Abstract: A motor control system includes a motor; a motor and a motor control circuit coupled to the motor to provide power to the motor. The motor control circuit includes a power feedback loop having a power reference circuit to provide a reference power level and a power control circuit configured to provide a constant power level to the motor so that the motor operates with a substantially constant power output. The constant power level is proportional to the reference power level. Thus, the motor also provides substantially constant torque when the motor is at a constant speed.

Abstract: A semiconductor device that includes an epitaxial layer having a first-type dopant, a first well having a second-type dopant, a base layer having the second-type dopant, a first metal layer comprising a first base terminal and an inner conductor, and a first via connecting the first base terminal to the first well. The base layer is formed within the epitaxial layer and in contact with the first well and at least one dielectric separates the inner conductor from the first base terminal, and the base layer.

Abstract: In one aspect, a diode includes a substrate having a first type dopant; a buried layer having a second type dopant and formed within the substrate; an epitaxial layer having the second type dopant and formed above the buried layer; and a plurality of regions having the first type dopant within the epitaxial layer. The plurality of regions includes a first region, a second region, and a third region. The diode also includes a base well having the first type dopant and located within the epitaxial layer and in contact with the third and fourth regions. In a reverse-bias mode, the diode is an electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamp and forms parasitic transistors comprising a first bipolar junction transistor (BJT), a second BJT and a third BJT.

Abstract: A sensor includes a sensing element to produce a sensing element signal and a processor responsive to the sensing element signal to generate a sensor output signal comprising a Single Edge Nibble Transmission (SENT) frame. The SENT frame includes a Status and Communication (SCN) nibble comprising a bit 0 and a bit 1 that represent a status of at least one internal diagnostic indicator and a plurality of data nibbles. At least one of the plurality of data nibbles includes a cyclic redundancy check (CRC), the CRC being an encoding of the bit 0 and the bit 1 of the SCN nibble and the plurality of data nibbles and at least one of the plurality of data nibbles includes a count that indicates a new frame, the CRC being at least a five bit value.

Abstract: The present application relates to electronics and in particular to switch drive circuits and more particularly to galvanically isolated switch circuits with power transfer from the switch driver input side to the switch side. More specifically, the present application provides a switch drive circuit using a single transformer to transfer control signals to a secondary side for control of the switch along with power to a secondary side circuit to drive the switch in response to the control signals. By detecting the control signal first before drawing current, the effects of leakage inductance in the transformer are reduced.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a controlling a stimulus source to direct photons to a pixel in a pixel array contained in a detector system, analyzing a response of the pixel in the pixel array; and generating an alert based on the response of the pixel in the pixel array. Example stimulus sources include a conductive trace, a PN junction, and a current source.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor can be are based upon three element vertical Hall element building blocks, e.g., three element or six element vertical Hall element arrangements, all arranged in a circle. In some embodiments, the circle of vertical Hall elements can be arranged as a CVH sensing element.

Abstract: A method for use in a sensor, comprising: generating a signal that is indicative of an angular position of a rotating target, the signal being generated by at least one magnetic field sensing element; adjusting the signal to produce an adjusted signal, the signal being adjusted based on a current value of a first adjustment coefficient and a current value of a second adjustment coefficient, the first adjustment coefficient including a gain adjustment coefficient, and the second adjustment coefficient including an offset adjustment coefficient; generating an output signal based on the adjusted signal; and updating the first adjustment coefficient, the updating including replacing the current value of the first adjustment coefficient with a new value of the first adjustment coefficient, the updating being performed by minimizing a function that is based on the current value of the first adjustment coefficient and the current value of the second adjustment coefficient.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a high isolation current sensor. In embodiments, a current sensor includes a leadframe having a current conductor first portion and a second portion, a magnetic field sensing element positioned in relation to the current conductor for detecting a magnetic generated by current flow through the current conductor, and a die supported by at least a portion of the first and/or second portions of the leadframe, wherein the first portion of the lead frame includes an isolation region aligned with a first edge of the die. In embodiments, a current sensor includes SOI processing and features to enhance active layer isolation.

Abstract: In one aspect, an angle sensor includes a first plurality of magnetoresistance elements located at a first location on an axis and a second plurality of magnetoresistance elements located at a second location on the axis. The first plurality of magnetoresistance elements includes a first one or more magnetoresistance elements each having a reference direction in a first direction; and a second one or more magnetoresistance elements each having a reference direction in a second direction. The second plurality of magnetoresistance elements includes a third one or more magnetoresistance elements each having a reference direction in the first direction, and a fourth one or more magnetoresistance elements each having a reference direction in the second direction. The angle sensor senses movement of a magnetic target, and the magnetic target is a ring magnet or a single pole magnet.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for photodetection having parallax compensation for near and far object signal return. In embodiment, a photoreceiver comprising a at least one light-sensitive pixel to transduce light to electrical signals has at least a first one of the pixels including a first subpixel region having a first light response characteristic and a second subpixel region having a second light response characteristic, wherein the first and second light characteristics are configured to correspond to variations in intensity of reflected light from objects at different distances when the portion of the reflected light reaching the first one of the pixels imaged onto the first and second subpixel regions.

