Abstract: Typically, complex systems require a separate and expensive equalizer at the output of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Rather than providing a separate equalizer, the effective Signal Transfer Function (STF) of a Multi-stAge noise SHaping (MASH) ADC can be modified by leveraging available digital filtering hardware necessary for quantization noise cancellation. The modification can involves adding calculations in the software previously provided for computing digital quantization noise cancellation filter coefficients, where the calculations are added to take into account equalization as well. As a result, the signal transfer function can be modified to meet ADC or system-level signal-chain specifications without additional equalization hardware. The method is especially attractive for high-speed applications where magnitude and phase responses are more challenging to meet.

Abstract: For analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) which utilize a feedback digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for conversion, the final analog output can be affected or distorted by errors of the feedback DAC. A digital measurement technique can be implemented to determine switching mismatch error for the feedback DAC in a continuous-time delta-sigma modulator (CTDSM) or in a continuous-time pipeline modulator. The methodology forces each DAC unit elements (UEs) to switch a certain amount times and then use the modulator itself to measure the errors caused by those switching activities respectively. The obtained errors can be stored in a look-up table and fully corrected in digital domain or analog domain.

Abstract: Systems and methods of implementing a more efficient and less resource-intensive CNN are disclosed herein. In particular, applications of CNN in the analog domain using Sampled Analog Technology (SAT) methods are disclosed. Using a CNN design with SAT results in lower power usage and faster operation as compared to a CNN design with digital logic and memory. The lower power usage of a CNN design with SAT can allow for sensor devices that also detect features at very low power for isolated operation.

Abstract: An encapsulated MEMS device includes stress-relief trenches in a region of its substrate that surrounds the movable micromachined structures and that is covered by a cap, such that the trenches are fluidly exposed to a cavity between the substrate and the cap. A method of fabricating a MEMS device includes fabricating stress-relief trenches through a substrate and fabricating movable micromachined structures, and capping the device prior art encapsulating the device.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for transceiver calibration are provided. In certain configurations, a transceiver includes a transmit channel and an observation channel. The transmit channel includes a transmit mixer that up-converts a transmit signal by a first or transmit local oscillator frequency. The observation channel includes an observation mixer that down-converts an observed signal from the transmit channel by a second or observation local oscillator frequency that is offset from the first local oscillator frequency. By observing the transmit channel using a local oscillator frequency that is offset relative to the transmit channel's local oscillator frequency, the observation channel can observe transmit channel impairments substantially independently from observation channel impairments.

Abstract: A system, device, and method for binding metadata, such as information derived from the output of a biometric sensor, to hardware intrinsic properties by obtaining authentication-related metadata and combining it with information pertaining to a root of trust, such as a physical unclonable function. The metadata may be derived from a sensor such as a biometric sensor, the root of trust may be a physical unclonable function, the combination of the metadata and root of trust information may employ a hash function, and output from such a hash process may be used as an input to the root of trust. The combined information can be used in interactive or non-interactive authentication.

Abstract: The disclosed technology relates to electronics, and more particularly, to protection devices that protect circuits from transient electrical events such as electrical overstress/electrostatic discharge. A protection device includes a semiconductor substrate having formed therein at least two wells and a deep well underlying and contacting the at least two wells. The device additionally includes a first PN diode formed in one of the at least two wells and having a first heavily doped region of a first conductivity type and a first heavily doped region of a second conductivity type, and includes a second PN diode formed in one of the at least two wells and having a second heavily doped region of the first conductivity type and a second heavily doped region of the second conductivity type. The device additionally includes a first PN diode and the second PN diode are electrically shorted by an electrical shorting structure to form a first plurality of serially connected diodes having a threshold voltage.

Abstract: A voltage sampling circuit is provided that may directly connect a non-zero power supply voltage VDD to switching circuits during input voltage sampling, setting a common mode voltage without using reference voltages produced by a reference voltage generator circuit, and without requiring a common mode buffer circuit. The voltage sampling circuit may be used in an operational amplifier input stage such as for a pipelined ADC circuit, or in a comparator circuit. A SAR ADC circuit is also provided, comprising a control circuit, the voltage sampling circuit, a capacitor array, and a comparator circuit for comparing outputs occurring from charge redistributions. The voltage sampling circuit may enable increased power efficiency, avoid leakage concerns, and increase maximum input voltage swing. Reference plate switches in the voltage sampling circuit may include gate-boosted devices or thicker-oxide I/O devices.

Abstract: The circuit of the present disclosure is a high-speed precision clamp (voltage limiter) for overvoltage or undervoltage protection. One aspect of the circuit includes using a peak detector in the feedback path of a clamp having a super-diode architecture. The resulting circuit performs well for high-speed applications. The peak detector can be replicated (at least in part) to accommodate a multiplicity of phase-shifted input voltages by using only one common peak detection capacitor and ensuring area savings in integrated-circuit implementations.

Abstract: Semiconductor packages and methods of manufacturing semiconductor packages are described herein. In certain embodiments, the semiconductor package includes a housing including a first compartment and a second compartment, the first and second compartments being divided from one another. The semiconductor package can also include an integrated device die disposed in the first compartment, and a radio frequency (RF) absorber disposed in the second compartment.

