Abstract: In one aspect, a bridge includes at least eight sets of sub-arrays. Each one of the at least eight sets of sub-arrays forms a corresponding one magnetoresistance element. Each one of the at least eight sets of sub-arrays has a reference direction. The at least eight sets of sub-arrays are arranged in a matrix on a die. A reference direction of each one of the at least eight sets of sub-arrays is different from a reference direction of at least one other of the at least eight sets of sub-arrays.

Abstract: A system, comprising: a conductor having a pair of primary surfaces, the conductor including a through-hole formed therein, the conductor including a first notch that is formed adjacent to the through-hole; and a printed circuit board that is inserted in the through-hole, the printed circuit board having a current sensor mounted thereon, the current sensor being disposed inside the through-hole, the current sensor including a first magnetic field sensing element and a second magnetic field sensing element having respective axes of maximum sensitivity that are substantially perpendicular to the primary surfaces of the conductor.

Abstract: A method comprising: transmitting a data block that is part of a message, the data block including a plurality of data block symbols; detecting a duration of an end portion of the message, the duration being detected based on a difference between: (i) a time that is allotted for transmitting the message and (ii) a time needed for transmitting the data block as well as any other element of the message that precedes the end portion; and transmitting one or more auxiliary data symbols as part of the end portion of the message, wherein the end portion has a flexible duration that is selected to synchronize a total duration of the message to the time that is allotted for transmitting the message, and wherein each of the data block symbols and each of the auxiliary data symbols is encoded by using pulse-width modulation (PWM).

Abstract: According to one aspect of the disclosure, a method includes: receiving, by a magnetic field sensor, first and second magnetic field signals responsive to motion of a target; generating first and second digital pulse signals responsive to the first and second magnetic field signals, respectively; calculating a first time between a pulse edge of the first digital pulse signal and a next pulse edge of the second digital pulse signal; calculating a second time between two different pulse edges of the first digital pulse signal or two different pulse edges of the second digital pulse signal; calculating, using the calculated first and second times, a phase shift between the first and second magnetic field signals; and generating, using the calculated phase shift, a third magnetic field signal having a predetermined phase shift from the first magnetic field signal or from the first magnetic field signal.

Abstract: Split-detector lidar photoreceivers are described which utilize range-dependent focus to transition from illuminating two detector elements with returns from near targets, within a close-range threshold distance, to illuminating just one detector element for all other returns. In some examples, a split-detector can have or include a “bullseye” (concentric) detector configuration. Because two separate detector elements with separate amplifier chains are used, one channel can be optimized for the strong to and near-target returns, while another channel can be optimized and used for all other returns.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein are directed towards integrating a shield layer into a current sensor to shield a magnetic field sensing element and associated circuitry in the current sensor from electrical, voltage, or electrical transient noise. In an embodiment, a shield layer may be disposed along at least one surface of a die supporting a magnetic field sensing element. The shield layer may be disposed in various arrangements to shunt noise caused by a parasitic coupling between the magnetic field sensing element and the current carrying conductor away from the magnetic field sensing element.

Abstract: An apparatus, comprising: a first transmitting coil including at least one first portion and at least one second portion, the first and second portions having different polarities; and a second transmitting coil that is disposed above or below the first transmitting coil, the second transmitting coil including at least one third portion and at least one fourth portion, the third and fourth portions having different polarities, wherein the first and second transmitting coils are configured so that, when the first transmitting coil is not driven and the second transmitting coil is driven, a net magnetic flux through at least one of the first portions is approximately zero, the net magnetic flux being a magnetic flux that is entirely attributable to the second transmitting coil.

Abstract: A system is provided comprising: a first target including a plurality of first teeth; and a second target that is coupled to the first target via a mechanical link, the second target including a plurality of second teeth, the second target being disposed above or below the first target, the plurality of first teeth including a different number of teeth than the plurality of second teeth, wherein the first target and the second target are configured to generate respective magnetic fields in response to one or more excitation magnetic fields, the respective magnetic fields being usable to measure a twisting force that is incident on the mechanical link that couples the first target to the second target.

Abstract: A sensor integrated circuit configured to generate a sensor output current indicative of a sensed parameter includes a power connection to receive a supply voltage, a ground connection, a sensing circuit configured to generate a parameter current proportional to the sensed parameter, and an output connection at which the sensor output current is provided. An output current calibration circuit is configured to determine an offset current that corresponds to a bias voltage at the output connection equal to a fixed percentage of the supply voltage when the parameter current is substantially zero. The sensor output current is provided as a combination of the parameter current and the offset current.

Abstract: In one aspect, a magnetic-field biosensor includes an insulator and a plurality of magnetic-field sensing elements that includes a first and a second magnetic-field sensing elements. The insulator has a first and a second plurality of portions, and the second plurality of portions is thicker than the first plurality of portions. The magnetic-field biosensor further includes a first receptor configured to attach to biological material and being on a first portion of the first plurality of portions and directly above the first magnetic-field sensing element; and a second receptor configured to attach to the biological material and being on a first portion of the second plurality of portions and directly above the second magnetic-field sensing element. Outputs of the first and the second magnetic-field sensing elements are used to sense a magnetic field from a first magnetic nanoparticle by reducing an effect of an applied magnetic field.

