Abstract: A low headroom oscillator operates at low supply voltages without the use of monostable circuits or flip flops. The oscillator operates in multiple states which allow for the charging and discharging of the capacitors alternately to enable the proper operating of the oscillator at low supply voltages without locking up.

Abstract: A method of producing a MEMS device provides a first substrate having a first interior surface and thickness, and a second substrate having a second interior surface. The method also forms at least one closed wall on at least one of the first and second substrates, weakens the first substrate in a plane generally parallel to the first interior surface, and secures the first substrate to the second substrate. The at least one closed wall extends between the first interior surface and the second interior surface. The method further separates a portion of the first substrate along the plane generally parallel to the first interior surface after securing the first and second substrates, and removes an excess portion of the first substrate to produce a reduced thickness first substrate of no greater than about 20 microns.

Abstract: A sink may be to used to process multimedia digital data. The sink may include a plurality of input ports, an output port, a switchably-enabled selector to select an input port from a plurality of HDMI input ports to couple to an output port, a control circuit to detect encrypted data in a channel of the input ports; and a plurality of decryption engines. Each of the decryption engines may be coupled to respective input ports to synchronize with a corresponding encryption engine of a data source after the control circuit detects encrypted data in the channel of the respective input port. Additional circuitry may be included to operate the sink in a power saving mode. Also, methods for processing the data in both power saving and non-power saving modes.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for high voltage transient electrical overstress protection are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes an internal circuit electrically connected between a first node and a second node; and a protection circuit electrically connected between the first node and the second node. The protection circuit is configured to protect the internal circuit from transient electrical overstress events while maintaining a relatively high holding voltage upon activation.

Abstract: Organic anti-stiction coatings such as, for example, hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon based self-assembled organosilanes and siloxanes applied either in solvent or via chemical vapor deposition, are selectively etched using a UV-Ozone (UVO) dry etching technique in which the portions of the organic anti-stiction coating to be etched are exposed simultaneously to multiple wavelengths of ultraviolet light that excite and dissociate organic molecules from the anti-stiction coating and generate atomic oxygen from molecular oxygen and ozone so that the organic molecules react with atomic oxygen to form volatile products that are dissipated, resulting in removal of the exposed portions of the anti-stiction coating. A hybrid etching process using heat followed by UVO exposure may be used. A shadow mask (e.g., of glass or quartz), a protective material layer, or other mechanism may be used to selective expose the portions of the anti-stiction coating to be UVO etched.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system for calibrating the image rejection of a receiver include an image-rejection correction circuit that modifies the gain and phase of a first channel of a baseband image signal. The image-rejection correction circuit may include a summing circuit and first and second variable-gain elements. In one implementation, a filter receives a corrected first channel from the image-rejection correction circuit and an unmodified second channel of the image signal, while a controller analyzes power measured at the output of the filter, and adjusts the variable-gain elements to reduce the power of the image signal.

Abstract: A hardware accelerator operable in an FFT mode and an FIR mode. The hardware accelerator takes input data and coefficient data and performs the calculations for the selected mode. In the FFT mode, a rate-two FFT is calculated, producing four real outputs corresponding to two complex numbers. In the FIR mode, one real output is generated. The hardware accelerator may switch from FFT mode to FIR mode using three multiplexers. All FIR components may be utilized in FFT mode. Registers may be added to provide pipelining support. The hardware accelerator may support multiple numerical-representation systems.

Abstract: A method of detecting activity in a MEMS accelerometer captures an acceleration bias, measures acceleration at a predetermined time, calculates a change in acceleration using the measured acceleration and the acceleration bias, and compares the change in acceleration to a threshold to detect activity. A method of detecting inactivity uses a similar technique along with a timer. The method of detecting inactivity in a MEMS accelerometer captures an acceleration bias, measures acceleration at a predetermined time, calculates a change in acceleration using the measured acceleration and the acceleration bias, and compares the change in acceleration to a threshold to detect inactivity. The method further determines if the change in acceleration is less than the threshold and, if so, determines if a predetermined period of time has elapsed to detect inactivity.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring the pulse time of switches within a DC to DC power supply, comprising a timing circuit responsive to a switching confirmation signal to commence timing and to monitor for control signals being sent to the switch and to indicate whether elapsed period between the switching confirmation signal and the control signal is too long or too short.

Abstract: A measurement system includes a detector to generate a measurement signal responsive to an input signal, and a nulling circuit coupled to the detector to generate a control signal responsive to the difference between the measurement signal and a set-point signal. The nulling circuit may include a bandwidth compensation stage to maintain the overall control loop bandwidth at a substantially constant value.

