Abstract: An apparatus may include a sense resistor comprising a plurality of parallel-coupled resistor elements, a plurality of positive voltage sense points, and a plurality of negative voltage sense points. A first passive combination network may be configured to combine the plurality of positive voltage sense points into a single positive sense terminal and a second passive combination network may be configured to combine the plurality of negative voltage sense points into a single negative sense terminal. The first passive combination network and the second passive combination network may be arranged such that a sense voltage is measurable between the single positive sense terminal and the single negative sense terminal and a dependence of the sense voltage on a variation in current density in the parallel-coupled resistor elements is minimized.

Abstract: A system may include a power converter having a maximum allowable input power drawn from a power source, an energy storage element coupled to an output of the power converter at a top plate of the energy storage element, wherein the energy storage element is configured to store excess energy, and control circuitry configured to, when an input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power, cause excess energy stored in the energy storage element to be consumed by circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, and in order to maintain positive voltage headroom for the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, selectively couple a bottom plate of the energy storage element to the power source such that excess energy stored by the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter is consumed from the energy storage device when the input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power.

Abstract: A power converter system may include a first power converter configured to couple via its input to a power source and configured to convert an input voltage provided by the power source to an intermediate voltage, a second power converter coupled via its input to an output of the first power converter and configured to convert the intermediate voltage to a regulated output voltage, a capacitor coupled at one of its terminals to an electrical node of the intermediate voltage. Based on one or more electrical parameters of the power converter, the second power converter is controlled to regulate the regulated output voltage at a substantially constant level and the first power converter is controlled to control the intermediate voltage to maintain the intermediate voltage between a maximum voltage and a minimum voltage and regulate an input current drawn from the power source at a substantially constant level.

Abstract: A power converter may include an input for receiving an input signal and output for generating an intermediate signal that is a power converted signal from the input signal wherein the intermediate signal is determined based on various parameters of a signal path that utilizes the intermediate signal, wherein the various parameters comprise one or more of the following: a peak output signal of the signal path, energy requested over a period of time by the signal path, available energy from an energy source to the power converter, stored energy at an output of the power converter, and stored energy of a battery for providing electrical energy at the input.

Abstract: A system may include a power converter having a maximum allowable input power drawn from a power source, an energy storage element coupled to an output of the power converter at a top plate of the energy storage element, wherein the energy storage element is configured to store excess energy, and control circuitry configured to, when an input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power, cause excess energy stored in the energy storage element to be consumed by circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, and in order to maintain positive voltage headroom for the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, selectively couple a bottom plate of the energy storage element to the power source such that excess energy stored by the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter is consumed from the energy storage device when the input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include a battery and a power converter coupled to the battery and configured to be coupled between the battery and a power source. The power converter may be configured to, in a first mode, couple to the power source having a source voltage and charge the battery with a charging voltage significantly smaller than the source voltage. The power converter may be further configured to, in a second mode, couple between at least one downstream component of the electronic device and the battery to provide electrical energy to the at least one downstream component from the battery at a boost voltage significantly larger than a battery voltage generated by the battery.

Abstract: A system may include a front end differential amplifier having two input terminals, two input resistors, each of the two input resistors coupled to a respective one of the two input terminals, and an input common mode biasing circuit for an output stage of the front end differential amplifier, the input common mode biasing circuit comprising two current sources configured to generate currents for biasing the output stage of the front end differential amplifier.

Abstract: A system may include a power converter having a maximum allowable input power drawn from a power source, an energy storage element coupled to an output of the power converter at a top plate of the energy storage element, wherein the energy storage element is configured to store excess energy, and control circuity configured to, when an input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power, cause excess energy stored in the energy storage element to be consumed by circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, and in order to maintain positive voltage headroom for the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, selectively couple a bottom plate of the energy storage element to the power source such that excess energy stored by the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter is consumed from the energy storage device when the input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power.

Abstract: A system may include a front end differential amplifier having two input terminals, two input resistors, each of the two input resistors coupled to a respective one of the two input terminals, and an input common mode biasing circuit for an output stage of the front end differential amplifier, the input common mode biasing circuit comprising two current sources configured to generate currents for biasing the output stage of the front end differential amplifier.

Abstract: A method for operating a charge pump having a variable switching frequency may include comparing a target minimum output voltage with an output voltage generated at an output of the charge pump and controlling switching of switches of the charge pump based on the comparison such that the variable switching frequency varies as an output current driven by the charge pump varies.

