It is well known that the p-n junction of a diode has a temperature coefficient of –2 mV/°C, and this fact is often used for temperature measurement. With the new MAX651x IC family from Maxim, there is now a range of integrated thermostats with external pn-junction sensors. These devices are particularly suitable for monitoring the temperature of a chip if a diode or transistor is available within the chip for use as a sensor. A two-wire connection to the remote sensor element is necessary, even if one side (DXN) lies at ground potential. Otherwise the measurement result could be corrupted by ground currents.
Discussion (0 comments)