Systems and methods for current sensing over an extended area

摘要

Methods and systems for providing current sensing over an extended area, such as a substrate of an integrated circuit, are described. The described methods and systems particularly describe a circuit layout procedure and configuration that can be used to carry out current sensing at diverse locations in the extended area.

主权项

1. A current sensing system comprising:
a plurality of sub-circuits, wherein each sub-circuit comprises a current sensing cell and a plurality of unit cells wherein each unit cell comprises a cascode stack including i) an upper leg containing at least one field-effect transistor (FET), and ii) a lower leg containing at least one FET, a common point at which the upper leg of each unit cell and the lower leg of each unit cell are coupled to one another and coupled to a first terminal of a load, a second terminal of the load coupled to ground; and a control circuit that is configured to receive at least one binary current sense signal from the plurality of sub-circuits and generate therefrom, a control signal, the control circuit providing signals to each FET of the upper leg and lower leg, the control signals causing the FETs of the upper leg to turn on at the same time that the FETs of the lower leg turn off and causing the FETs of the lower leg to turn on at the same time that the FETs of the upper leg turn off.