ELECTRONIC SENSING CIRCUIT THAT COMPENSATES FOR REFERENCE VOLTAGE DRIFT

A sensor (10) has an output coupled to a first comparator input. A control circuit (18) is arranged to switch from an upward tracking mode to a downward relative level detection mode, to a downward tracking mode, to an upward relative level detection mode and back to the upward tracking mode successively. A first and second digital to analog conversion circuit (14a,b) receive a first and second digital control value from the control circuit (18) respectively. A controllable combiner circuit (16) has inputs coupled to outputs of the first and second digital to analog conversion circuits (14a,b) and an output coupled to the second comparator input, the control circuit (18) having first output coupled to controllable combiner circuit (16) to cause the combiner circuit (16) to supply first and second combiner output signals determined by the first and second digital to analog conversion circuit (14a,b) to the second comparator input in the upward and downward tracking mode respectively, and to supply a third combiner output signal corresponding to an average of the first and second combiner output signals to the second comparator input in the relative level detection modes. The control circuit (18) has an input coupled to the output of the comparator (12), the control circuit (18) controlling one directional upward tracking by the first digital to analog conversion circuit (14a) of upward changes of the sensing signal in the upward tracking mode, and controlling one directional downward tracking by the second digital to analog conversion circuit (14b) Of downward changes of the sensing signal in the upward tracking mode.