The TMP03/TMP04 is a monolithic temperature detector that generates a modulated serial digital output that varies in direct proportion to the temperature of the device. An onboard sensor generates a voltage precisely proportional to absolute temperature which is compared to an internal voltage reference and input to a precision digital modulator. The ratiometric encoding format of the serial digital output is independent of the clock drift errors common to most serial modulation techniques such as voltage-to- frequency converters. Overall accuracy is ±1.5°C (typical) from -25°C to +100°C, with excellent transducer linearity. The digital output of the TMP04 is CMOS/TTL compatible, and is easily interfaced to the serial inputs of most popular microprocessors. The open-collector output of the TMP03 is capable of sinking 5 mA. The TMP03 is best suited for systems requiring isolated circuits utilizing optocouplers or isolation transformers.

The TMP03 and TMP04 are specified for operation at supply voltages from 4.5 V to 7 V. Operating from +5 V, supply current (unloaded) is less than 1.3 mA.

The TMP03/TMP04 are rated for operation over the -40°C to +100°C temperature range in the low cost TO-92, SO-8, and TSSOP-8 surface mount packages. Operation extends to +150°C with reduced accuracy.

The TMP03/TMP04 is a powerful, complete temperature measurement system with digital output, on a single chip. The onboard temperature sensor follows in the footsteps of the TMP01 low power programmable temperature controller, offering excellent accuracy and linearity over the entire rated temperature range without correction or calibration by the user.

The sensor output is digitized by a first-order sigma-delta modulator, also known as the "charge balance" type analog-to-digital converter. This type of converter utilizes time-domain oversampling and a high accuracy comparator to deliver 12 bits of effective accuracy in an extremely compact circuit.

Basically, the sigma-delta modulator consists of an input sampler, a summing network, an integrator, a comparator, and a 1-bit DAC. Similar to the voltage-to-frequency converter, this architecture creates in effect a negative feedback loop whose intent is to minimize the integrator output by changing the duty cycle of the comparator output in response to input voltage changes. The comparator samples the output of the integrator at a much higher rate than the input sampling frequency, called oversampling. This spreads the quantization noise over a much wider band than that of the input signal, improving overall noise performance and increasing accuracy.

The modulated output of the comparator is encoded using a circuit technique (patent pending) which results in a serial digital signal with a mark-space ratio format that is easily decoded by any microprocessor into either degrees centigrade or degrees Fahrenheit values, and readily transmitted or modulated over a single wire. Most importantly, this encoding method neatly avoids major error sources common to other modulation techniques, as it is clock-independent.