform representative of current in the circuit.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising a know or a dial that tunes a value representing the associated parasitics when turned causing the virtual probe processor to update the current waveform representative of the current in the circuit.

Assignees

• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Pupalaikis Peter J
• Jacobs Lawrence W
• Novak Istvan

Classifications

• G01R19/2509 Primary

  Details concerning sampling, digitizing or waveform capturing · CPC title

• G01R31/40

  Testing power supplies (testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10) · CPC title

• G01R19/2516

  Modular arrangements for computer based systems; using personal computers (PC's), e.g. "virtual instruments" · CPC title

• G01R15/005

  Circuits for altering the indicating characteristic, e.g. making it non-linear · CPC title