The present invention provides a system and method for controlling a
solenoid that ensures accurate timing between the enabling of the driving
circuit and the activation of the solenoid, while simultaneously
providing a two energy level driving scheme to reduce power consumption.
The present invention utilizes a single enable signal and supplies the
solenoid two different energy levels, a higher "set" level and a lower
"hold" level. The generation of these two levels is based on the enabling
signal and guarantees that the higher "set" level is present when the
solenoid is activated, thereby minimizing undesirable timing jitter.