Abstract: A sampled analog beamformer for ultrasound beamforming includes an array of transducers for transmitting analog signals and receiving reflected analog signals, and a sampled analog filter for filtering the received reflected analog. The sampled analog filter includes a delay line for adding a delay to each of the received reflected analog signals. Using a sampled analog filter in an ultrasound beamforming system reduces the power usage of the system and decreases the number of components in the system.

Abstract: An authenticatable device according to one embodiment includes a reconfigurable physical unclonable function (‘RPUF’) used with one parameter to recover sensitive values (e.g., a secret or a share of a secret) and a different parameter to encode and store values (e.g., challenge-helper pairs) correlated to the sensitive values. In another embodiment, a pair of RPUFs is used instead of a single PUF, with one RPUF used to recover sensitive values and the other RPUF used to encode and store correlated values. In still another embodiment, the desired expiration of values can be enforced by employing redundant RPUFs; when the device is powered on, one (or more than one, but less than all) of the RPUFs is selected and transitioned to a new configuration, invalidating any correlated values previously constructed using the old configuration, and the RPUF that was not reconfigured is used to recover the sensitive value(s) using the remaining correlated value(s).

Abstract: A three-dimensional printing technique can be used to form a microphone package. The microphone package can include a housing having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. A first electrical lead can be formed on an outer surface on the first side of the housing. A second electrical lead can be formed on an outer surface on the second side of the housing. The first electrical lead and the second electrical lead may be electrically shorted to one another. Further, vertical and horizontal conductors can be monolithically integrated within the housing.

Abstract: A bi-directional bridge includes a forward bridge portion, and reverse bridge portion and a shared portion that enables the simultaneous measurement of power flowing in both directions while reducing insertion losses, providing better impedance matching and/or providing improved directionality. In some embodiments, additional attenuation is provided to reduce the common mode rejection requirements of detectors used with the bridge. In other embodiments, multi-tap attenuators and steering circuits may be integrated into the forward and/or reverse bridge portions to reduce common mode signal levels while still maintaining high levels of sensitivity for measuring small input signals.

Abstract: A chip-scale vibrational energy harvester circuit may include magnets and coils with magnetic cores provided in proximity thereto. Either the magnets or the coils may be mounted on a micro-electromechanical spring system (MEMS) that is coupled to a stationary frame. The counterpart component may be mounted on the stationary frame. When the stationary frame experiences vibrational activity, the magnets and the coils may move with respect to each other, causing variations in the flux passing through the coils. The variations in the flux may induce voltages across the coils. The induced voltages may be rectified and stored as energy for later use.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for providing integrated waveguide-based spectrometer systems. In one aspect, the system includes an optical spectrometer comprising one or more waveguides configured to support propagation of optical radiation (i.e. light) through the waveguides to a photodetector. The spectrometer further includes an input coupler for each waveguide, the input coupler configured to couple the radiation from free space into the waveguide in absence of fiber-optic coupling of the radiation into the waveguide. Because at least a portion of the light propagated through the waveguides has interacted with a sample to be spectroscopically evaluated, the light detected by the photodetector allows to carry out the spectroscopic evaluation of the sample. At least some components of the spectrometer are provided on a single die using conventional CMOS techniques, yielding a compact and low cost device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a micromechanical gyroscope and a circuit. The micromechanical gyroscope is configured to be excited in a first mode by a drive signal, and configured to be excited in a second mode by a gyroscopic effect. The circuit is coupled to the micromechanical gyroscope and configured to detect the gyroscopic effect when the micromechanical gyroscope is in the second mode.

Abstract: Analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) can have errors which can affect their performance. To improve the performance, many techniques have been used to compensate or correct for the errors. When the ADCs are being implemented with sub-micron technology, ADCs can be readily and easily equipped with an on-chip microprocessor for performing a variety of digital functions. The on-chip microprocessor and any suitable digital circuitry can implement functions for reducing those errors, enabling certain undesirable artifacts to be reduced, and providing a flexible platform for a highly configurable ADC. The on-chip microprocessor is particularly useful for a randomized time-interleaved ADC. Moreover, a randomly sampling ADC can be added in parallel to a main ADC for calibration purposes. Furthermore, the overall system can include an efficient implementation for correcting errors in an ADC.

Abstract: Conventional user interface for sensing gestures often require physical touching of a sensor pad, or an area filled with sensor pads. These conventional sensor pads take up precious real estate on a compact mobile device, interferes significantly with other components of the mobile device, complicates design, consumes power, and adds costs to the final product. With two or more small capacitive sensing electrodes placed on a mobile device (arbitrarily or with far less restrictions), capacitive sensing can provide a virtual sensor pad as a user interface. By implementing an algorithm which detects for three different conditions, the virtual sensor pad can be used effectively as a user interface modality to detect gestures such as a sliding gesture, drawing gesture, letters, writing, etc. The resulting virtual sensor pad can flexibly change to different desirable locations, and no longer suffers from the limitations of the conventional sensor pad.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed related to radio frequency (RF) power detection. One such apparatus includes a directional coupler, an RF switch, and an RF power detector. The RF switch can selectively change coupling between the directional coupler and the RF power detector. This can enable accurate power detection based on a ratio of power levels, without factory calibration or laser trimming.