Abstract: Radio frequency integrated device packages having bump and/or ball launch structures are disclosed herein. The bump launch structures can comprise patterned metallic and insulating material that substantially matches the impedance of a radio frequency integrated device die. The ball launch structures can comprise patterned metallic and insulating material that substantially matches the impedance of a system board.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for maintaining timing precision in different operating modes of a device (e.g., a wireless node). A timing circuit may switch clock signals between two different modes (e.g., high power and low power) while preserving timing precision. In a high-power mode, the timing circuit may provide a high frequency clock signal, and in a lower-power mode, it may provide a low frequency clock signal. Moreover, the switching between the different clock signals may be synchronized to select edges of the low frequency clock signal.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer is provided, comprising a substrate disposed in a plane defined by a first axis and a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; a first proof mass and a second proof mass coupled to the substrate and configured to translate in opposite directions of each other along a third axis perpendicular to the first and second axes; and at least one lever coupling the first proof mass to the second proof mass, wherein, the MEMS accelerometer is configured to detect acceleration along the third axis via detection of translation of the first and second proof masses along the third axis; and the MEMS accelerometer exhibits symmetry about the first and second axes.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide improved mismatch shaping for a digital to analog converter, the method including splitting an original input of a circuit into a plurality of time interleaved data streams; element rotation selection (ERS) logic to process the plurality of time interleaved data streams; and directing one of the plurality of time interleaved data streams to the ERS logic according to a decision of a data-weighted sigma-delta (SD) modulator. In other example implementations, the method can further include multiplexing one of the plurality of time interleaved data streams to be provided to a barrel shifter. In yet other examples, the method can include monitoring a difference between the plurality of time interleaved data streams as a basis for the directing such that a data sample rate for the digital to analog converter is reduced over a time interval.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods related to wireless battery management system (wBMS) are provided. For example, a wBMS network manager comprises a memory to store a list of hardware identifiers (IDs), wherein each hardware ID in the list is associated with a respective one of a plurality of battery modules; and mapped, based on a predetermined mapping, to a different one of a plurality of source IDs; an interface to receive, from a remote battery module, a packet including a source ID and a hardware ID associated with the remote battery module; and one or more processing units to search, using the source ID in the received packet and the predetermined mapping, for a first hardware ID from the list of hardware IDs; and authenticating the remote battery module based on a comparison of the hardware ID in the received packet to the first hardware ID from the list.

Abstract: A laser pulse emitter circuit comprises a laser diode and a laser diode driver circuit. The laser diode driver circuit includes an inductive circuit element in series with the laser diode, at least one capacitive circuit element connected in series with the inductive circuit element, and a switch circuit configured to activate the laser diode using duty cycling that includes an on-period and an off-period, wherein energy used in an activation of the laser diode is stored in the inductive circuit element and the at least one capacitive circuit element, and the stored energy is recycled by use in a subsequent activation of the laser diode.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are two-wire communication systems and applications thereof. In some embodiments, a slave node transceiver for low latency communication may include upstream transceiver circuitry to receive a first signal transmitted over a two-wire bus from an upstream device and to provide a second signal over the two-wire bus to the upstream device; downstream transceiver circuitry to provide a third signal downstream over the two-wire bus toward a downstream device and to receive a fourth signal over the two-wire bus from the downstream device; and clock circuitry to generate a clock signal at the slave node transceiver based on a preamble of a synchronization control frame in the first signal, wherein timing of the receipt and provision of signals over the two-wire bus by the node transceiver is based on the clock signal.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a system that may be implemented within a headphone to facilitate hearing testing. Implementation of the system in the headphone may include implementation of tone generation circuitry and sound pressure level measurement circuitry being implemented in the headphone limiting the amount of calibration for accurate measurement when performing a hearing test.

Abstract: A network node device of an area network includes physical layer (PHY) circuitry configured to transmit and receive frames of data via a communication link of the communication network; medium access layer (MAC) circuitry; a receive interface between the PHY circuitry and the MAC circuitry, and timestamp circuitry. The receive interface includes a receive clock signal and a DLL. The timestamp circuitry is configured to produce multiple sample signals derived from the receive clock signal using the DLL and a local clock signal of the network node, and produce a timestamp offset using the multiple sample signals. The timestamp offset is representative of an instantaneous phase offset between a local clock of the network node and a local clock of a neighbor node of the network node.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is an example analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and methods that may be performed by the ADC. The ADC may derive a first code that approximates a combination of an analog input value of the ADC and a dither value for the ADC sampled on a capacitor array. The ADC may further derive a second code to represent a residue of the combination with respect to the first code applied to the capacitor array. The ADC may combine the numerical value of the first code and the numerical value of the second code to produce a combined code applied to the capacitor array for deriving a digital output code. Combining the numerical value of the first code and the numerical value of the second code in the digital domain can provide for greater analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion linearity.

