Abstract: A multi-stage transimpedance amplifier (TIA) with an adjustable input linear range is disclosed. The TIA includes a first stage, configured to convert a single-ended current signal from an optical sensor of a receiver signal chain to a single-ended voltage signal, and a second stage, configured to convert the single-ended voltage signal provided by the first stage to a differential signal. In such a TIA, the input linear range may be adjusted using a clamp that is programmable with an output offset current to keep the second stage of the TIA from overloading and to maintain a linear transfer function without compression.

Abstract: Voltage-to-current converters that include two current mirrors are disclosed. In an example voltage-to-current converter each current mirror is a complementary current mirror in that one of its input and output transistors is a P-type transistor and the other one is an N-type transistor. Such voltage-to-current converters may be implemented using bipolar technology, CMOS technology, or a combination of bipolar and CMOS technologies, and may be made sufficiently compact and accurate while operating at sufficiently low voltages and consuming limited power.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a circuit for generating a complimentary to absolute temperature (CTAT) voltage reference. The primary contributor to the voltage reference is first bipolar junction transistor, which is configured in diode mode, to produce the CTAT voltage. Such references include a non-linear component. A pair of bipolar junction transistors are coupled to the first bipolar junction transistor, and are configured to generate a delta base-emitter voltage. By coupling one of the pair to a proportional to absolute temperature current source, and the other to a current course which is substantially independent of absolute temperature, a further non-linear component is introduced, which is complimentary to the non-linear component introduced by the first bipolar junction transistor. The pair of bipolar transistors share a common emitter area size.

Abstract: A wireless charging platform for a wireless sensor network is disclosed, which includes a radio frequency energy distributor and data aggregator (REDDA) system configured to aggregate data from sensor nodes and wirelessly transmit power to the sensor nodes using a beamformed RF signal. The REDDA system can set a radiation pattern for the beamformed RF signal that maximizes RF energy transfer to the sensor nodes based on an environment associated with the sensor nodes. In various embodiments, the REDDA system can include an Internet of Things (IoT) interface connected to an IoT network, and the REDDA system can use information gleaned from the IoT network to set the radiation pattern.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for generating a directional output signal from sound received by at least two microphones arranged as microphone array. The method includes transforming the sound received by each of said microphones and represented by analog-to-digital converted time-domain signals provided by each of said microphones into corresponding complex-valued frequency-domain microphone signals each having a frequency component value for each of a plurality of frequency components, calculating, for each of the plurality of frequency components, real-valued Wind Reduction Factors as minima of the reciprocal and non-reciprocal frequency components of a plurality of real-valued Deviation Spectra if said minimum is below a preselected deviation threshold and set to one if said minimum is above or equal to said deviation threshold, and for each of the plurality of frequency components, forming a frequency-domain wind-reduced output signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for generating a directional output signal from sound received by at least two microphones arranged as microphone array.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for generating a directional output signal from sound received by at least two microphones arranged as microphone array. The directional output signal has one or more Beam Focus Directions. The method includes transforming sound received by each microphone into a corresponding complex valued frequency-domain microphone. For any Beam Focus Direction a Beam Focus Spectrum is calculated, consisting, for each of the plurality of frequency components, of time-dependent, real-valued attenuation factors being calculated based on the plurality of microphone signals. For each of the plurality of frequency components, the maximum amongst those attenuation factors of different Beam Focus Spectra is selected and multiplied with the frequency component of the complex-valued frequency-domain signal of one microphone, forming a frequency-domain multi-focus directional output signal, from which by means of inverse transformation a time-domain signal can be synthesized.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for generating a directional output signal from sound received by at least two microphones arranged as microphone array. The method includes transforming the sound received by each of said microphones and represented by analog-to-digital converted time-domain signals provided by each of said microphones into corresponding complex-valued frequency-domain microphone signals each having a frequency component value for each of a plurality of frequency components, and calculating, for each of the plurality of frequency components of the complex-valued frequency-domain microphone signal of at least one of said microphones, a respective tolerance compensated frequency component value by multiplying the frequency component value of the complex-valued frequency-domain microphone signal of said microphone with a frequency-specific real-valued correction factor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for adaptively generating a directional output signal from sound received by at least two microphones arranged as microphone array.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an electrostatic shield for providing electrostatic shielding for a current sensing coil. Current sensing coils are configured to enable the measurement of a current carried by an electrical conductor passing through a core of the current sensing coil. The electrostatic shield of the present disclosure is configured to provide electrostatic shielding to a core of the current sensing coil in order to reduce or eliminate electrostatic coupling between the electrical conductor and the current sensing coil, thereby improving the accuracy of current measurement that may be achieved by the current sensing coil.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are transconductance circuits, as well as related methods and devices. In some embodiments, a transconductance circuit may include an amplifier having a first input coupled to a voltage input of the transconductance circuit, and a switch coupled between an output of the amplifier and a second input of the amplifier.

