Patents Assigned to California Micro Devices
  • Patent number: 6747476
    Abstract: An active termination circuit for clamping a signal on a transmission line in an electronic device is described. The active termination circuit is configured to clamp the signal on the transmission line to one of a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level. In one embodiment, the active termination circuit includes a bottom clamping transistor coupled to a first potential having a bottom clamping transistor control node arranged for clamping the signal at about a first reference voltage. The active termination circuit also includes a top clamping transistor coupled to a second potential having a top clamping transistor control node arranged for clamping the signal at about a second reference voltage as well as an inverter unit coupling the transmission line to stabilizing capacitors for stabilizing control node voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: California Micro Devices
    Inventor: Adam J. Whitworth
  • Patent number: 6642550
    Abstract: An apparatus consisting of a single wire bond silicon sub-mount used to make an LED device which also has built-in ESD protection in the sub-mount. The single wire bond silicon sub-mount uses a pass-through interconnection between the topside of the sub-mount and the underside so that the LED chip mounted thereon is electrically coupled through the sub-mount to the anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: California Micro Devices
    Inventors: Adam John Whitworth, Faraj A. Sherrima, Ashok Kumar Chalaka
  • Patent number: 6556040
    Abstract: An active termination circuit for clamping a signal on a transmission line in an electronic device is described. The active termination circuit is configured to clamp the signal on the transmission line to one of a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level. In one embodiment, the active termination circuit includes a bottom clamping transistor coupled to a first potential having a bottom clamping transistor control node arranged for clamping the signal at about a first reference voltage. The active termination circuit also includes a top clamping transistor coupled to a second potential having a top clamping transistor control node arranged for clamping the signal at about a second reference voltage as well as an inverter unit coupling the transmission line to stabilizing capacitors for stabilizing control node voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: California Micro Devices
    Inventor: Adam J. Whitworth
  • Patent number: 6512393
    Abstract: An active termination circuit for clamping a signal on a transmission line in an electronic device is described. The active termination circuit is configured to clamp the signal on the transmission line to one of a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level. The active termination circuit includes a bottom clamping transistor having a bottom clamping transistor first node coupled to a transmission line at a transmission line node, a bottom clamping transistor second node coupled to a first potential, and a bottom clamping transistor control node coupled to a first bias voltage supply. The circuit also includes a top clamping transistor having a top clamping transistor first node coupled to the transmission line at the transmission line node, a top clamping transistor second node coupled to a second potential, and a top clamping transistor control node coupled to a second bias voltage supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: California Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam J. Whitworth, Anthony Russell
  • Publication number: 20020190747
    Abstract: An active termination circuit for clamping a signal on a transmission line in an electronic device is described. The active termination circuit is configured to clamp the signal on the transmission line to one of a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level. In one embodiment, the active termination circuit includes a bottom clamping transistor coupled to a first potential having a bottom clamping transistor control node arranged for clamping the signal at about a first reference voltage. The active termination circuit also includes a top clamping transistor coupled to a second potential having a top clamping transistor control node arranged for clamping the signal at about a second reference voltage as well as an inverter unit coupling the transmission line to stabilizing capacitors for stabilizing control node voltages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Applicant: California Micro Devices
    Inventor: Adam J. Whitworth
  • Patent number: 6452478
    Abstract: An adjustable resistor between a first terminal and a second terminal is provided. Generally, a plurality of resistors is provided comprising a set of trimmable resistors, where the trimmable resistors are electrically connected together in series, and a set of static resistors, where each static resistor is connected in parallel with a trimmable resistor of the set of trimmable resistors. A trim terminal and a plurality of diodes where each diode is electrically connected between a trimmable resistor and a trim terminal are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: California Micro Devices
    Inventor: Chuck Dale
  • Patent number: 6331787
    Abstract: An active termination circuit for clamping a signal on a transmission line in an electronic device is described. The active termination circuit is configured to clamp the signal on the transmission line to one of a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level. In one embodiment, the active termination circuit includes a bottom clamping transistor coupled to a first potential having a bottom clamping transistor control node arranged for clamping the signal at about a first reference voltage. The active termination circuit also includes a top clamping transistor coupled to a second potential having a top clamping transistor control node arranged for clamping the signal at about a second reference voltage as well as stabilizing capacitors for stabilizing control node voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: California Micro Devices Corporation
