Abstract: A converter system includes a reference buffer buffering a reference input to produce a DAC reference, operating from a reference feedback voltage generated by a reference divider. A tail buffer generates a tail voltage from an input voltage generated from the DAC reference by a tail divider. An R-2R type DAC utilizes an R-2R ladder to generate a DAC output from a code. This ladder has a tail resistor coupled to the tail voltage. A feedback buffer buffers the DAC output to produce a converter reference. A DC-DC converter generates a DC output from a DC input, based upon a converter feedback voltage. A feedback divider coupled between the DC output and the converter reference generates the converter feedback voltage. Control circuitry selectively taps the reference divider to produce the reference feedback voltage (performing gain trimming) and selectively taps the tail divider to produce the input voltage (performing offset trimming).

Abstract: A microelectromechanical resonator device has: a main body, with a first surface and a second surface, opposite to one another along a vertical axis, and made of a first layer and a second layer, arranged on the first layer; a cap, having a respective first surface and a respective second surface, opposite to one another along the vertical axis, and coupled to the main body by bonding elements; and a piezoelectric resonator structure formed by: a mobile element, constituted by a resonator portion of the first layer, suspended in cantilever fashion with respect to an internal cavity provided in the second layer and moreover, on the opposite side, with respect to a housing cavity provided in the cap; a region of piezoelectric material, arranged on the mobile element on the first surface of the main body; and a top electrode, arranged on the region of piezoelectric material, the mobile element constituting a bottom electrode of the piezoelectric resonator structure.

Abstract: A flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) receives an input control signal and performs coarse tuning of a frequency of an output signal, produced between first and second nodes having an inductance coupled therebetween. The flash ADC quantizes an operating frequency range for the output signal produced between the first and second nodes as M·?f, where M is an integer from 0 to N?1, where N is a number of intervals into which a frequency range for the output signal is divided, and where ?f is a resulting frequency step produced by the quantizing. The value of M is generated based upon the input control signal and a word controlling switches of a plurality of switched capacitance circuits associated with the first and second nodes to close ones of those switches associated with the control word to coarsely tune the frequency of the output signal.

Abstract: The MEMS device is formed by a substrate and a movable structure suspended on the substrate. The movable structure has a first mass, a second mass and a first elastic group mechanically coupled between the first and the second masses. The first elastic group is compliant along a first direction. The first mass is configured to move with respect to the substrate along the first direction. The MEMS device also has a second elastic group mechanically coupled between the substrate and the movable structure and compliant along the first direction; and an anchoring control structure fixed to the substrate, capacitively coupled to the second mass and configured to exert an electrostatic force on the second mass along the first direction.

Abstract: A device such as a dosimeter for detecting ionizing radiation, for example, X-ray radiation, in hospitals or the like. The device includes scintillator material configured to produce light as a result of radiation interacting with the scintillator material, and photoelectric conversion circuitry optically coupled to the scintillator material and configured to produce electrical signals via photoelectric conversion of light produced by the scintillator material. The device includes a plurality of photoelectric converters optically coupled with the scintillator material at spatially separated locations. The plurality of photoelectric converters thus produce respective electrical signals by photoelectric conversion of light produced by the scintillator material as a result of radiation interacting with the scintillator material. Improved energy linearity is thus facilitated while providing more efficient detection over the whole energy spectrum of radiation detected.

Abstract: A circuit includes a high-side transistor pair and a low-side transistor pair having a common intermediate node. The high-side transistor pair includes a first transistor having a control node and a current flowpath therethrough configured to provide a current flow line between a supply voltage node and the intermediate node, and a second transistor having a current flowpath therethrough coupled to the control node of the first transistor. The low-side transistor pair includes a third transistor having a control node and a current flowpath therethrough configured to provide a current flow line between the intermediate node and the reference voltage node, and a fourth transistor having a current flowpath therethrough coupled to the control node of the third transistor. Testing circuitry is configured to be coupled to at least one of the second transistor and the fourth transistor to apply thereto a test-mode signal.

