Abstract: A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) comprises a supply voltage node, configured to receive a supply voltage, a VCO output capacitor, configured to provide an oscillating output voltage across the capacitor, a discharge switch configured to discharge the capacitor according to an oscillation frequency of the oscillating output voltage, and a comparator circuit configured to provide, to a control terminal of the discharge switch, a control signal that is determined based on a comparison of the output voltage and a specified threshold voltage. The oscillating output voltage includes a pulse having a ramp slope that is determined as a function of a magnitude of the supply voltage, and is capable of being adjusted independently of the oscillation frequency.

Abstract: A lead frame packaged electronic chip. The packaged electronic chip includes a MEMS device, an integrated circuit and a wire bond electrically coupling the MEMS device and the integrated circuit. The packaged electronic chip is encased in a molding material. The packaged electronic chip further includes a mechanism that shields the wire bond and the input/output pads that couple the MEMS device and the integrated circuit from electromagnetic and radio frequency interference.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for generating a regulated boosted load voltage. A comparator may use reduced versions of a reference voltage, a supply voltage, and a fed-back output load voltage to determine whether the output load voltage requires adjustment. If so, a controller may responsively vary the number of voltage boosting charge pumps connected in parallel to the load to best match a target voltage. The target voltage may be the reference voltage plus the supply voltage. A counter may track the number of active charge pumps, and may increment or decrement the number more slowly than the charge pumps operate. Loop gain may be limited by an integrating filter to prevent oscillation. The embodiments are of particular utility for signal conversion circuitry as they eliminate difficulties arising from gate-source voltage inadequacies and differences in switch transistors. A wider range of reference voltages may be accommodated.

Abstract: A pipelined video pre-processor includes a plurality of configurable image-processing modules. The modules may be configured using direct processor control, DMA access, or both. A block-control list, accessible via DMA, facilitates configuration of the modules in a manner similar to direct processor control. Parameters in the modules may be updated on a frame-by-frame basis.

Abstract: Mobile devices are increasing aware of the environment surrounding the mobile devices. In many applications, it is useful for the mobile device to be able to sense different types of hand grips and/or where fingers are positioned with respect to the mobile device. The present disclosure describes a capacitive sensing apparatus particularly suitable for sensing hand grips and/or finger tracking along edges of a mobile device. The capacitive sensing apparatus comprises strips arranged along two lines, and the respective lengths and spacing are designed to allow optimal response behavior for sensing hand grips and/or tracking fingers.

Abstract: Present disclosure relates to a current detection module capable of differentiating and quantifying contribution to a current signal generated by a sensor in response to stimulation by a certain target source from contributions from sources other than the target source (ambient sources). As long as the contribution from the target source comprises a pulsed signal, the module synchronizes itself to the pulse(s) so that there is a predetermined phase relationship between the pulse(s) and functions carried out by various stages of the module. The module may be re-used to also detect and quantify contributions from ambient sources by presenting these contributions to the module as pulses that trigger synchronization of the module. To that end, a detection system disclosed herein is based on the use of such current detection module and allows mode switching where, depending on the selected mode of operation, the module is configured to perform different measurements.

Abstract: An amplifier system may include a current source, an impedance element responsive to a current change, and a feedback controller generating a control signal based on impedance element response. Current source may supply current to a pair of output elements, one of which being controlled by an integrator, and a portion of the integrator. Impedance element may have terminals coupled to inputs of the output elements and may be configured to experience a change in voltage based on a change in current supplied to its input. Feedback controller may have a pair of inputs coupled to the terminals of impedance element and an output to control the current source based on a detected change in voltage across the impedance element. Current source may be varied based on the control signal to maintain a constant current supplied to the input of the impedance elements.

Abstract: A cascaded amplifier including a pre-amplifier stage having a pair of first transistors, each of the first transistors having a first gate terminal coupled to a first input voltage, a trans-conductive (gm) amplifier stage having a pair of second transistors, each of the second transistors having a second gate terminal coupled to a drain terminal of one of the first transistors, and an integrator amplifier stage having a pair of third transistors, each of the third transistors having a third gate terminal coupled to a drain node of one of the second transistors, each of the third transistors having their drain terminals coupled to an output voltage.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for reducing input bias current of electronic circuits are provided herein. In certain implementations, an electronic circuit includes a first input terminal, a second input terminal, an input circuit, and a plurality of input switches including at least a first input switch and a second input switch. The first input switch is electrically connected between the first input terminal and a first input of the input circuit, the second input switch is electrically connected between the second input terminal and a second input of the input circuit, and the first and second input switches can be opened and closed using a clock signal. The electronic circuit further includes a charge compensation circuit for compensating for charge injection through the first and second input switches during transitions of the clock signal.

Abstract: A microchip has a base die with a conductive interconnect and an isolation trench around at least a portion of the conductive interconnect, and a cap die secured to the base die. A seal, formed from a metal material, is positioned between the base die and the cap die to secure them together. The microchip also has a blocking apparatus, between the isolation trench and the metal seal, that at least in part prevents the metal material from contacting the interconnect.