    Inventors: Adam Whitworth, Dominick Richiuso
  • Patent number: 6331786
    Abstract: An active termination circuit having a selective DC power consumption for clamping signals on a bus in an electronic device is described. The active termination circuit is configured to clamp the signals on the bus to one of a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level. In one embodiment, the active termination circuit includes bottom clamping transistors coupled to a first potential having bottom clamping transistor control nodes arranged for clamping the signal at about a first reference voltage. The active termination circuit also includes top clamping transistors coupled to a second potential having top clamping transistor control nodes arranged for clamping the signal at about a second reference voltage. The circuit also has a variable current supply coupled to said first threshold reference transistor and said second threshold reference transistor arranged to reduce the DC power consumption of the active termination circuit as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: California Micro Devices Corporation
    Inventors: Adam Whitworth, Dominick Richiuso
  • Patent number: 6329837
    Abstract: An active termination circuit for clamping signals on a bus in an electronic device is described. The active termination circuit is configured to clamp the signals on the bus to one of a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level. In one embodiment, the active termination circuit includes bottom clamping transistors coupled to a first potential having bottom clamping transistor control nodes arranged for clamping the signal at about a first reference voltage. The active termination circuit also includes top clamping transistors coupled to a second potential having top clamping transistor control nodes arranged for clamping the signal at about a second reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: California Micro Devices Corporation
    Inventors: Adam J. Whitworth, Dominick Richiuso
  • Patent number: 6326804
    Abstract: An active termination circuit having localized potential supplies for clamping a signal on a transmission line in an electronic device is described. The active termination circuit is configured to clamp the signal on the transmission line to one of a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level. In one embodiment, the active termination circuit includes a bottom clamping transistor coupled to a first localized potential having a bottom clamping transistor control node arranged for clamping the signal at about a first reference voltage. The active termination circuit also includes a top clamping transistor coupled to a second localized potential having a top clamping transistor control node arranged for clamping the signal at about a second reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: California Micro Devices
    Inventors: Adam J. Whitworth, Dominick Richiuso
  • Patent number: 6326805
    Abstract: An active termination circuit for clamping a signal on a transmission line in an electronic device is described. The active termination circuit is configured to clamp the signal on the transmission line to one of a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level. In one embodiment, the active termination circuit includes a bottom clamping transistor coupled to a first potential having a bottom clamping transistor control node arranged for clamping the signal at about a first reference voltage. The active termination circuit also includes a top clamping transistor coupled to a second potential having a top clamping transistor control node arranged for clamping the signal at about a second reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: California Micro Devices Corporation
    Inventors: Adam J. Whitworth, Dominick Richiuso
  • Patent number: 6323675
    Abstract: An active termination circuit for clamping a signal on a transmission line in an electronic device in a tri-state mode is described. The active circuit includes a tri-state output buffer and a bottom clamping transistor coupled to GND and the tri-state output buffer having a bottom clamping transistor control node arranged for clamping the signal at about GND. A bottom threshold reference transistor coupled to a first reference voltage supply configured to supply a first reference voltage. The bottom threshold reference transistor provides a first bias voltage to the bottom clamping transistor control node that biases the bottom clamping transistor control node at about a first threshold voltage above GND where the first threshold voltage represents a threshold voltage of the bottom clamping transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: California Micro Devices Corporation
    Inventors: Adam J. Whitworth, Dominick Richiuso
  • Patent number: 6323676
    Abstract: An active termination circuit for protecting a node against an ESD voltage spike is described. The ESD protection circuit includes a bottom ESD protection transistor having a first node coupled to a first potential and a bottom ESD protection transistor intrinsic diode reverse biasedly coupling said node to a first reference voltage supply and a bottom threshold reference transistor coupled to the first reference voltage supply. The bottom threshold reference transistor provides a first bias voltage to the bottom ESD protection transistor gate that biases the bottom clamping transistor gate at about a first threshold voltage from the first reference voltage representing a threshold voltage of said bottom ESD protection transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: California Micro Devices Corporation
    Inventors: Adam J. Whitworth, Dominick Richiuso
  • Patent number: 6307395
