Abstract: Isolators for signals and/or powers transmitted between two circuits configured to operate at different voltage domains are provided. The isolators may have working voltages, for example, higher than 500 Vrms, higher than 1000 Vrms, or between 333 Vrms and 1800 Vrms. The isolators may have a fully symmetrical configuration. The isolators may include a primary winding coupled to a driver and a secondary winding coupled to a receiver. The primary and secondary windings may be laterally coupled to and galvanically isolated from each other. The primary and secondary windings may include concentric traces. The primary and secondary windings may be fabricated using a single metallization layer on a substrate.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for phase unwrapping for time-of-flight imaging. A method is provided for phase unwrapping that includes measuring a plurality of wrapped depths at a respective plurality of frequencies, wherein each of the plurality of wrapped depths corresponds to a respective phase, generating a plurality of unwrapped phases based on a probability distribution function, by unwrapping each of the plurality of wrapped depths, and identifying a Voronoi cell.

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: Some embodiments herein describe a radio frequency communication system that can include a transmitter to output an radio frequency (RF) transmit signal, the transmitter including a digital pre-distortion system (DPD) that pre-distorts the RF transmit signal. The DPD system can include a configurable non-linear filter, such as a Laguerre filter, having multiple rows where at least one row operates with a configurable decimation ratio. The DPD system can further include decimators and a crossbar switch coupled between the decimators.

Abstract: Calibration of continuous-time (CT) residue generation systems can account and compensate for mismatches in magnitude and phase that may be caused by fabrication processes, temperature, and voltage variations. In particular, calibration may be performed by providing one or more known test signals as an input to a CT residue generation system, analyzing the output of the system corresponding to the known input, and then adjusting one or more parameters of a forward and/or a feedforward path of the system so that the difference in transfer functions of these paths may be reduced/minimized. Calibrating CT residue generation systems using test signals may help decrease the magnitude of the residue signals generated by such systems, and, consequently, advantageously increase an error correction range of such systems or of further stages that may use the residue signals as input.

Abstract: Systems and methods that enable LED drivers to generate drive signals by implementing a modulation technique referred to herein as “stochastic frequency pulse modulation” (SFPM) are disclosed. The SFPM is based on randomly increasing or decreasing, during every cycle of a drive signal, the amount of time the drive signal is high or low, tracking the deviation of the total amount of time (i.e., for multiple cycles) that the drive signal is high or low from what it should be to provide to a LED a target average power dictated by a target dimming level, and using the tracking to set limits of ranges from which the durations of the time periods when the drive signal is high or low may be randomly selected.

Abstract: Digital to analog converter generates an analog output corresponding to a digital input by controlling DAC cells using bits of the digital input. The DAC cells individually make a contribution to the analog output. Due to process, voltage, and temperature variations, the DAC cells may have duty cycle error or mismatches. To compensate for the duty cycle error of a DAC cell, a small amount of charge is injected into a low-impedance node of a DAC cell when the data signal driving the DAC cell transitions, or changes state. The small amount of charge is generated using a capacitive T-network, and the polarity of the charge injected is opposite of the error charge caused by duty cycle error. The opposite amount of charge thus compensates or cancels out the duty cycle error, and duty cycle error present at the output of the DAC cell is reduced.

Abstract: A bipolar junction transistor is provided with an emitter structure that is positioned above the upper surface of the base region. The thickness of the emitter and the interfacial oxide thickness between the emitter and the base is configured to optimize a gain for a given type of transistor. A method of fabricating PNP and NPN transistors on the same substrate using a complementary bipolar fabrication process is provided. The method enables the emitter structure for the NPN transistor to be defined separately to that of the PNP transistor. This is achieved by epitaxially growing the emitter layer for the PNP transistor and growing the emitter layer for the NPN transistor in a thermal furnace.

Abstract: Mechanisms for evaluating amplitude for current pulses provided to a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) for current levels beyond the linear range of the TIA where clipping circuit(s) may limit the input voltage of the TIA are disclosed. In one aspect, an example TIA arrangement includes a clipping arrangement that includes multiple clipping circuits. Each clipping circuit can be biased by different bias voltages such that the different clipping circuits are activated at different input current amplitudes. Different clipping circuits can have different impedances, which can result in different recovery time characteristics. With the multiple clipping circuits in clipping arrangements discussed herein, a saturated dynamic range of a TIA can be divided into sub-regions and different pulse widening characteristics for each region may be defined, which may enable determination of amplitude for current pulses provided to the TIA even for current levels beyond the linear range of the TIA.

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 ideal diode circuit is described which uses an NMOS transistor as a low-loss ideal diode. The control circuit for the transistor is referenced to the anode voltage and not to ground, so the control circuitry may be low voltage circuitry, even if the input voltage is very high, referenced to earth ground. A capacitor is clamped to about 10-20 V, referenced to the anode voltage. The clamped voltage powers a differential amplifier for the detecting if the anode voltage is greater than the cathode voltage. The capacitor is charged to the clamped voltage during normal operation of the ideal diode by controlling the conductivity of a second transistor coupled between the cathode and the capacitor, enabling the circuit to be used with a wide range of frequencies and voltages. All voltages applied to the differential amplifier are equal to or less than the clamped voltage.