Abstract: An example transconductance circuit includes a first portion that includes a first degeneration transistor, configured to receive a first input voltage, and a second portion that includes a second degeneration transistor, coupled to the first degeneration transistor and configured to receive a second input voltage. The first portion further includes a first input transistor, coupled to the first degeneration transistor and configured to provide a first output current, while the second portion further includes a second input transistor, coupled to the second degeneration transistor and configured to provide a second output current. Such a transconductance circuit may be used as an input stage capable of reliably operating within drain-source breakdown voltage of the transistors employed therein even in absence of any other protection devices, and may be significantly faster, consume lower power, and occupy smaller die area compared to conventional transconductance circuits.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods related to phase shifters are provided. An example true time-delay (TTD) phase shifter structure includes a signal conductive line disposed on a first layer of the structure; a first switchable ground plane comprising a first conductive plane disposed on a second layer of the structure; a second switchable ground plane comprising a second conductive plane disposed on a third layer of the structure, where the first, second, and third layers are separate layers of the structure; a first switch coupled between the first switchable ground plane and a first ground element, the first ground element disposed on the second layer; and a second switch coupled between the second switchable ground plane and a second ground element, the second ground element disposed on the third layer.

Abstract: The trend in wireless communication receivers is to capture more and more bandwidth to support higher throughput, and to directly sample the radio frequency (RF) signal to enable re-configurability and lower cost. Other applications like instrumentation also demand the ability to digitize wide bandwidth RF signals. These applications benefit from input circuitry which can perform well with high speed, wide bandwidth RF signals. An input buffer and bootstrapped switch are designed to service such applications, and can be implemented in 28 nm complementary metal-oxide (CMOS) technology.

Abstract: A switching converter circuit comprises a converting circuit stage, an error amplifier, and a control circuit. The converting circuit stage includes a magnetic circuit element and a switching circuit configured to convert an input voltage to a regulated output voltage by charging and discharging the magnetic circuit element using activation pulses generated using a system clock signal. The error amplifier generates a control voltage using the output voltage. The control circuit varies time between successive activation pulses according to the control voltage, and the successive activation pulses are synchronized to the system clock signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods involving nanomaterial-based electrodes, such as supercapacitor and battery electrodes that can be flexible, are described.

Abstract: Far field devices typically rely on audio only for enabling user interaction and involve only audio processing. Adding a vision-based modality can greatly improve the user interface of far field devices to make them more natural to the user. For instance, users can look at the device to interact with it rather than having to repeatedly utter a wakeword. Vision can also be used to assist audio processing, such as to improve the beamformer. For instance, vision can be used for direction of arrival estimation. Combining vision and audio can greatly enhance the user interface and performance of far field devices.

Abstract: An energy-efficient multiplication circuit uses analog multipliers and adders to reduce the distance that data has to move and the number of times that the data has to be moved when performing matrix multiplications in the analog domain. The multiplication circuit is tailored to bitwise multiply the innermost product of a rearranged matrix formula generate a matrix multiplication result in form of a current that is then digitized for further processing.

Abstract: A multi-phase buck-boost converter circuit comprises a buck circuit stage, a boost circuit stage, and a control circuit. The buck circuit stage is connected to an input of the buck-boost converter circuit to receive an input voltage. The boost circuit stage includes multiple boost circuits connected in parallel. The boost circuit stage is coupled to the buck circuit stage and an output of the multi-phase buck-boost converter circuit. Each boost circuit includes an inductor coupled to the buck circuit stage. The control circuit operates the multiple boost circuit stages out of phase with respect to each other in a boost mode, operates the buck circuit stage in a buck mode, and operates the multiple boost circuit stages out of phase with respect to each other and operates the buck circuit stage in a buck-boost mode.

Abstract: System and apparatus for robust, portable gas detection. Specifically, this disclosure describes apparatuses and systems for optical gas detection in a compact package using two optical pathways. There is a need for a very compact, low-power, gas detection system for gases such as CO2, NOx, water vapor, methane, etc. This disclosure provides an ultra-compact and highly stable and efficient optical measurement system based on principals of optical absorption spectroscopy using substantially collinear pathways.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods related to phase shifters are provided. An example apparatus includes a first node to receive an input signal, a second node, a first signal path coupled between the first node and the second node, and a second signal path coupled between the first node and the second node. The first signal path includes a positively coupled transformer. The second signal path includes a negatively coupled transformer. The second signal path is out-of-phase with the first signal path at the second node. The apparatus further includes a plurality of switches to select the first signal path or the second signal path. The apparatus may further include tuning capacitors to improve phase-shifting performance of the apparatus.