Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a laser system/package that is configured to enable the detection of a change in an optical device that is intended to alter light emitted from the laser. The system is designed to measure an electric or magnetic field that is affected by the optical device. As a result, changes in the optical device, for example because the optical device has been damaged or dislodged or removed, should be detected by a corresponding change in the electric or magnetic field.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a light source system suitable for use in a time of flight camera. The light source system includes a light source, such as a laser, and a driver arranged to supply a drive current to the light source to turn the light source on to emit light. The driver includes or is coupled to a capacitor to store energy and then discharge to generate the drive current. The driver can be integrated into a semiconductor die on which the light source is mounted. Thus, the driver can include within it the source of energy for the drive current and the light source and driver can be very close together. Therefore, the light source may be turned on and off very quickly, such as with a relatively large drive current, such as to output a high optical power, short duration light pulse.

Abstract: Techniques for improving efficiency of wireless power transfer to shunt-based receiver are provided. In an example, techniques can optimize wireless power transfer by comparing instantaneous peak voltage of a transmit coil of a wireless power transmitter to an average peak voltage of the transmit coil, and then, based on the comparison, adjust a setpoint of the wireless power transmitter to a more efficient level.

Abstract: Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches are disclosed. The MEMS switch may have an actuation voltage greater than the expected voltage of a signal being passed by the MEMS switch in normal operation. The MEMS switches may include a distributed hinge structure in some embodiments. Radial contact pads are included in some embodiments, with or separate from the distributed hinge.

Abstract: Sensors and methods for determining the state of charge of a battery are described. The state of charge is determined in some instances by applying a current perturbation having a frequency to the battery terminals, monitoring the response signal, and determining the phase of the response signal. The phase may be correlated to the state of charge of the battery, so that once the phase is determined, a determination of the state of charge of the battery may be made. In some situations, the state of charge may be used to determine the operating condition of a load connected to the battery. In some embodiments, the state of charge may be used to determine whether the battery is defective.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a circuit for setting an amplifier supply voltage for an amplifier. The circuit comprises a switch circuit having a first transistor arranged to switchably couple a first supply voltage to a supply terminal of the amplifier and a second transistor arranged to switchably couple a second supply voltage to the supply terminal of the amplifier, wherein a magnitude of the first supply voltage is greater than a magnitude of the second supply voltage. The circuit further comprises a control circuit arranged to control the switch circuit to set an amplifier supply voltage at the supply terminal of the amplifier based on an output signal of the amplifier.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to multi-band FDD transceivers. An example transceiver includes a LO, configured to generate a LO signal to be shared between a receiver and a transmitter of the transceiver. Both the receiver and the transmitter use quadrature signal processing and are configured to multi-band operation. Sharing a single LO to perform frequency conversion of different frequency bands of received and transmitted signals advantageously allows reducing the number of LOs used in a multi-band FDD transceiver.

Abstract: A fluid sensor device can include a housing having an inlet and an outlet. The housing can have a fluid reservoir, a sensing assembly, a plunger, a valve, and a plurality of channels. The fluid sensor module can be used to sense constituents in a sample fluid (e.g. patient's blood or dialysate) during a treatment process, such as kidney dialysis procedures. The fluid sensor module can be connected in-line to a medical device to sense the sample fluid.

Abstract: Low-leakage switch circuit techniques to reduce leakage current of an off-state switch, while maintaining a low on-resistance. The low-leakage switch circuit may allow measurement of low current signals in a transimpedance amplifier with improved accuracy without, the need for calibration. The low-leakage switch circuit may include a bootstrapping path connecting two or more terminals or voltage nodes of an off-state switch in the switch circuit. The bootstrapping path is configured to bootstrap major leakage current contributors in the switch circuit, such as the substrate diode leakage, the subthreshold leakage, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A multiple operating-mode comparator system can be useful for high bandwidth and low power automated testing. The system can include a gain stage configured to drive a high impedance input of a comparator output stage, wherein the gain stage includes a differential switching stage coupled to an adjustable impedance circuit, and an impedance magnitude characteristic of the adjustable impedance circuit corresponds to a bandwidth characteristic of the gain stage. The comparator output stage can include a buffer circuit coupled to a low impedance comparator output node. The buffer circuit can provide a reference voltage for a switched output signal at the output node in a higher speed mode, and the buffer circuit can provide the switched output signal at the output node in a lower power mode.

Abstract: An electrochemical sensor is provided which may be formed using micromachining techniques commonly used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. This is achieved by forming microcapillaries in a silicon substrate and forming an opening in an insulating layer to allow environmental gases to reach through to the top side of the substrate. A porous electrode is printed on the top side of the insulating layer such that the electrode is formed in the opening in the insulating layer. The sensor also comprises at least one additional electrode. The electrolyte is then formed on top of the electrodes. A cap is formed over the electrodes and electrolyte. This arrangement may easily be produced using micromachining techniques.