Abstract: A matrix multiplication circuit comprises a memory storage device, processing circuitry, a parallel multiply circuit, and buffer circuits. The parallel multiply circuit simultaneously performs a count of multiplies in a parallel multiplication operation. The buffer circuits include prefetch buffer circuits each having a storage array dimension corresponding to the count of multiplies in the parallel multiplication operation. The processing circuitry loads a first prefetch buffer circuit with values from the first matrix; fetches a value of the second matrix and, in parallel with the fetch, preload the second prefetch buffer circuit with another value from the first matrix; initiates a parallel multiply of the fetched value of the second matrix and the values in the first prefetch buffer circuit; and stores partial product results of the parallel multiply, including adding a current partial product result to a previously stored partial product result.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments that provide digital data communication between a single-pair Ethernet and a multi-pair Ethernet. Some embodiments include a single-pair Ethernet interface that is configured to operate in at least two modes. In a first mode, the single-pair Ethernet interface operates in a conventional manner. In a second mode, alternate pin configurations are employed to provide a low-cost interoperability between a single-pair Ethernet interface and a multi-pair Ethernet interface. For example, in the second mode, the single-pair Ethernet receives, via a first receive data pin, from a first transmit data pin of the multi-pair Ethernet interface, a data signal, and receives, via a second receive data pin, from a second transmit data pin of the multi-pair Ethernet interface, a second data signal.

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: Systems, devices, and methods related to interpolation are provided. An example apparatus includes a slope calculator to calculate a slope value based on a first value and a second value associated with a function. The apparatus further includes a compander to compand the slope value to provide a companded slope value having a smaller bit-width than the calculated slope value. The apparatus further includes a multiplier to multiply the companded slope value by a third value to provide a correction value. The apparatus further includes an adder to add the correction value to the first value or the second value to provide an interpolated value associated with the function. Companding the slope value can reduce a bit-width of the multiplier, and thus may reduce power consumption and/or area.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a feedback control system and method for a bidirectional VCM. The system employs an analog core that is common to both the PWM and linear modes of operation. The analog core includes a feedback mechanism that determines the error in the current flowing through the motor. The feedback mechanism produces an error voltage that corresponds to the current error, and applies the voltage to a control driver. The control driver then controls the motor, based on the error voltage, in either a PWM or linear mode. By sharing a common core, the switching time between modes is improved. Furthermore, the output current error between modes is reduced.

Abstract: Delay calibration for digital signal chains of SFCW systems is disclosed. An example calibration method includes receiving a burst with a test pulse, the burst having a duration of L clock cycles; receiving a trigger indicative of a time when the burst was transmitted; generating a digital signal indicative of the received burst; for each of L clock cycles, computing a moving average of a subset of digital samples and an amplitude for each average; identifying one moving average for which the computed amplitude is closest to an expected amplitude; identifying the clock cycle of the identified moving average; and updating at least one delay to be applied in digital signal processing of received bursts based on a difference between the trigger and the identified clock cycle. The delay may be used for selecting digital samples of the received signal that contain valid data for performing further data processing.

Abstract: A modified structure of an n-channel lateral double-diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) transistor is provided to suppress the rupturing of the gate-oxide which can occur during the operation of the LDMOS transistor. The LDMOS transistor comprises a dielectric isolation structure which physically isolates the region comprising a parasitic NPN transistor from the region generating a hole current due to weak-impact ionization, e.g., the extended drain region of the LDMOS transistor. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, this can be achieved using a vertical trench between the two regions. Further embodiments are also proposed to enable a reduction in the gain of the parasitic NPN transistor and in the backgate resistance in order to further improve the robustness of the LDMOS transistor.

Abstract: Techniques for biasing output transistor of a push-pull amplifier output stage are provided. In certain applications the techniques can improve efficiency of the amplifier. In an example, a circuit can include an output stage including first and second output transistors, a first scaled replica transistor corresponding to the first output transistor, and an amplifier circuit in a feedback arrangement for biasing a gate of the first output transistor at a level that, at a specified stand-by current level of the first output transistor, reproduces a voltage difference between the drain and source terminals of the first output transistor across the drain and source terminals of the first replica transistor.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for vector modulator phase shifters are provided. In certain embodiments, a phase shifter includes a quadrature filter that filters a differential input signal to generate a differential in-phase (I) voltage and a differential quadrature-phase (Q) voltage, an in-phase variable gain amplifier (I-VGA) that amplifies the differential I voltage to generate a differential I current, a quadrature-phase variable gain amplifier (Q-VGA) that amplifies the differential Q voltage to generate a differential Q current, and a current mode combiner that combines the differential I voltage and the differential Q voltage to generate a differential output signal. A phase difference between the differential output signal and the differential input signal is controlled by gain settings of the I-VGA and the Q-VGA.