Abstract: Described herein is a switching regulator that can provide a high current while operating with low noise and low spur. The switching regulator may operate with a varying switching frequency. Spurs at the varying switching frequency may be reduced by compensating an error amplifier, which controls the switching frequency.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) heater circuit comprises a drive circuit configured to increase the temperature of the IC when consuming power; a temperature sensor coupled to a control node of the drive circuit to activate and deactivate the drive circuit to provide an ambient temperature for the IC, wherein current of the temperature sensor varies with temperature; and a control circuit coupled to the temperature sensor and configured to adjust variation in the temperature sensitivity of the current of the temperature sensor.

Abstract: Physical Unclonable Functions, PUFs, are hardware devices designed to generate a number that is random (i.e., two identical PUFs should produce randomly different numbers from each other) and persistent (i.e., a PUF should consistently generate the same number over time). Over time, aspects of the PUF hardware may change or drift, which may ultimately cause the generated number to change, and therefore no longer be persistent. Failure to generate a persistent number may cause difficulties for other devices that rely on the persistence of the number generated by the PUF, for example as part of a cryptographic process. The present disclosure relates to monitoring over time the physical characteristics of the PUF that are used to generate its number, and thereby keep track of its reliability to generate a random number that is persistent.

Abstract: Video systems with video receivers for receiving video signals transmitted in analog format over a video link are described. An example video receiver includes an interferer identification circuit and an interferer removal circuit. The interferer identification circuit is configured to identify a periodic interference signal (e.g., from one or more of vertical blanking intervals (VBIs)) of a received video signal. The interferer removal circuit is configured to generate a filtered video signal, where generation of the filtered video signal includes, for each line of a given frame of the received video signal, generating an adjusted interference signal by adjusting a phase of the identified interference signal to match a phase of a periodic noise signal in at least a portion of a horizontal blanking interval (HBI) associated with the line, and subtracting the adjusted interference signal from a plurality of active pixel values of the line.

Abstract: Herein disclosed in some embodiments is a fault detector for power amplifiers of a communication system. The fault detector can detect a portion of the power amplifiers that are in fault condition and can prevent or limit current flow to the power amplifiers in fault condition while allowing the rest of the power amplifiers to operate normally. The fault detector can further indicate which power amplifiers are in fault condition and/or the cause for the power amplifiers to be in fault condition. Based on the indication, a controller can direct communications away from the power amplifiers in fault condition and/or perform operations to correct the fault condition.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of monitoring the magnetic field in which a magnetic sensor is operating in to ensure that the sensor is operating within its defined magnetic window. For example, the method uses the sensor output of either a multi-turn sensor, or some other magnetoresistive sensor that is being used in conjunction with the multi-turn sensor, for example, a magnetic single turn sensor or a second multi-turn sensor, to monitor the operating magnetic field.

Abstract: A depth estimation system can use a guided filter to enhance depth estimation using brightness image. Light is projected onto an object. The object reflects at least a portion of the projected light. The reflected light is at least partially captured by an image sensor. The depth estimation system may generate a depth image based on a phase shift between the captured light and the projected light and generate a brightness image based on brightness of the captured light. The depth estimation system may use the guided filter to identify a pixel that represents at least a portion of a boundary of the object. The guided filter can determine a depth value of the pixel based on the value of the corresponding pixel in the brightness image. The depth estimation system can assign the depth value to the pixel and generates an enhanced depth image.

Abstract: A depth estimation system can enhance depth estimation using brightness image. Light is projected onto an object. The object reflects at least a portion of the projected light. The reflected light is at least partially captured by an image sensor, which generates image data. The depth estimation system may use the image data to generate both a depth image and a brightness image. The image sensor includes a plurality of pixels, each of which is associated with two ADCs. The ADCs receive different analog signals from the pixel and outputs different digital signals. The depth estimation system may use the different digital signals to determine the brightness value of a brightness pixel of the brightness image. The ADCs may be associated with one or more other pixels. The pixel and the one or more other pixels may be arranged in a same column in an array of the image sensor.

Abstract: A depth estimation system can use an image energy model to enhance depth estimation using brightness image. Light is projected onto an object. The object reflects at least a portion of the projected light. The reflected light is at least partially captured by an image sensor. The depth estimation system may generate a depth image based on a phase shift between the captured light and the projected light and generate a brightness image based on brightness of the captured light. The depth estimation system may determine a fusion energy based on the depth image and the brightness image and minimize the fusion energy to determine a new depth value of a pixel. The depth estimation system can assign the new depth value to the pixel and generates an enhanced depth image. The enhanced depth image includes better depth estimation than the original depth image.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods related to dual linear polarized wideband antennas for compact antenna arrangements are provided. An example antenna structure includes a multi-layered printed circuit board (PCB); a folded magnetoelectric antenna element including a first portion disposed on a first layer of the multi-layered PCB and a first fold portion contiguous to the first portion and extending to at least a second layer of the multi-layered PCB; and a patch antenna element disposed on a third layer of the multi-layered PCB, wherein the first, second, and third layers are separate layers of the multi-layered PCB. The antenna structure further includes a first feeding port electrically coupled to the patch antenna element, and a second feeding port electrically coupled to the patch antenna element, where the first and second feeding ports are associated with different polarizations.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods related to dual wideband antennas with arbitrary frequency ranges are provided. An example antenna structure includes a high-band patch antenna to wirelessly communicate a first signal in a first frequency band; a low-band patch antenna to wirelessly communicate a second signal in a second frequency band lower than the first frequency band, wherein the low-band patch antenna is stacked vertically below the high-band patch antenna and spaced apart from the high-band patch antenna by a dielectric substrate; a high-band excitation via electrically coupled to the high-band patch antenna; and a low-band excitation via electrically coupled to the low-band patch antenna, wherein the high-band excitation via is separate from the low-band excitation via.

