US Patent 7759945 Sensor including dual range, application specific integrated chip (ASIC)

A sensor incorporates a dual range ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) for accurately sensing and measuring sensor input over extensive range along with an improved resolution. The sensor can incorporate an ASIC utilizing signals from a MEMS-based piezoresistive Wheatstone bridge. Signals can also come from capacitive pressure measurement sources. The signals can be converted to digital bit counts where calibration coefficients can be implemented to achieve high precision. The calibration coefficients corresponding to bit counts can be compared with transition points that are recorded into ASIC for effectively distinguishing different sensor ranges. The transition points can be stored in an EEPROM fabricated to suit ASIC applications.