ADT7461
http://onsemi.com
15
Sensor Fault Detection
At its D+ input, the ADT7461 contains internal sensor
fault detection circuitry. This circuit can detect situations
where an external remote diode is either not connected or
incorrectly connected to the ADT7461. A simple voltage
comparator trips if the voltage at D+ exceeds V
DD
1 V
(typical), signifying an open circuit between D+ and D.
The output of this comparator is checked when a conversion
is initiated. Bit 2 of the status register (open flag) is set if a
fault is detected. If the ALERT
pin is enabled, setting this
flag causes ALERT
to assert low.
If the user does not wish to use an external sensor with the
ADT7461, then to prevent continuous setting of the OPEN
flag, the user should tie the D+ and D inputs together.
The ADT7461 Interrupt System
The ADT7461 has two interrupt outputs, ALERT
and
THERM
. Both have different functions and behavior.
ALERT
is maskable and responds to violations of
software-programmed temperature limits or an open-circuit
fault on the external diode. THERM
is intended as a fail-safe
interrupt output that cannot be masked.
If the external or local temperature exceeds the
programmed high temperature limits or equals or exceeds
the low temperature limits, the ALERT
output is asserted
low. An open-circuit fault on the external diode also causes
ALERT
to assert. ALERT
is reset when serviced by a master
reading its device address, provided the error condition has
gone away and the status register has been reset.
The THERM
output asserts low if the external or local
temperature exceeds the programmed THERM
limits.
THERM
temperature limits should normally be equal to or
greater than the high temperature limits. THERM
is reset
automatically when the temperature falls back within the
THERM
limit. The external limit is set by default to 85癈,
as is the local THERM
limit. A hysteresis value can be
programmed so that THERM
resets when the temperature
falls to the limit value minus the hysteresis value. This
applies to both local and remote measurement channels. The
power-on hysteresis default value is 10癈, but this may be
reprogrammed to any value after powerup.
The hysteresis loop on the THERM
outputs is useful when
THERM
is used for on/off control of a fan. The users
system can be set up so that when THERM
asserts, a fan can
be switched on to cool the system. When THERM
goes high
again, the fan can be switched off. Programming an
hysteresis value protects from fan jitter where the temperature
hovers around the THERM
limit, and the fan is constantly
being switched.
Table 14. THERM
HYSTERESIS
THERM
Hysteresis
Binary Representation
0癈
0 000 0000
1癈
0 000 0001
10癈
0 000 1010
Figure 20 shows how the THERM
and ALERT
outputs
operate. A user may choose to use the ALERT
output as an
SMBALERT
to signal to the host via the SMBus that the
temperature has risen. The user could use the THERM
output to turn on a fan to cool the system, if the temperature
continues to increase. This method would ensure there is a
fail-safe mechanism to cool the system without the need for
host intervention.
Figure 20. Operation of the ALERT
and THERM
Interrupts
1005C
THERM
LIMIT
905C
805C
705C
605C
505C
405C
THERM
LIMIT HYSTERESIS
HIGH TEMP LIMIT
RESET BY MASTER
TEMPERATURE
1
2
3
4
ALERT
THERM
1. If the measured temperature exceeds the high
temperature limit, the ALERT
output asserts low.
2. If the temperature continues to increase and
exceeds the THERM
limit, the THERM
output
asserts low. This can be used to throttle the CPU
clock or switch on a fan.
3. The THERM
output deasserts (goes high) when
the temperature falls to THERM
limit minus
hysteresis. The default hysteresis value of 10癈 is
shown in Figure 20.
4. The ALERT
output deasserts only when the
temperature falls below the high temperature limit,
and the master has read the device address and
cleared the status register.
Pin 6 on the ADT7461 can be configured as either
an ALERT
output or as an additional THERM
output. THERM2
asserts low when the
temperature exceeds the programmed local and/or
remote high temperature limits. It is reset in the
same manner as THERM
, and it is not maskable.
The programmed hysteresis value applies to
THERM2
also.
Figure 21 shows how THERM
and THERM2
might operate together to implement two methods
of cooling the system. In this example, the
THERM2
limits are set lower than the THERM
limits. The THERM2
output could be used to turn
on a fan. If the temperature continues to rise and
exceeds the THERM
limits, the THERM
output
could provide additional cooling by throttling the
CPU.