Abstract: A system, comprising: a processing circuitry that is configured to: receive a signal S1 and a signal S2, the signal S1 being generated by a first receiving coil in response to a first magnetic field, the signal S2 being generated by a second receiving coil in response to the first magnetic field, receive a signal S3 and a signal S4, the signal S3 being generated by a third receiving coil in response to a second magnetic field, the signal S4 being generated by a fourth receiving coil in response to the second magnetic field; calculate a first electrical angle based on signals S1 and S2; calculate a second electrical angle based on signals S3 and S4; and generate an output signal based on the first and second electrical angles.

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 magnetoresistive element for a magnetic sensor, the magnetoresistive element including a tunnel barrier layer between a reference layer having a fixed reference magnetization and a sense layer having a free sense magnetization, wherein the sense magnetization includes a stable vortex configuration. The magnetoresistive element further includes a reference pinning layer in contact with the reference layer and pining the reference magnetization by exchange-bias at a first blocking temperature. The magnetoresistive element further includes a sense pinning layer in contact with the sense layer and pining the sense magnetization by exchange-bias at a second blocking temperature lower that the first blocking temperature. Additionally, a method for manufacturing the magnetoresistive element.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, structures, circuits, and methods providing planar transformers and planar transformer structures. The planar transformers and transformer structures can include first and second core layers of soft ferromagnetic material on opposite sides of an electrical substrate. First and second coils can be configured as conductive traces disposed on the opposite sides of the substrate. The first and second soft ferromagnetic layers are in contact in a contact region. One or more holes are disposed in either or both of the soft ferromagnetic layers and contain soft ferromagnetic material to reduce reluctance of the transformer structure. The planar transformer can be included in integrated circuit (chip) packages or modules. The packages and modules may include various types of circuits; in some examples, chip packages or modules may include a gate driver or other high voltage circuit.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, structures, circuits, and methods providing pin-coupled transformers and/or pin-coupled coil structures. A pin-coupled coil structure can include first and second substrates, each having a plurality of conductive traces. The conductive traces of the substrates are connected by conductive pins, forming one or more pin-coupled coil structures. Two pin-coupled coils structure can be configured around a transformer core forming a pin-coupled transformer structure. The pin-coupled transformer structure can be included in integrated circuit (chip) packages or modules. The packages and modules may include various types of circuits; in some examples, chip packages or modules may include a galvanically isolated gate driver or other high voltage circuit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for capacitively isolated first communication channels with common mode noise suppression. In embodiments, a driver on the first circuit transmits a data signal on the first communication channel to a receiver on the second circuit. A common mode suppression circuit on the second circuit is coupled to the receiver, output of the suppression circuit is coupled to a node between the first capacitor and the resistor network and an input is coupled to a ground of the first circuit via a second capacitor. The common mode suppression circuit is configured to detect a common mode movement signal due to a noise pulse to the second circuit on the input and generate a corresponding signal on the output to maintain a current level across the resistor network for suppressing common mode noise from the pulse.

Abstract: A sensor interface includes a signal path configured to receive a sensing element output signal from a sensing element and to generate an interface output signal indicative of a parameter sensed by the sensing element, an NTC interface and a diode interface. The NTC interface is configured to be coupled to an NTC element having a non-linear resistance over temperature and to generate an NTC signal indicative of a linearized version of the non-linear resistance of the NTC element and the diode interface configured to be coupled to a diode and to generate a diode signal indicative of an absolute temperature.

Abstract: A magnetic field current sensor comprising: a conductor; magnetic field sensing elements including a first magnetic field sensing element generating a first signal, a second magnetic field sensing element generating a second signal, a third magnetic field sensing element generating a third signal, and a fourth magnetic field sensing element generating a fourth signal; circuitry that generates a difference signal indicative of twice the second signal less the first signal and less the fourth signal, wherein the second magnetic field sensing element is interleaved with the third magnetic field sensing element, wherein the second signal and the third signal are substantially equal, and wherein a distance between the first magnetic field sensing element and the second magnetic field sensing element is equal to a distance between the second magnetic field sensing element and the fourth magnetic field sensing element.

Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a magnetoresistive element comprising a reference layer having a reference magnetization oriented out-of-plane; a sense layer having a sense magnetization comprising a vortex configuration stable under the presence of an external magnetic field and reversibly movable in a direction out-of-plane relative to the reference magnetization when the external magnetic field varies in a direction out-of-plane; and a tunnel barrier layer between the reference layer and the sense layer. The sense layer has a thickness smaller than 200 nm. The sense layer comprises a ferromagnetic material configured such that the sense magnetization is between 300 and 1400 emu/cm3 and such that the sense layer has a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy field that is greater than 1 kOe (79.6×103 A/m). The present disclosure further concerns a magnetoresistive sensor comprising a plurality of the magnetoresistive element.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a signal isolator having enhanced creepage characteristics. In embodiments, an isolator includes a leadframe having first and second die paddles each having opposed first and second surfaces, a first die supported by the first surface of the first die paddle, and a second die supported by the first surface of the second die paddle. The first and second die paddles are configured enhanced creepage characteristics.