Abstract: A Power over Data Lines (PoDL) system includes a Powered Device (PD) logic circuit for conveying classification information to Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE), during a classification phase, via a wire pair. The logic circuit controls a shunting switch for selectively shunting the wires together for communication with the PSE during the classification phase. A holdup capacitor supplies power to the logic circuit during the classification phase. The logic circuit controls a full-bridge rectifier to ensure the capacitor is charged with a proper polarity voltage and to ensure a proper polarity voltage is supplied to a PD load. The PD has a controller for controlling the rectifier to cause a current path between terminals of the capacitor, via the shunting switch, when the shunting switch is to be turned on.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor is disclosed. The magnetic sensor can include a sensing element and a magnetic shield. The sensing element and the magnetic shield can be vertically stacked with one another. The magnetic shield can be a magnetic shield plate that includes ferromagnetic portions spaced laterally by a non-ferromagnetic material. The sensing element can have a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The magnetic shield that can be vertically stacked over the first side of the sensing element. The magnetic shield can be spaced apart from the sensing element by an isolation layer. A passivation layer can cover at least a portion of the sensing element or the magnetic shield. The sensing element can be configured to sense a magnetic field property of a magnetic field source that is positioned on the second side of the sensing element.

Abstract: A system and method are described for monitoring batteries at various phases of their lifecycle. The batteries may be monitored in non-operational and operational states. The monitoring may be done wirelessly. The information gathered from monitoring the batteries may be used to make decisions about the use of a battery.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to decoding the output of a multi-turn magnetic sensor using a successive approximation technique to detect a number of turns of a magnetic target. A decoder circuit can decode a turn count of the multi-turn magnetic sensor by obtaining measurements at nodes that are determined from values of previous measurements.

Abstract: A peak-buck peak-boost current mode control structure and scheme for a synchronous four-switch and non-synchronous two-switch buck-boost regulators sense input and output voltages to smoothly transition between buck mode, buck-boost mode, and boost mode for high power efficiency and low output ripples. With the inductor current sensing, the control scheme achieves the best performance in continuous conduction and discontinuous condition mode operations.

Abstract: Bias arrangements for amplifiers are disclosed. An example arrangement includes a bias circuit, configured to produce a bias signal for the amplifier, and a linearization circuit, configured to improve linearity of the amplifier by modifying the bias signal based on an RF signal indicative of an RF input signal to be amplified by the amplifier. The linearization circuit includes a bias signal input for receiving the bias signal, an RF signal input for receiving the RF signal, and an output for providing a modified bias signal. The linearization circuit further includes at least a first linearization transistor, having a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, where each of the bias signal input and the RF signal input of the linearization circuit is coupled to the first terminal of the first linearization transistor, and the output of the linearization circuit is coupled to the third terminal of the first linearization transistor.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses for improving reliability and/or reducing the likelihood of breakdown of an amplifier or a component thereof. A system can include a sensing circuit electrically coupled to a transistor of the amplifier and configured to sense an AC voltage associated with the transistor. A protection circuit can be electrically coupled to the sensing circuit and the amplifier and can be configured to supply a DC voltage to the transistor of the amplifier based on the AC voltage sensed by the sensing circuit.

Abstract: One factor in limiting the speed of conventional implementations of mixture models is that the algorithm involves many decisions where different operations are fetched and performed depending on the outcome of the decisions. These decisions cause flushing of the pipeline, and thus prevent the realization of a highly parallel pipeline in a processor. Without parallelism, the throughput of the pipeline in the processor, i.e., the ability to process many samples of the digital input at a time, is limited. To alleviate this issue, implementation of the mixture model is reformulated, among other things, by embedding decisions into the process flow as multiplicative factors. The resulting implementation alleviates the need to use if-else statements for the decisions and reduces the number of times the pipeline has to be flushed. The implementation enables a pipeline with a higher degree of parallelism and thereby increases throughput and speed of the implementation.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods provide sensing of quadrants, angles, or distance using magnetoresistive elements. A quadrant or angle sensor can have magnetoresistive elements split into multiple angles to generate an output with reduced harmonics. A distance sensor can have magnetoresistive elements split and spaced apart to generate an output with reduced harmonics. A biasing conductor can alternatingly carry different amounts of current (different in at least one of magnitude or direction) for DC offset compensation or cancellation.