Abstract: The present invention provides a thermostatic biasing controller for use with an integrated circuit. In one embodiment, the thermostatic biasing controller includes a temperature sensing unit configured to determine an operating temperature of the integrated circuit. Additionally, the thermostatic biasing controller also includes a voltage controlling unit coupled to the temperature sensing unit and configured to provide a back-bias voltage corresponding to the operating temperature based on reducing a quiescent current of the integrated circuit.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention includes a disk-drive spindle motor power regulator system. The system includes a switching system comprising at least one power transistor for each of a plurality of phases of a disk-drive spindle motor. The system also includes a switching controller configured to generate a plurality of switching signals configured to control the at least one power transistor for each of the plurality of phases of the disk-drive spindle motor. The system further includes a current monitor configured to measure a magnitude of an individual phase current through at least one of the plurality of phases of the disk-drive spindle motor.

Abstract: A method for generating an actuation signal for a light source is provided. A random phase delay for each period of an input signal is generated, where each period is a predetermined length. Each phase delay is added to a predetermined actuation period to generate a sum. The sum is compared to the predetermined length. At least one turn-on and at least one turn-off for each period of the input signal is calculated from the comparison of the sum to the predetermined length, and the actuation signal having each turn-on and each turn-off is generated.

Abstract: Delay locked loops or DLLs are oftentimes employed in pipelined analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Conventional DLLs, though, can consume an excessive amount of power. Here, a DLL is provided with a modified charge pump that allows for reduced power consumption.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a digital signal generator, an analog filter, an amplitude modulator, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The digital signal generator has a demodulator and provides a digital excitation signal. The analog filter is coupled to the digital signal generator. The amplitude modulator has a variable capacitor and is coupled to the analog filter. The amplitude modulator also generates an amplitude modulated signal with an amplitude that is a function of the capacitance of the variable capacitor. The ADC is coupled to the amplitude modulator and the demodulator, and the digital signal generator and the demodulator operate synchronously.

Abstract: Complementary MOS (CMOS) integrated circuits include MOS transistors, resistors and bipolar transistors formed on a common substrate. An emitter region of a bipolar transistor is implanted with a first dopant in an implantation process that implants source/drain regions of an MOS transistor, and is also implanted with a second dopant of same conductivity type in another implantation process that implants a body region of a resistor. The first and second dopants may optionally be the same dopant. The source/drain regions are implanted with the resistor body region covered by a first patterned mask; and the resistor body region is implanted with the MOS transistor source/drain regions covered by a second patterned mask. The implantations of the MOS transistor source/drain regions and of the resistor body region the source/drain regions can occur in any order, with the emitter region implanted during both implantations.

Abstract: A reduced power driver is described. This reduced power driver comprises: an input current driver for transmitting a current signal that is a fraction of a DC current signal; a first resistor coupled at one end to a first voltage supply; a first current driver coupled to the input current driver and a first switch control; a second switch coupled a first current driver output, another end of the first resistor, and the output control; a dynamic booster coupled between the first voltage supply and the output control; and wherein the reduced power driver is operative for selectively adding an overshoot current to the output control so that power consumption is reduced, while synchronizing the DC current signal with the overshoot current.

Abstract: With conventional charge pumps, significant noise is present due at least in part to large changes in the supply current. To combat this problem, a charge pump is provided that includes a number of stages. These stages are coupled to receive periodic alternating voltages having a phase shift with respect to each other so that the changes in the supply current are reduced, which reduces noise.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide an equalizer for analog adaptive control are disclosed. An example equalizer described herein includes a high frequency amplifier to receive an input signal and to amplify a high frequency portion of the input signal, a low frequency amplifier to receive the input signal and to amplify a low frequency portion of the input signal, and a weight factor controller to control a gain of the high frequency amplifier and a gain of the low frequency amplifier.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that includes a drift trimming stage that includes a first current source providing a current with a first temperature dependency and a second current source providing a current with a second temperature dependency. The first and the second current source are coupled at a first node and configured to have equal currents at a first temperature. There is further a third current source providing a current with a third temperature dependency and a fourth current source providing a current with a fourth temperature dependency. The third current source and the fourth current source are coupled at a second node and configured to have equal currents at the first temperature. There is a first resistor coupled between the first node and a third node, a second resistor coupled between the second node and the third node. The first node and the second node are coupled to provide a combined voltage drop across the first resistor and the second resistor for reducing the offset drift.