    Abstract: An active termination circuit for terminating a transmission line in bused or networked device, which might include a plurality of devices. The active termination circuit is configured to clamp a voltage level on the transmission line to one of a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level. The active termination circuit includes a first clamping transistor coupled to a transmission line terminal and a first terminal. The transmission line terminal is configured to be coupled to the transmission line in the electronic device. The first terminal is configured to be coupled to the first reference voltage level in the electronic device. There is included a second clamping transistor coupled to the transmission line terminal and a second terminal. The second terminal is configured to be coupled to the second reference voltage level in the electronic device. There is also included a first threshold reference device coupled to the first clamping transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: California Micro Devices Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey C. Kalb, John Jorgensen, Jeffrey C. Kalb, Jr., Dominick Richiuso
  • Patent number: 6285246
    Abstract: A low drop-out regulator and methods for producing a low drop-out voltage are provided. A driver transistor adapted for connecting to an input supply voltage and producing an output voltage is provided. In addition, a mirroring transistor is coupled to the driver transistor and a voltage differential between the drain and the source of the driver transistor is mirrored in the mirroring transistor. The low drop-out regulator operates in both linear and saturation regions of the driver transistor. The driver transistor and the mirroring transistor are implemented in a CMOS process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: California Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Sudip Basu
  • Patent number: 6285091
    Abstract: A voltage source switching circuit having switches capable of switching between different voltage sources with reduced voltage drop levels is disclosed. A selected one of the different voltage levels is output to a peripheral circuit or supplied to internal circuitry. In one embodiment, the switches are FET devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: California Micro Devices Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony David Chan, Anthony Gerard Russell
  • Patent number: 6281564
    Abstract: An integrated passive device array structure with a value that is programmable during manufacturing. The device structure includes a substantially conductive first layer having a plurality of passive device array elements of the integrated passive device array structure disposed above the substantially conductive first layer. The device further includes an insulating layer formed above the plurality of passive device array elements. One or more vias are selectively formed in the insulating layer. The vias facilitate electrical connections between selected ones of the plurality of passive device array elements with a substantially conductive second layer subsequently deposited above the insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: California Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Dominick L. Richiuso
  • Patent number: 6262434
    Abstract: The present invention relates, in one embodiment, to an integrated circuit including a first circuit structure, a first conductive bonding pad coupled to the first circuit structure, a second circuit structure, and a second conductive bonding pad coupled to the second circuit structure. The first conductive bonding pad is arranged to be separated from the second bonding pad by a gap having a gap dimension. The gap dimension is configured to be bridged by a wire bond, thereby permitting the wire bond to electrically couple the first conductive bonding pad with the second conductive bonding pad when the wire bond is coupled to the first bonding pad and the second bonding pad at the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: California Micro Devices Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey C. Kalb
  • Patent number: 6201679
    Abstract: An integrated electrical overload protection device and method of formation which functions as a thermal fuse. The device is integrated directly on the underlying structural or foundational material of an electrical circuit which experiences the electrical overstress. The device can be formed according to standard semiconductor process steps when formed on a semiconductor substrate. The device, or fuse, includes a first and second contact area separated by a gap area. A least a portion of the upper surfaces of the contact areas are covered with a wettable material such as gold. A solder bump, or bridge, is applied which spans the contact areas and provides an closed electrical connection. Upon application of an overload condition across the bridge material, a rise in temperature causes the solder material to melt. The solder flows onto the wettable areas and is drawn out of the gap area to thereby disrupt the electrical connection between the contact areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: California Micro Devices Corporation
    Inventor: Dominick Richiuso
  • Patent number: RE38550
    Abstract: A method for endowing an integrated passive device array structure with a programmable value during manufacturing. The method includes forming a substantially conductive first layer and forming a plurality of passive device array elements of the integrated passive device array structure above the substantially conductive first layer. The method further includes forming an insulating layer above the plurality of passive device array elements. There is further included selectively forming vais the insulating layer. The vias facilitate electrical connections between selected ones of the plurality of passive device array elements with a substantially conductive second layer subsequently deposited above the insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: California Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Dominick L. Richiuso