Abstract: A source stochastic signal is deconstructed into one or more components using a decomposition process. The decomposition process deconstructs the source stochastic signal into at least one component which encodes the oscillatory behavior of the source stochastic signal. The one or more components are mapped, using one or more trained models, to a pair of target components which encode the estimated oscillatory behavior and estimated steady-state behavior of a target stochastic signal. The target stochastic signal is then reconstructed from the oscillatory behavior target signal by shifting the oscillatory behavior target signal so that its average value aligns with the average value of the steady-state behavior target signal. The source stochastic signal and the target stochastic signals can be biological signals having a related or common origin, such as photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals and arterial blood pressure (ABP) waveforms.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods related to temperature sensors for electronic devices are provided. An example temperature sensor device includes analog temperature sensor circuitry to generate a plurality of voltages indicative of a temperature; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) disposed downstream of the analog temperature sensing circuitry; switched-capacitor amplifier circuitry disposed before the ADC, the switched-capacitor amplifier circuitry comprising a single-ended amplifier to amplify the plurality of voltages with respect to a common voltage; a first switch coupled between the analog temperature sensor circuitry and the switched-capacitor amplifier circuitry to provide a sampling phase and an integration phase; and digital calculation circuitry to calculate a temperature value based on the plurality of amplified voltages.

Abstract: Example implementations include a method, apparatus and computer-readable medium of wireless communications, comprising receiving an input data sequence of a set of bits, wherein the input data sequence includes at least a portion of a set of CRC interleaved information bits, and wherein a number of the set of bits is at least 32. The implementations further include encoding the input data sequence by a polar encoder to define an intermediate polar encoded data sequence, the polar encoder having a combinational circuit including a plurality of stages that operate in a same clock cycle. Additionally, the implementations further include encoding the intermediate polar encoded data sequence for each of the plurality of stages according to a polar encoder factor graph to obtain a final polar encoded data sequence. Additionally, the implementations further include transmitting a polar encoded codeword on a control channel based on the final polar encoded data sequence.

Abstract: Herein disclosed are multiple embodiments of a signal-processing circuit that may be utilized in various circuits, including conversion circuitry. The signal-processing circuit may receive an input and produce charges on multiple different capacitors during different phases of operation based on the input. The charges stored on two or more of the multiple different capacitors may be utilized for producing an output of the signal-processing circuit, such as by combing the charges stored on two or more of the multiple different capacitors. Utilizing the charges on the multiple different capacitors may provide for a high level of accuracy and robustness to variations of environmental factors, and/or a low noise level and power consumption when producing the output.

Abstract: A microfabricated thermal platform can be formed over a substrate, such as a silicon wafer, that may form part of the platform. The substrate is coated in a thermally-insulating material, which may be an organic polymer such, as polyimide or SUS. The surface of the thermally-insulating material may include an arrangement of one or more thermal sites, with each site having a reaction plate (or thermal plate) over which chemical reactions may occur. A heating element may be positioned beneath each reaction plate. A fluidic medium, such as a liquid or a gas, may be disposed over the thermal sites. One application is in chemical and biological reactions. In such reactions, the fluidic medium may be an aqueous solution which comprises reagents for those reactions. The fluidic medium may be an ionically conducting fluid, organic solution or a gas. Precise temperature control enables the correct reactions.

Abstract: A new method and circuit arrangement for operating a stepper motor in a voltage-based operating mode with a control loop over the whole operating range of speeds of a stepper motor. The method/circuit arrangement includes calculating a load angle of the stepper motor. The load angle is then used to calculate a voltage-based control signal suitable for operating a known motor driver circuit, such as a chopper, to drive the stepper motor coils. This enables improved control over the stepper motor which can improve control stability.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to electronic chip identifiers, ECIDs. In one example an electronic device is disclosed, which includes an identity unit configured to store an ECID that uniquely identifies the electronic chip, and a multi-purpose pin for use in outputting the ECID from the electronic device. The multi-purpose pin is also for a function of the electronic device that is unrelated to electronic chip identification. The identity unit is configured to output the ECID from the electronic device using the multi-purpose pin such that the electronic device can be uniquely identified using the multi-purpose pin.

Abstract: A semiconductor fabrication control system and method of operation can include: detecting a status with a control board communicatively coupled to a semiconductor fabrication tool; collecting process information from the semiconductor fabrication tool with the control board based on the status changing or a predetermined time elapsing; storing the process information to a server with the control board communicatively coupled to the server by a network connection; and engaging an auto-stop mechanism of the semiconductor fabrication tool to prevent the semiconductor fabrication tool from running based on the process information being wrong.

Abstract: A radio frequency, RF, receiver circuit that is configured to simultaneously monitor a two or more different RF frequencies. The RF receiver circuit uses a sub-sampler to sub-sample an RF signal that is at any of the monitored RF frequencies, and the sub-sampled signal is then demodulated and a digital code that was encoded in the RF signal is recovered. The RF receiver circuit may be particularly low power, in part owing to using the same sub-sampler for each of the two or more monitored RF frequencies, and not relying on superheterodyning. Furthermore, monitoring two or more different RF frequencies simultaneously means that signals received on the monitored RF frequencies may be acted on very quickly. These characteristics make the RF receiver circuit particularly suitable for use in low-power wake-up receivers, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wake-up receivers.