Abstract: Traditionally, mixers have been arranged symmetrically around the input signal, which has resulted in problems due to self-mixing or feed-through by the local oscillator signal. Here, however, the arrangement for a mixer has been changed to generally avoid self-mixing of the local oscillator signal. In particular, transistors in the switching core are merged according to the portion of the local oscillator signal received. This, in turn, results in the conductors, which carry the different portions of the local oscillator signal, being separated (or not having any crossings) so as to generally eliminate self-mixing or feed-through of the local oscillator signal. Complex IQ mixers realized using this arrangement benefit from improved sideband suppression and image rejection.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to reduce power consumption in a wireless device are disclosed. An example method includes sensing movement of the wireless device via a sensor unit; conveying data of a first size at a first frequency from the sensor unit to a first microcontroller, wherein the first microcontroller comprises data buffers of a second size; wirelessly transmitting data of the second size to a second microcontroller at a second frequency, wherein the second microcontroller comprises data buffers of the second size; and conveying data of the first size at a third frequency from the second microcontroller to an electronic device to communicate with the wireless device.

Abstract: Pipeline analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are used in many applications, but because of the configuration, components may be idled, which wastes power. Here, an ADC is provided that enables one or more stages to be switched off during a power conservation mode. By using switch networks, the ADC can produce accurate results with reduced power consumption, as desired.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that uses a first level shifter for performing a voltage shift of a low level input signal of a first voltage domain to a high level output signal of a second voltage domain. The first level shifter comprises a storing element in the second voltage domain, an input stage coupled to the storing element for providing a signal state to be stored in the storing element and a feedback loop from an output of the storing element to the input stage for controlling the input stage in response to a transition of a high level output signal of the storing element.

Abstract: A current mirroring circuit is provided. The circuit generally comprises a current source; a first drain extended (DE) MOS transistor, a second DE MOS transistor, a current mirror, and differential amplifier. The current source is generally coupled to the current source at its drain, while the current mirror that is coupled to the sources of the first and second DE MOS transistors and to the current source. The differential amplifier generally has a first input that is coupled to the source of the first DE MOS transistor, a second input that is coupled to the source of the second DE MOS transistor, a first output that is coupled to the gate of the second DE MOS transistor, and a second output that is coupled to the gate of the first DE MOS transistor.

Abstract: An electronic device is provided that includes a power-on-reset (POR) circuit. The POR circuit includes a trigger stage configured to change an output if a first power supply voltage level exceeds a threshold voltage level and a first inverter and a second inverter being cross-coupled. An output of the second inverter is the POR output of the power-up reset circuit. The output is coupled to the trigger stage for switching the trigger stage off in response to a change of a signal at the output of the second inverter. The first inverter is dimensioned to follow with a voltage level at an output an initially rising slope of the first power supply voltage level and the second inverter is dimensioned to keep a voltage level at an output at a second power supply voltage level during the initially rising slope of the first power supply voltage level.

Abstract: Pulses that are generated from multiple analog input signals are sampled, and signal elements contained in the analog signals are extracted accurately using the said sampling pulses. Binarization circuits where analog input signals A, B, C, and D are converted into pulse signals; a logic operation circuit that generates a sampling pulse upon receiving the input of the 4 pulse signals; and a sample-and-hold circuit samples and holds an input RF signal based on the sampling pulse in order to extract accurately signal elements contained in said RF signal by means of sampling of the RF signal.

Abstract: In recent years, the performance of CMOS and CCD image sensors has dramatically improved, and to utilize the improved performance of these sensors, processing circuitry is provided here. This processing circuitry employs a adjustable gain that varies depending on the intensity of the signal from the image sensor so as to reduce noise, reduce area used, and reduce power consumption.

Abstract: Traditionally, successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) using binary search algorithms have consumed power by performing unnecessary switching of a capacitive digital-to-analog converter (CDAC) when a CDAC voltage is relatively close to a sampling analog input signal. Here, a SAR ADC is provided that reduces the number of switching events. To accomplish this, a multi-stage comparator is provided that generates multiple output signals for SAR logic. Based on these outputs, the SAR logic can more efficiently switch its CDAC using a ternary search algorithm to reduce power consumption and improve efficiency.

Abstract: Amplifier circuitry (10) includes a driver amplifier (11) and an integrator amplifier (AH) producing an output signal (VAH) that controls a pass transistor (Q2) coupled to a pump capacitor (CH). Input circuitry (16) controls the direction of ramping of the output signal during a first interval to boost a supply voltage (V12) of the driver amplifier via the pump capacitor, and also controls the direction of ramping to recharge the pump capacitor following a second interval. In one embodiment, pump capacitor recharging circuitry (Q75,R76,ICCH) completes the recharging of the pump capacitor following the second interval after it has been partially recharged by the integrator amplifier.