Abstract: A system may include a power converter having a maximum allowable input power drawn from a power source, an energy storage element coupled to an output of the power converter at a top plate of the energy storage element, wherein the energy storage element is configured to store excess energy, and control circuity configured to, when an input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power, cause excess energy stored in the energy storage element to be consumed by circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, and in order to maintain positive voltage headroom for the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, selectively couple a bottom plate of the energy storage element to the power source such that excess energy stored by the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter is consumed from the energy storage device when the input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power.

Abstract: A system may include an integrated circuit comprising an on-chip power supply and an internal power rail, a gate-controlled supply switch configured to be coupled between the on-chip power supply and an external power supply such that the internal power rail is regulated by the on-chip power supply when the gate-controlled supply switch is open and the internal power rail is regulated by the external power supply when the gate-controlled supply switch is closed, and a control circuit configured to monitor conditions associated with the on-chip power supply when the gate-controlled supply switch is transitioning between switch states and based on the conditions, control a rate of charging or discharging of a capacitance coupled to a gate of the gate-controlled supply switch.

Abstract: A high CMRR current monitoring circuit includes a first stage that receives a current sense signal, a voltage across a current sense resistor in series with an output of a class-D amplifier. First stage is powered by at least one floating supply and/or reference that tracks the amplifier output. First stage applies gain to the current sense signal to generate an intermediate signal. A second stage receives the intermediate signal and is powered by a ground-referenced supply and provides an amplified representation of the current sense signal. The floating supply is supplied by a capacitive-coupled power source driven by the ground-referenced supply. The second stage output may be a voltage relative to ground or a digital signal. The intermediate signal may be a current, digital signal, or amplified version of the current sense signal voltage. The first stage may be a transconductance amplifier and the second stage a transimpedance amplifier.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a sense resistor comprising a plurality of parallel-coupled resistor elements, a plurality of positive voltage sense points, and a plurality of negative voltage sense points. A first passive combination network may be configured to combine the plurality of positive voltage sense points into a single positive sense terminal and a second passive combination network may be configured to combine the plurality of negative voltage sense points into a single negative sense terminal. The first passive combination network and the second passive combination network may be arranged such that a sense voltage is measurable between the single positive sense terminal and the single negative sense terminal and a dependence of the sense voltage on a variation in current density in the parallel-coupled resistor elements is minimized.

Abstract: The invention refers to a heat transfer assembly for cooling an electronic power circuitry, said heat transfer assembly comprising a base member and at least one electronic power component in heat conductive contact for transferring heat to said base member, a heat transfer chamber adjoining said base member and being provided with fins extending from said base member into said heat transfer chamber for transferring heat to a flow of cooling medium extending through said heat transfer chamber and passing through spaces between said fins, said heat transfer assembly is designed such that said flow of cooling medium comprising an environment induced flow extending through said heat transfer chamber and entering said heat transfer chamber with respect to the direction of gravity in a lower section thereof and exiting from said heat transfer chamber with respect to said direction of gravity from an upper section thereof.

Abstract: A system and method of allowing a new device to join an existing network are disclosed. A configuration tool is used to communicate relevant information from the new network device to the gateway in the existing network using a secondary network protocol different from that used by the primary network. For example, in one embodiment, messages are exchanged between the configuration tool and the new device and between the configuration tool and the gateway using BLUETOOTH®. Once all of the pertinent information has been exchanged, the new device is able to securely join the primary network, which may be based on the IEEE802.15.4 standard.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an integrated circuit upon a substrate may include forming a passive electrical component in a non-final layer of the integrated circuit and forming one or more electrical contacts in a final layer of the integrated circuit such that the one or more electrical contacts and the passive electrical component are positioned in a manner such that an imaginary line perpendicular to and from a surface of the substrate intersects the passive electrical component and the one or more electrical contacts.

Abstract: A system may include a power converter having a maximum allowable input power drawn from a power source, an energy storage element coupled to an output of the power converter at a top plate of the energy storage element, wherein the energy storage element is configured to store excess energy, and control circuity configured to, when an input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power, cause excess energy stored in the energy storage element to be consumed by circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, and in order to maintain positive voltage headroom for the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, selectively couple a bottom plate of the energy storage element to the power source such that excess energy stored by the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter is consumed from the energy storage device when the input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power.