Abstract: An electronic circuit includes parallel linear regulator circuits that support a range of different load currents. The electronic circuit includes a first linear regulator circuit coupled to an output node, a second linear regulator circuit coupled in parallel with the first linear regulator circuit and the output node, and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to monitor the output node and to suppress or inhibit the second linear regulator circuit from supplying the output node when a representation of load power consumption is below a specified threshold. The first linear regulator circuit is configured to continue to supply a portion of the load power when the representation of load power consumption is above the specified threshold, and the control circuit may disable the second linear regulator circuit when the representation of load power consumption is below the specified threshold.

Abstract: A monolithic vapor chamber heat dissipating device uses a phase change liquid and one or more wicks to dissipate heat from a heat-generating system. The phase change liquid and one or more wicks may be directly coupled to the heat-generating system, or may be coupled to an intermediate evaporator substrate. The phase change liquid vaporizes as it absorbs heat from the heat-generating system. When the vapor rises and encounters a condenser substrate, the vapor condenses and transfers the heat to the condenser substrate. The condensed vapor is drawn by gravity and the one or more wicks to the phase change liquid coupled to the heat-generating system.

Abstract: System in package (SIP) modules are compact packages that include components such as processors, memory, sensors, and passive components on a single substrate. One low cost and compact way to integrate an antenna into a SIP module is to suspend an antenna in molding compound so that the antenna is embedded in the real estate of the molding compound layer. To embed the antenna, the molding compound is first deposited. A cavity can be cut in the molding compound to hold the antenna. The cavity can be filled with conductive material to form the antenna. Further molding compound can be deposited to cover the antenna and enclose the antenna in the molding compound layer. Ground structures can also be suspended in the molding compound. Such an embedded antenna can be particularly useful for radio applications.

Abstract: There is provided an active-pixel image sensor that uses a method of offsetting and interleaving to increase its resolution. In a basic configuration of the active-pixel image sensor, light from one optical transmitter is diffracted to create one diffraction pattern, and then light from another optical transmitter is diffracted to create another diffraction pattern. Light from further optical transmitters may also be diffracted to create further diffraction patterns sequentially after that. These diffraction patterns are offset from one another and then interleaved using time division multiplexing so as to create a single pixel output that has higher resolution than is feasible with an active-pixel image sensor that only utilizes one optical transmitter per pixel or that does not use diffraction patterns to create a larger field of view.

Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to communicating video content and other data over networks. An example apparatus includes a transmitter for communicating data via a serial link with a receiver. The transmitter includes an input, an output interface to the serial link, and translation circuitry. The input includes multiple input data lanes and a clock lane, and the input is configured to concurrently receive data on the multiple input data lanes aligned with a clock signal received on the clock lane according to a multi-lane communication protocol. The output interface is a clock-less interface and includes a number of output data lanes less than a number of the multiple input data lanes. The translation circuitry translates the data received according to the multi-lane communication protocol to a serial link communication protocol for transmission on the serial link.

Abstract: Power isolators with multiple selectable feedback modes are described. The power isolators may transfer a power signal from a primary side to a second side. A feedback signal may be provided from the secondary side to the primary side to control generation of the power signal on the primary side. In this manner, the power signal provided to the secondary side may be maintained within desired levels. The feedback signal may be generated by feedback circuitry configurable to operate in different modes, such that the feedback signal may be of differing types depending on which feedback mode is implemented.

Abstract: A blood oxygenation sensor is provided comprising: a first current-powered light source to produce light having a first wavelength; a second current-powered light source to produce light having a second wavelength; a light sensor to produce a current signal having a magnitude that is indicative of intensity of light incident upon it; a current level driver circuit that includes a current source configured to couple the current source to alternatively provide current to one of the first current-powered light source and the second light current-powered light source; a processor configured to predict times of occurrence of one or more first time intervals in which arterial volume at a tissue site is at one of a maximum and a minimum; wherein the processor is configured to control the current source, to provide a first pattern of higher power-dissipation current pulses to the first and second current-powered light sources during the first time intervals, and to provide a second pattern of lower power-dissipation

Abstract: Isolators having a back-to-back configuration for providing electrical isolation between two circuits are described, in which multiple isolators formed on a single, monolithic substrate are connected in series to achieve a higher amount of electrical isolation for a single substrate than for isolators formed on separate substrates connected in series. Discrete dielectric regions positioned between isolator components forming an isolator provide electrical isolation between the isolator components as well as between the isolators formed on the substrate. The back-to-back isolator may provide one or more communication channels for transfer of information and/or power between different circuits.

Abstract: An arc detection method includes classifying whether an arc fault is present in the power system by, for each of a plurality of bins of a current frame of a signal, marking the bin as a candidate bin if a magnitude spectrum of the bin meets first criteria; determining a number of candidate bins in the current frame; marking the number of candidate bins as candidate cluster bins if the number of candidate bins exceeds a minimum cluster size; for each of the candidate cluster bins, determining whether the candidate cluster bin is also a candidate cluster bin of a previous frame of the first signal and if so, identifying the current frame as a candidate frame and incrementing a candidate frame count; and if the candidate frame count exceeds a candidate frame count threshold, determining that an arc fault is present in the power system.