Abstract: The systems, methods, and devices disclosed herein relate to a bit-per-stage ADC. The bit-per-stage ADC extracts one or more bits at each stage and creates a residue so that succeeding similar or identical stages can extract more bits. The ADC uses a reflected binary output code so that a bit can be extracted by observing the sign (e.g., polarity) of an input. The residue can be generated by rectifying the input, multiplying it by two, and level-shifting it by half the span. The generation of the residue is achieved using capacitors and switches. This causes the ADC to have low power consumption and a small size.

Abstract: A satellite sensor system includes a base unit and a packaged motion sensor configured to be removably couplable to the base unit. The base unit is configured to mount to a vehicle and to faithfully transmit vehicle motion to an attached sensor.

Abstract: An integrated, fully-differential current-feedback transimpedance operational amplifier circuit is disclosed. The circuit can be configured as a class-AB, low-impedance input stage, followed by an inverter-based, rail-to-rail output stage. For enhancing the open-loop transimpedance gain of the amplifier without consuming additional DC power, the same bias current is used both in the input stage and in a gain-enhancement stage serving as its load. The gain-enhancement stage can be either DC- or AC-coupled to the input of the amplifier. In the case of DC coupling, an output common-mode feedback loop can be used to provide the proper operating voltages in the amplifier.

Abstract: Disclosed is a micro-electro-mechanical switch, including a substrate having a gate connection, a source connection, a drain connection and a switch structure, coupled to the substrate. The switch structure includes a beam member, an anchor and a hinge. The beam member having a length sufficient to overhang both the gate connection and the drain connection. The anchor coupling the switch structure to the substrate, the anchor having a width. The hinge coupling the beam member to the anchor at a respective position along the anchor's length, the hinge to flex in response to a charge differential established between the gate and the beam member. The switch structure having gaps between the substrate and the anchor in regions proximate to the hinges.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus, systems, and methods provide a calibration technique for calibrating a set of microphones. The disclosed calibration technique is configured to calibrate the microphones with respect to a reference microphone and can be used in actual operation rather than a testing environment. The disclosed calibration technique can estimate both the magnitude calibration factor for compensating magnitude sensitivity variations and the relative phase error for compensating phase delay variations. In addition, the disclosed calibration technique can be used even when multiple acoustic sources are present. The disclosed technique is particularly well suited to calibrating a set of microphones that are omnidirectional and sufficiently close to one another.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a power converter circuit and a controller. The power converter circuit includes an inductor, a switching circuit, and a digital control loop circuit having an adjustable transfer function, wherein the transfer function includes a zero variable and a signal gain variable. The controller includes a tuning module configured to set a value for the zero variable, set the signal gain variable to a first gain value, determine a control error for the first gain value setting, wherein the control error is a difference between a reference current and a load current at a circuit load, iteratively update the gain value of the signal gain variable and determine the control error for the updated gain value, and set an operating gain value of the signal gain variable to the gain value corresponding to a minimum control error.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention may provide a receiver. The receiver may include an RF section and a quadrature mixture, coupled to the RF section, to downconvert a first group of wireless signals directly to baseband frequency quadrature signals and to downconvert a second group of wireless signals to intermediate frequency quadrature signals. The receiver may also include a pair of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) to convert the downconverted quadrature signals to corresponding digital quadrature signals. Further, the receiver may include a digital section having two paths to perform signal processing on the digital baseband frequency quadrature signals and to downconvert the digital intermediate frequency signals to baseband cancelling a third order harmonic distortion therein. The receiver may be provided on a monolithically integrated circuit.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus, systems, and methods provide a calibration technique for calibrating a set of microphones. The disclosed calibration technique is configured to calibrate the microphones with respect to a reference microphone and can be used in actual operation rather than a testing environment. The disclosed calibration technique can estimate both the magnitude calibration factor for compensating magnitude sensitivity variations and the relative phase error for compensating phase delay variations. In addition, the disclosed calibration technique can be used even when multiple acoustic sources are present. The disclosed technique is particularly well suited to calibrating a set of microphones that are omnidirectional and sufficiently close to one another.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a mechanism to digitally correct for the static mismatch of the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in at least the first-stage of a multi-stage noise shaping (MASH) analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The correction is applicable to continuous-time implementations, and is especially attractive for high-speed applications.

Abstract: An approach to time domain filtering uses a passive charge sharing approach to implement an infinite impulse response filter. Delayed samples of an input signal are stored as charges on capacitors of a first array of capacitors, and delayed samples of the output signal are stored as charges on capacitors of a second array of capacitors. Outputs are determined by passively coupling capacitors of the first and second arrays to one another, and determining the output according to a total charge on the coupled capacitors. In some examples, a gain is applied to the total charge prior to storing the output on the second array of capacitors. In some examples, a charge scaling circuit is applied to the charges stored on the arrays prior to coupling capacitors to form the output.