Abstract: A device include on-board memory, an applications processor, a digital signal processor (DSP) cluster, a configurable accelerator framework (CAF), and a communication bus architecture. The communication bus communicatively couples the applications processor, the DSP cluster, and the CAF to the on-board memory. The CAF includes a reconfigurable stream switch and data volume sculpting circuitry, which has an input and an output coupled to the reconfigurable stream switch. The data volume sculpting circuitry receives a series of frames, each frame formed as a two dimensional (2D) data structure, and determines a first dimension and a second dimension of each frame of the series of frames. Based on the first and second dimensions, the data volume sculpting circuitry determines for each frame a position and a size of a region-of-interest to be extracted from the respective frame, and extracts from each frame, data in the frame that is within the region-of-interest.

Abstract: Display elements, each having anode and cathode terminals, are arranged into rows and columns. Each row has an anode-line coupled to the anode terminals for its display elements. Each column has a cathode-line coupled to the cathode terminals for its display elements. A switch for each anode-line selectively couples that anode-line to a storage capacitor, and a switch for each cathode-line selectively couples that cathode-line to the storage capacitor. A display driver activates the row driver for a given row and the column driver for a given column. A switch driver closes the switch for the cathode-line for the given column, then opens the switch for that cathode-line. The display driver deactivates the row driver for the given row, after closing the switch for the cathode-line for the given column. The switch driver closes the switch for the anode-line for the given row.

Abstract: A processing system includes a reset circuit, a memory storing configuration data, and a hardware configuration circuit transmitting the configuration data to configuration data clients. The system executes a reset phase, configuration phase, and software runtime phase. First and second reset terminals are associated with first and second circuitries which are respectively associated with configuration data clients. The configuration data includes first and second mode configuration data for the first and second terminals. During the reset and configuration phase, the first circuitry activates a strong pull-down, and the second circuitry activates a weak pull-down.

Abstract: A non-emissive display includes a backlight controller sending a pulse during each sub-frame of a plurality of frames to row and column drivers that drive backlight zones. The row drivers count each pulse to keep a pulse count total, and reset the pulse count total when it is equal to a first number indicating how many row drivers are present. Each row driver activates its channels and waits for a next pulse if the pulse count total is not equal to the first number and if the pulse count total is equal to a second number indicating in which sub-frame that first driver is to be activated. Each row driver waits for a next pulse if the pulse count total is not equal to the first number and the second number. Each column driver activates its channel in response to receipt of each pulse.

Abstract: Articles such as substrates for semiconductor products comprising metal and resin portions with adhesion promoter material are processed in a plating bath, wherein the adhesion promoter material is exposed to dissolution as a result of prolonged exposure to the plating bath. The articles are processed by dipping them in the processing bath so that they have opposed surfaces exposed to the processing bath. The movement of the articles through the processing bath B may occur to be halted. In that case a gas flow is provided lapping the opposed surfaces of the articles to shield the opposed surfaces of the articles from exposure to the processing bath.

Abstract: Laser direct structuring, LDS material is molded onto semiconductor dice arranged on die pads in a leadframe and the semiconductor dice are electrically coupled with electrically conductive leads in the leadframe via electrical connections that comprise electrically conductive formations exposed at the front surface of the LDS material, electrically conductive vias between the semiconductor dice and the front surface of the LDS material, as well as electrically conductive lines over the front surface of the LDS material that couple selected ones of the electrically conductive formations with selected ones of the second electrically conductive vias. The electrically conductive vias and lines are provided applying laser beam energy to the front surface of the laser direct structuring material at spatial positions located as a function of the electrically conductive formations exposed at the front surface of the LDS material acting as fiducials.

