Abstract: A system and method is provided for detecting an over-current condition in a power field-effect transistor (FET). In one embodiment, an over-current detection circuit for detecting an over-current condition in a power FET comprises a current generator circuit operative to generate a reference current and a plurality of matched FETs operative to receive the reference current and provide a reference voltage, the matched FETs being matched to each other and to the power FET. The over-current detection circuit also comprises a comparator operative to measure a drain-to-source voltage of the power FET and to provide an output that indicates that the drain-to-source voltage of the power FET has exceeded the reference voltage.

Abstract: A sigma delta signal treating apparatus includes: (a) a low pass filtered signal path including at least one low pass filter; and (b) a quantization noise filtered signal path coupled with the low pass filtered signal path; the quantization noise filtered signal path including at least one high pass filter and at least one feedback notch filter.

Abstract: A stage of a pipeline ADC which uses separate pairs of sampling network and amplifier (in a sample and hold circuit (SHA)) to provide inputs to quantizer (which generates a sub-code) and a switched capacitor network (implementing a DAC, a subtractor and amplification). Due to the use of separate components/paths to provide the input signal, the throughput performance of the ADC is enhanced.

Abstract: An amplifier circuit includes an input chopping circuit for chopping first and second input signals, a transconductance stage for amplifying an output of the chopping circuit and applying it to the input of a folded cascode stage, to the input of an un-chopping circuit, and to the input of a chopper-stabilized gain boost amplifier. The output of the un-chopping circuit drives sources of cascode transistors of the folded cascode stage. The gain boost amplifier includes another transconductance stage having another un-chopping circuit coupled to the gate of one of the cascode transistors of the folded cascode stage. The drains of cascode transistors of the folded cascode stage drive a class AB output stage. The amplifier provides both highly linear operation and low 1/f noise.

Abstract: An apparatus for affecting operation of a signal treating device that is provided an operating voltage ranging between an upper voltage limit and a lower voltage limit for treating at least one input signal includes: a respective dynamic bias unit coupled with the signal treating device for each respective input signal of the at least one input signal; and a respective transconductance control unit coupled with each the respective dynamic bias unit. Each respective dynamic bias unit and transconductance control unit cooperates to operate the signal treating device responsive to the at least one input signal approaching at least one of the upper voltage limit and the lower voltage limit.

Abstract: ITU Recommendation G.729 Annex E teaches in the implementation of a fixed codebook search to determine the selected sample combination providing the minimal difference between the original input speech and the reconstructed speech after implementation of the codec. A large number of sample sets are processed and the difference between the original input signal and the reconstructed signal for each set is determined and stored in a register. Under certain conditions, the register can overflow resulting in invalid difference values. When such a condition occurs, the fixed codebook search cannot determine the sample combination providing the minimal mean square error between the weighted input speech and the weighted reconstructed speech. An initialization vector for the codvec vector is used to provide valid data which conforms to the G.729 Annex E specifications and minimizes changes to the G.729 source code while providing robust quality signal processing in the event of register overflow condition.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a test set-up (20) and method of testing a correlated double sampling circuit (CDS) (24) by using a sinusoidal test signal (22) for measuring linearity. The present invention generates a sinusoidal signal with two accurate and known levels at two different time points, as an input to the CDS. The cosinusoidal output of the CDS is then processed using an ADC (60) and processor (62) to check the functionality and linearity of the CDS circuit under test.

Abstract: A system for presenting serial drive signals for effecting communication of parallel data signals includes: a controller; a serializer coupled with the controller; and a tri-state logic device coupled with the serializer. The controller provides parallel logic state signals to the serializer. The serializer treats the parallel data signals to present a serial data signal representing the parallel data signals at a first output locus, and treats the parallel logic state signals to present a serial logic state signal representing the parallel logic state signals at a second output locus. The tri-state logic device receives the serial data signal and the serial logic state signal for logical evaluation. The tri-state logic device presents the serial drive signals at a third output locus. Each respective drive signal has a respective drive state. Each respective drive state is determined by the logical evaluation.

Abstract: Linear predictive system with classification of LP residual Fourier coefficients into two or more overlapping classes, and each class has its own vector quantization codebook(s). The use of strong and weak predictors minimizes codebook size by only quantizing the difference between Fourier coefficients of a frame and the Fourier coefficients predicted from a prior frame. The choice of using either a strong or weak predictor adapts to the prior choice of predictor so that a strong predictor following a weak predictor is changed to a weak predictor to insure attenuation of error propagation as arise from frame erasures.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for determining noise components of an analog-to-digital converter. In one aspect of the invention, a method comprises providing an input signal to a signal input and a clock input of the ADC, outputting a plurality of samples at a sampled phase on the input signal for a plurality of sampled phases, and determining a jitter noise factor value, a reference noise factor value, and a total noise spectrum based on the plurality of samples for each of the plurality of sampled phases. A least means square algorithm is performed on the plurality of jitter noise factor values, reference noise factor values, and total noise spectra to estimate at least one of a jitter noise component and a reference noise component.