Abstract: Micro-scale devices, such as transformers and capacitors, having a floating conductive layer are disclosed. A floating conductive layer may be disposed in an insulator layer and can reduce a maximum electric field between a first planar conductor and a second planar conductor of a micro-scale passive device. Reduction of a maximum electric field between a first planar conductor and a second planar conductor can reduce undesirable effects on electrical components.

Abstract: A transceiver that may be implemented in low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) transmission system or a multipoint LVDS transmission system, and corresponding systems are disclosed herein. The transceiver can filter a common-mode component of a differential input signal input into the transceiver while maintaining a high impedance for a differential-mode component of the differential input signal. The transceiver utilizes teeter-totter circuitry to maintain the high impedance for the differential-mode component of the differential input signal.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods related to antenna elements with perforations and augmentations are provided. An example patch antenna structure includes a first conductive patch on a first layer of the structure, where the first conductive patch includes one or more perforations at a periphery of a first side of the first conductive patch, and one or more extended conductive portions at a second side of the first conductive patch, the second side opposite the first side; a ground plane on a ground layer of the structure, the ground layer spaced apart from the first layer; and a first signal feed to couple a signal to the first conductive patch. In an example, an individual extended conductive portion of the one or more extended conductive portions may compensate a radiation pattern associated with a corresponding one of the one or more perforations.

Abstract: Anisotropic-magnetoresistive (AMR) sensors are described. The AMR sensors have a barber pole structure with multiple constant width sections of different width. In some embodiments, two sections of greater, constant width are positioned at ends of the AMR sensor, with a section of smaller width positioned in between. The sections of greater width may have a total length less than the section of smaller width. The structures described may provide enhanced linearity.

Abstract: Isolators for high frequency signals transmitted between two circuits configured to operate at different voltage domains are provided. The isolators may include resonators capable of operating at high frequencies with high bandwidth, high transfer efficiency, high isolation rating, and a small substrate footprint. In some embodiments, the isolators may operate at a frequency not less than 30 GHz, not less than 60 GHz, or between 20 GHz and 200 GHz, including any value or range of values within such range. The isolators may include isolator components galvanically isolated from and capacitively coupled to each other. The sizes and shapes of the isolator components may be configured to control the values of equivalent inductances and capacitances of the isolators to facilitate resonance in operation. The isolators are compatible to different fabrication processes including, for example, micro-fabrication and PCB manufacture processes.

Abstract: An impedance in an electrochemical gas sensor can be measured by connecting at least one pin in an integrated circuit to at least one electrode in an electrochemical gas sensor, using a damping capacitor to connect the at least one pin in the integrated circuit to an electrical ground, applying a voltage to the electrochemical gas sensor to provide a bias voltage to at least one electrode in the electrochemical gas sensor, receiving a current from at least one electrode in the electrochemical gas sensor, determining a measured gas amount from the received current, activating a switch located within the integrated circuit to isolate the damping capacitor from the at least one pin in the integrated circuit, and measuring an impedance of the electrochemical gas sensor using an excitation signal while the at least one damping capacitor is isolated from the at least one electrode in the electrochemical gas sensor.

Abstract: A system current sensor module can accurately sense or measure system current flowing through a sense current resistor by shunting current through a gain-setting resistor and using an amplifier to measure a resulting voltage, with an output transistor controlled by the amplifier controlling current through the gain setting resistor in a manner that tends to keep the amplifier inputs at the same voltage. The resistors can be thermally coupled to maintain similar temperatures when a system current is flowing. The thermal coupling can include conducting heat from a first resistor layer carrying the current sense resistor to a thermal cage layer located beyond a second resistor layer carrying the gain-setting resistor. This preserves accuracy, including during aging.

Abstract: High speed, high dynamic range SAR ADC method and architecture. The SAR DAC comparison method can make fewer comparisons with less charge/fewer capacitors. The architecture makes use of a modified top plate switching (TPS) DAC technique and therefore achieves very high-speed operation. The present disclosure proffers a unique SAR ADC method of input and reference capacitor DAC switching. This benefits in higher dynamic range, no external decoupling capacitory requirement, wide common mode range and overall faster operation due to the absence of mini-ADC.

Abstract: Isolators for high frequency signals transmitted between two circuits configured to operate at different voltage domains are provided. The isolators may include resonators capable of operating at high frequencies with high bandwidth, high transfer efficiency, high isolation rating, and a small substrate footprint. In some embodiments, the isolators may operate at a frequency not less than 30 GHz, not less than 60 GHz, or between 20 GHz and 200 GHz, including any value or range of values within such range. The isolators may include isolator components galvanically isolated from and capacitively coupled to each other. The sizes and shapes of the isolator components may be configured to control the values of equivalent inductances and capacitances of the isolators to facilitate resonance in operation. The isolators are compatible to different fabrication processes including, for example, micro-fabrication and PCB manufacture processes.