Abstract: A semiconductor die is arranged on a first surface of a leadframe having a first thickness between the first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface and an array of electrically conductive leads. Terminal recesses are provided in the electrically conductive leads in the array at the first surface. At the terminal recesses, the electrically conductive leads have a second thickness less than the first thickness. The semiconductor die is coupled with the electrically conductive leads via wires or ribbons having ends coupled to the electrically conductive leads arranged in the terminal recesses. The leadframe is partially cut starting from the second surface at the terminal recesses with a cutting depth between the first thickness and the second thickness. The partial cut produces exposed surfaces of the electrically conductive leads and the ends of the electrically conductive elongated formations providing wettable flanks for solder material.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope with detection along a vertical axis is provided with a detection structure having a movable structure, suspended above a substrate so as to perform, as a function of an angular velocity around the vertical axis a sense movement along a first horizontal axis. The movable structure has at least one drive mass internally defining a window, elastically coupled to a rotor anchor, at an anchoring region, through elastic anchoring elements; at least one bridge element, rigid and of a conductive material, cantilevered suspended and extending within the window along the first horizontal axis, elastically coupled to the drive mass; movable electrodes, carried integrally by the bridge element with extension along a second horizontal axis.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method for detecting a liquid on a main surface of a body. The method is performed through a detection device including a processing module, a reference electrode at a reference electric voltage and a first sensing electrode on the main surface and configurated to detect an environmental electric and/or electrostatic charge variation indicative of the presence of the liquid. The method includes the steps of: biasing the first sensing electrode to a bias electric voltage; while the first sensing electrode is at the bias electric voltage, acquiring a first charge variation signal indicative of the electric and/or electrostatic charge variation detected by the first sensing electrode; verifying whether the first charge variation signal is indicative of the presence of the liquid on the main surface, at the first sensing electrode; and, if it is, determining the presence of the liquid on the main surface at the first sensing electrode.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a DC-DC converter including a power section and a bootstrap circuit for driving the gate of the high-side transistor of the power section. The bootstrap circuit includes an adaptive clamp circuit that maintains a proper voltage differential across the bootstrap capacitor within the bootstrap circuit for recharge during off-times regardless of whether the mode of operation of the DC-DC converter continuous conduction mode (CCM), discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), or pulse-skip mode. This voltage differential is established as being between a bootstrap voltage and a voltage at a tap between the high and low side transistors of the power section. The adaptive clamp circuit maintains the bootstrap voltage as following the lesser of the output voltage and the voltage at the tap.

Abstract: A device and method for manufacturing a device comprising two semiconductor dice. The device is formed by a first die and a second die. The first die is of semiconductor material and integrates electronic components. The second die has a main surface, forms patterned structures, and is bonded to the first die. Internal electrical coupling structures electrically couple the main surface of the first die to the second die. External connection regions extend on the main surface of the first die. A package packages the first die, the second die and the internal electrical coupling structures and partially surrounds the external connection regions, the external connection regions partially protruding from the package.

Abstract: A leadframe includes a die pad and electrically conductive leads arranged peripherally of the die pad. A semiconductor die is mounted to the die pad. The die is electrically coupled to the electrically conductive leads using an electrical coupling member applied onto the semiconductor die. The electrical coupling member includes a planar body configured to cover the semiconductor die and the electrically conductive leads. The planar body of the electrical coupling member includes strip-like, electrically conductive formations embedded in an electrically insulating material. Each strip-like, electrically conductive formation has a first end configured to contact the semiconductor die and a second end configured to contact the electrically conductive lead.

Abstract: A BGA package includes an array of electrically conductive balls providing electrical contact for a semiconductor die. A power channel is provided to convey power supply current towards the semiconductor die. The power channel is formed by a stack of electrically conductive planes. The electrically conductive planes are stacked in a stepped arrangement wherein a number of stacked planes in each step of the stack increases in a direction from a distal end to a proximal end of the power channel. Adjacent electrically conductive planes in the stack of the power channel are electrically coupled with electrically conductive vias extending therebetween. Current conduction paths towards the die area thus have resistance values that decrease from the distal end to the proximal end of the power channel.

Abstract: An embodiment driver circuit comprises a power supply pin configured to receive a power supply voltage, and a set of control pins configured to provide a set of control signals for controlling switching of a set of switches of an h-bridge circuit comprising a pair of high-side switches and a pair of low-side switches. The driver circuit comprises control circuitry coupled to the control pins and configured to generate the control signals, and sensing circuitry coupled to the power supply pin and configured to generate a detection signal indicative of the power supply voltage exceeding a threshold value. The control circuitry is sensitive to the detection signal and is configured to generate the control signals to activate one of the pair of high-side switches and the pair of low-side switches and de-activate the other of the pair of high-side switches and the pair of low-side switches.