Abstract: A delta-sigma modulator includes a chopper-stabilized integrator, a quantizer having an input coupled to an output of the integrator, an input signal acquiring circuit controlled by a switched reference feedback circuit and having an output coupled to the input of the integrator, and a frequency-shaped pseudo-random chopper clock signal generator circuit including a pseudo-random sequence generator and producing a frequency-shaped pseudo-random clock signal. Resetting circuitry is coupled to reset inputs of the pseudorandom sequence generator to reset it in synchronization with the digital output of the chopper-stabilized delta-sigma modulator to prevent noise caused by wrap-around operation of the pseudorandom sequence generator. A logic circuit produces chopper clock signals in response to the frequency-shaped pseudo-random clock signal and applies them to various input switches and output switches of the integrator.

Abstract: A multiplexed FIR/IIR digital filter structure (300) which offers linear phase response and low group delay by switching on a FIR filter portion (31) or a IIR filter portion (32). To reduce the silicon area, the FIR/IIR filter (300) shares registers which is enabled because the FIR and IIR processing do not use the registers at the same time but rather consecutively. Further, the multiplexed FIR/IIR digital filter structure (300) can offer limit-cycle-free IIR operation using two's-complement truncation in combination with positive valued allpass coefficients.

Abstract: System and method for improved time-interleaved analog-to-digital converter arrays which reduces sampling mismatch distortion found in prior art arrays. There may be two causes of non-uniform sampling mismatch in a TI-ADC array, a mismatch due to skew and a mismatch due to clock jitter. To minimize non-uniform sampling mismatch, the mismatch due to skew can be addressed. A preferred embodiment comprises adjusting a delay imparted on the sampling clock by an adjustable delay in each channel of a plurality of channels in the TI-ADC array to minimize skew and randomly switching between two delays that span a zero-skew delay to reduce residual skew in each channel and thus eliminate (or reduce) frequency domain tones caused by non-uniform sampling mismatch.

Abstract: The present invention describes a voltage-mode boosting write driver circuit (160), comprising a plurality of inputs (WDP, WDN), a plurality of outputs (HWX, HWY), a transducer (L2), a flex interconnection (T1) coupled to the outputs (HWX, HWY) and to the transducer (L2), a first resistor (R15) and a second resistor (R43) coupled to the outputs (HWX, HWY) and to the transducer (L2), an H-switch (Q15, Q60, Q11, Q22) coupled to the resistors (R15, R43), and a plurality of top boosting circuits (Q42, Q47, R36, and Q43, Q48, R37) coupled to the outputs (HWX, HWY).

Abstract: A chopper-stabilized amplifier receiving an input signal includes a first operational transconductance amplifier having an input chopper and an output chopper for chopping an output signal produced by the first operational transconductance amplifier. A switched capacitor notch filter filters the chopped output signal by operating synchronously with the chopping frequency of output chopper to filter ripple voltages that otherwise would be produced by the output chopper. In one embodiment, a second operational transconductance amplifier amplifies the notch filter output. The input signal is fed forward, summed with the output of the second operational transconductance amplifier, and applied to the input of a fourth operational transconductance amplifier. Ripple noise and offset are substantially reduced.

Abstract: A MOSFET structure with high-k gate dielectric layer and silicon or metal gates, amorphizing treatment of the high-k gate dielectric layer as with a plasma or ion implantation.

Abstract: A wireless system (e.g., Bluetooth, WCDMA, etc.) with multiple antenna communication channel eigenvector weighted transmissions including possibly differing order symbol constellations for differing eigenvectors. Comparison of maximizations of minimum received symbol distances provides for selection of eigenvector combinations and symbol constellations.

Abstract: A string DAC having 2M string resistors includes a plurality of switches for selectively coupling, according to the decoding of an M-bit MSB subword, the voltage across a string resistor to an interpolation sub-DAC which interpolates it according to the decoding of an N-bit mid-subword. The voltage across the string resistor is multiplexed, according to the decoding of an N-bit mid-subword, to various inputs of 2N differential transistor pairs of an interpolation amplifier. A P-bit delta sigma modulator produces a delta sigma modulated signal, according to a P-bit LSB subword, to control multiplexing of voltages on the terminals of the string resistor to an input of one of the differential transistor pairs selected by decoding of the N-bit mid-subword to monotonically average a contribution of the selected differential transistor pair to generation of an output voltage representing a word including the M-bit, N-bit, and P-bit subwords.

Abstract: A dual output buck-boost power converter operates with a single inductor to achieve high efficiency with automatic or inherent load balancing. Switches associated with the opposite polarity outputs are driven based on feedback signals, with one feedback signal being a reference voltage and another feedback signal being related to an opposite polarity output. The opposite polarity feedback signal is provided to a comparator with a reversed polarity to achieve a simple balanced control that maintains polarity outputs. The power converter delivers power to each output with each switching cycle and uses a single inductor to achieve high efficiency performance.

Abstract: An integrated circuit including a precharge circuit for a DC/DC boost converter which includes a reference current circuit with a MOSFET transistor (MP4) that has a gate connected with the gate of the DC/DC boost converter's power MOSFET transistor (MP5) to form a current mirror. The precharge circuit works to approach the output voltage to the supply voltage prior to the converter startup. An included regulation circuit adjusts the gate potential at the power MOSFET transistor (MP5) and at the MOSFET transistor (MP4) in the reference circuit in response to a reduction of the drain-source voltage of the power MOSFET transistor (MP5) due to precharging load capacitance, in a sense to keep the precharge current through the power MOSFET transistor (MP5) constant.