Abstract: A heterogeneous sensor system includes a magnetic field sensor and an inductive sensor. A checker is configured to receive the magnetic field sensor output signal and the inductive sensor output signal and determine whether an error has occurred based on a comparison of the magnetic field sensor output signal and the inductive sensor output signal. Targets include at least a portion that is conductive and may include a ferromagnetic portion for back biased magnetic sensing. Additional features include on axis and off axis positioning of the sensors with respect to the target, multi-track targets for absolute position sensing, angle sensing and torque sensing configurations.

Abstract: A current sensor assembly can include: a coil structure having a first coil and a second coil connected in series, the coil structure configured to generate a differential magnetic field responsive to an electrical current passing through the first and second coils; a first magnetic field sensing element disposed proximate to the first coil and operable to generate a first signal responsive to the differential magnetic field passing through the first magnetic field sensing element in a first direction; a second magnetic field sensing element disposed proximate to the second coil and operable to generate a second signal responsive to the differential magnetic field passing through the second magnetic field sensing element in a second direction; and a circuit operable to subtract the first and second signals to generate a differential signal proportional to the electrical current.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a system including an optic to receive light from near objects and far objects and a photoreceiver optically coupled to the optic, the photoreceiver including a photodetector array. A light scattering structure is positioned a distance from the photodetector array to compensate for parallax effects for the received energy from the near objects and the far objects. The light scattering structure is configured to scatter light onto pixels of the photodetector array.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for receiving a return laser pulse at a detector system having pixels in a pixel array and analyzing a response of the pixels in the pixel array including comparing the response to at least one threshold corresponding to decay of photonic energy of the laser pulse over distance and target reflectivity, wherein the at least one threshold comprises a first threshold corresponding to a low trigger for a pulse generated by a first type of laser and a second threshold corresponding to a high trigger for the pulse generated by the first type of laser. Embodiments can further include generating an alert signal based on the response of the pixels in the pixel array.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes forming a coil in a coil layer, performing planarization on the coil layer, and depositing a magnetoresistance (MR) element on the planarized coil layer. No dielectric material is between the planarized coil layer and the MR element. In another aspect, a magnetic field sensor includes a substrate, a planarized coil layer comprising a coil on the substrate, a magnetoresistance (MR) element in contact with the planarized coil layer, and a capping layer deposited over the MR element and the planarized coil layer. No dielectric material is between the planarized coil layer and the MR element.

Abstract: In one aspect, a dual double-pinned spin valve element includes a first spin valve that includes a first pinned layer and a second pinned layer and a second spin valve disposed on the first spin valve and comprising a third pinned layer and a fourth pinned layer. The first, second, third and fourth pinned layers each have a magnetization in a first direction.

Abstract: A current sensor IC includes a unitary lead frame having a primary conductor with a first thickness and a secondary lead having a second thickness less than the first thickness. A semiconductor die adjacent to the primary conductor includes a magnetic field sensing circuit to sense a magnetic field associated with the current and generate a secondary signal indicative of the current. An insulation structure is disposed between the primary conductor and the die. A mold material encloses a first portion of the secondary lead and a second portion of the secondary lead that is exposed outside of the package has the second thickness.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and circuits utilize one or multiple data-stream watchdog codes for verifying a temporal state of data from a sensor system. A data-stream watchdog system can includes a sensor system configured to detect physical phenomena and produce corresponding output signals; a memory structure configured to store the output signals as sequential data on a repeating cycle, a watchdog code generator configured to insert a watchdog code into the stored sequential data and update the watchdog code periodically, and a data transmitter configured to receive the sequential data with included watchdog code from the memory structure and transmit the sequential data with the included watchdog code over a physical data channel each cycle of the repeating cycle. An application system receives the data and a watchdog code checker checks whether the watchdog code in the sequential data is correct and produces an error indication when the watchdog code is incorrect.

Abstract: A first semiconductor region, a second semiconductor region, and a third semiconductor region are arranged in layers. Trenches penetrate through the second semiconductor region and reach the first semiconductor region. Each of the trenches may include a gate electrode, and an insulating film insulating the gate electrode from the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region. An upper electrode is electrically connected to the second semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region. A fourth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type is arranged on an outer side of the trench of which the gate electrode is an outermost gate electrode in a plan view. An edge trench is arranged on an outer side of the fourth semiconductor region. The fourth semiconductor region is electrically connected to the upper electrode and a bottom of the fourth semiconductor may be arranged deeper than a bottom of the second semiconductor region.