Abstract: Fault tolerant switches are provided herein. In certain embodiments, a fault tolerant switch includes a switch, a gate driver, and a clamp. The switch includes a switch p-type field effect transistor (PFET) and a switch n-type field effect transistor (NFET) electrically connected in series and controlled by the gate driver. Additionally, the clamp is electrically connected in parallel with the switch, and includes a forward protection circuit including a first diode and a first clamp FET in series, and a reverse protection circuit including a second diode and a second clamp FET in series. The clamp further includes a first gate bias circuit configured to bias a gate of the first clamp FET and a second gate bias circuit configured to bias a gate of the second clamp FET.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) which includes a resistor string and a transfer function modification circuit. The transfer function modification circuit may be a calibration circuit for calibrating the DAC, The calibration circuit may include a plurality of current sources, which may be current DACs. Each of the current DACS inject current into, or drain current from, a respective node of the resistor string, in order to correct for voltage errors. The injected currents may be positive or negative, depending on the voltage error. The current DACs are controlled by trim codes, which are set dependent on the measured or simulated voltage errors for a given resistor string.

Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure relate to detecting and recording information associated with electrical overstress (EOS) events, such as electrostatic discharge (ESD) events. For example, in one embodiment, an apparatus includes an electrical overstress protection device, a detection circuit configured to detect an occurrence of the EOS event, and a memory configured to store information indicative of the EOS event.

Abstract: An embodiment of a position sensing system includes a signal generation circuit to generate an excitation signal according to a selected characteristic signal, a drive circuit to drive an excitation source with the excitation signal, an input circuit to receive a sensor output while driving the excitation source, a signal detection circuit to identify a component of the sensor output corresponding to the characteristic signal, and a control circuit to determine the position of the movable object as a function of the identified component of the sensor output. The positioning system may be included an electronic camera, where the movable object may be a lens. The excitation source may be a conductive coil, the excitation a magnetic field, and the sensor a magneto resistive sensor. Alternatively, the excitation source may be an optical excitation source, the excitation an optical excitation, and the sensor an optical sensor.

Abstract: Power isolators for providing electrical isolation between an input port and an output port that exhibit low electromagnetic interference (EMI) are described. The low EMI may be achieved by, for example, canceling out a common mode current across a transformer in the power isolator that may be converted into EMI. The power isolator may include at least one oscillator circuit that is configured to apply a first signal to a first transformer and a second, different signal to a second transformer. The first and second signals may be configured such that the common mode current generated in each of the first and second transformers has an opposite direction. Thus, the common mode currents in the first and second transformers may at least partially cancel out. As a result, the EMI exhibited by the power isolator may be reduced.

Abstract: Input stages for an analog to digital converter wherein charge for charging parasitic capacitances in the input stage, and particularly in the input switch is sourced from a node which means that it does not have to pass through the input RC filter. This has the effect that the input RC filter can be of lower bandwidth, and/or have a larger resistor value, with the consequent result that there is lower power dissipation in the ADC drive circuitry. In one example this effect is realized by providing a separate input into which charge to charge the parasitic capacitances can be fed from external circuitry. In another example an operational amplifier having high (ideally infinite) input impedance can be used to feed charge to the input switch from the input to the RC filter, or from the node between the resistor and capacitor of the filter, again without unsettling the filter.

Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure relate to transmitting and/or receiving a frequency-shift keying signal including a packet that includes a preamble and a payload. The preamble has a first modulation index that has a smaller magnitude than a second modulation index of the payload. This can enhance frequency correction in a receive device that receives the packet.

Abstract: Techniques for supplying a bias current to a load are provided. In certain examples, a circuit can include a level-shift capacitance, a current source, and a load configured to receive a bias current in a first state of the circuit. The current source and the level-shift capacitance can be coupled in series between the load and a supply voltage in the first state. In some examples, during a second state of the circuit, the level-shift capacitance can receive charge, and can be isolated from one of the load or the current source.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for performing SAG effect compensation on a video signal received over an AC-coupled video link. In one aspect, a method for performing SAF effect compensation includes applying a filter to the received video signal to generate a corrected video signal, where a transfer function of the filter is dependent on a transmission parameter that is based on a plurality of parameters of the AC-coupled link. The method further includes extracting predefined content from the corrected video signal, and adjusting the transmission parameter based on a comparison of the extracted predefined content with certain expected content, so that adjusted transmission parameter can be used for one or more subsequent applications of the filter, thereby realizing an adaptive filter.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for communicating video signals and control data over a HD, wired, AC-coupled video and control link. In one aspect, an example system includes a scheduler that is configured to allocate time slots for exchange of data between a transmitter and a receiver over such a link. The scheduler is configured to, for each of at least one or more video lines of a video frame of a video signal acquired by a camera, allocate a plurality of time slots for transmitting a plurality of video components of said video line from the transmitter to the receiver, allocate one or more time slots for transmitting transmitter control data from the transmitter to the receiver, and allocate one or more time slots for transmitting receiver control data from the receiver to the transmitter.

Abstract: Vital sign monitors are plagued by noisy photoplethysmography (PPG) data, making it difficult for the monitors to output consistently accurate readings. Noise in PPG signals is often caused by motion. The present disclosure provides improved techniques for reducing motion-related artifacts in optical/PPG measurements for vital signs monitoring. In general, techniques described herein are based on using measurements of reference sensors that include sensors other than optical sensors used for the optical measurements, e.g., biopotential sensors, bioimpedance sensors, and/or capacitive sensors. In particular, techniques described herein aim to filter PPG signals using substantially only the noise components of signals generated by reference sensors, by attenuating or altogether eliminating components of the signals generated by reference sensors which are indicative of the parameter the reference sensors are designed to measure.