Abstract: Systems and methods for increasing amplifier supply power on demand for a plurality of xDSL signals is provided. In an embodiment, circuitry may be used to detect the signal or signals having the highest voltage. In different embodiments, the signal(s) with the highest absolute voltage or highest combined voltage between complementary signal pairs may be compared to a threshold voltage, such as an existing amplifier supply voltage. In different embodiments, when these highest voltage(s) exceed the threshold voltage, the corresponding amplifier supply voltages may be increased to meet the increased amplification demand. In some embodiments when these highest voltage(s) do not exceed the threshold voltage, the amplifier supply voltage may not be increased and the existing amplifier supply voltage may be used to amplify the xDSL signals.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention may be directed to a multi channel imaging system. The multi channel imaging system may include an input for a light signal and a plurality of channel circuits. Each of the channel circuits may have an analog signal processing chain converting some portion of the light signal into to a digital representation, the plurality of channel circuits may operate in parallel. The multi channel imaging system may further comprise at least one dither circuit coupled to a point in at least one of the analog signal processing chains to add dither.

Abstract: A class G headphone amplifier circuit with improved power efficiency and low EMI. It may use an automatic signal level detector to detect the signal level of incoming signals and determine positive and negative power supplies for headphone amplifiers accordingly. A voltage generator may generate pairs of differential output voltages at a plurality of amplitude steps, and supply to headphone amplifiers the pair with the amplitude determined by the automatic signal level detector. As a result, headphone amplifiers are biased according to the input signal level, and the multiple voltage rails may improve power efficiency and avoid clipping.

Abstract: A SOI-based MEMS device has a base layer, a device layer, and an insulator layer between the base layer and the device layer. The device also has a deposited layer having a portion that is spaced from the device layer. The device layer is between the insulator layer and the deposited layer.

Abstract: A SOI-based MEMS device has a base layer, a device layer, and an insulator layer between the base layer and the device layer. The device also has a deposited layer having a portion that is spaced from the device layer. The device layer is between the insulator layer and the deposited layer.

Abstract: A drive signal for a motor-driven mechanical system has zero (or near zero) energy at an expected resonant frequency of the mechanical system. The drive signal may be provided in a series of steps according to a selected row of Pascal's triangle, wherein the number of steps equals the number of entries from the selected row of Pascal's triangle, each step has a step size corresponding to a respective entry of the selected row of Pascal's triangle, and the steps are spaced from each other according to a time constant determined by an expected resonant frequency of the mechanical system.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for a PTAT cell with no resistors which can operate at low power, has less sensitivity to process variation, occupies less silicon area, and has low noise. Further, a system and method are provided to scale up the reference voltage and current through a cascade of unit cells. Still further, a system and method are provided for PTAT component to be fine-tuned, advantageously providing less process variability and less temperature sensitivity.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing noise in resolver-to-digital converters (RDC) using a cascaded tracking loop filter. In some embodiments, one or more tracking loop filters may be implemented in a cascade to attenuate carrier harmonic frequencies in the digitized output of an RDC. Where a plurality of tracking loop filters are implemented, the output of one tracking loop filter may be input into a successive tracking loop filter.

Abstract: An active RC resonator includes a first operational amplifier having first and second inputs and first and second outputs, a second operational amplifier having first and second inputs and first and second outputs, a first resistor coupled between the first input of the first operational amplifier and the second output of the second operational amplifier, a second resistor coupled between the second input of the first operational amplifier and the first output of the second operational amplifier, a third resistor coupled between the first output of the first operational amplifier and the first input of the second input of the second operational amplifier, a fourth resistor coupled between the second output of the first operational amplifier and the second input of the second operational amplifier, and at least one of 1) a first capacitor coupled between the first input of the first operational amplifier and the first output of the second operational amplifier, and a second capacitor coupled between the second

Abstract: An amplifier circuit includes a first amplifier stage having a first output node; a second amplifier stage having a second output node; and a compensation block electrically coupled between the first and second output nodes. The compensation block has a compensation capacitor electrically coupled to the first node and electrically connectable to the second node, and has an impedance electrically connectable to the compensation capacitor. The compensation capacitor is electrically coupled via a switch to the impedance such that the compensation capacitor can contribute a zero to shunt branch formed by the compensation capacitor and impedance when the compensation capacitor is disconnected from the second node.