Abstract: Systems and methods for sensing angular motion using a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope are described. These systems and methods may be useful for sensing angular motion in the presence of low-frequency noise, which may be noise below 1 KHz. In a system for sensing angular motion, low-frequency noise may give rise to duty cycle jitter, which may affect the demodulation of the sense signal and cause errors in angular motion estimates. The systems and methods described herein address this problem by relying on double-edge phase detection technique that involves sensing when the rising and falling edges of the resonator signal deviate from their expected values in the idealized 50% duty cycle scenario. To prevent the formation of ripples in the double-edge phase detection that may otherwise affect the demodulation of the sense signal, a switch may be used. The switch may be maintained in a non-conductive state when a ripple is received.

Abstract: This application describes systems and methods for using a physical unclonable function (PUF) to authenticate a device, which may include circuitry for generating PUF values that may uniquely identify the device. According to one aspect, the device may provide enrollment PUF values to an authentication device. The device may later be authenticated if PUF values generated by the device are within a threshold distance of the enrollment PUF values. Since the PUF values are compared using a distance, it may not necessary to apply an error correcting code to the PUF values. The enrollment values and/or the calculated distance may be adjusted to compensate for time variations in the PUF values due to circuit aging. Systems and methods are also described herein for authenticating the device without revealing new PUF values to any second party, for example using a cryptographic technique known as a garbled circuit.

Abstract: Isolators having a back-to-back configuration for providing electrical isolation between two circuits are described, in which multiple isolators formed on a single, monolithic substrate are connected in series to achieve a higher amount of electrical isolation for a single substrate than for isolators formed on separate substrates connected in series. Discrete dielectric regions positioned between isolator components forming an isolator provide electrical isolation between the isolator components as well as between the isolators formed on the substrate. The back-to-back isolator may provide one or more communication channels for transfer of information and/or power between different circuits.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a PUF apparatus for generating a persistent, random number. The random number is determined by selecting one or more PUF cells, each of which comprise a matched pair of capacitors that are of identical design, and determining a value that is accurately and reliably indicative of a random manufacturing difference between them, based in which the random number is generated. The random manufacturing differences between the capacitors creates the randomness in the generated random number. Furthermore, because the random manufacturing difference should be relatively stable over time, the generated random number should be persistent.

Abstract: A PoDL system uses a gyrator for DC coupling of DC power from a PSE to a wire pair, and/or decoupling DC power from a wire pair for a PD. The gyrators obviate the use of discrete inductors for DC-coupling/decoupling and can be formed as an integrated circuit. The gyrators use a small integrated capacitor and invert and multiply the capacitor effect to emulate an inductor. The gyrators present a high impedance to AC current and a low impedance to DC current. Various gyrator designs, such as positive and negative polarity gyrators, and configurations are disclosed. Gyrators are described with analog current limit and power switch control, so multiple functions are integrated on the same IC chip.

Abstract: Techniques for fine tuning efficiency of a power converter are provided. In an example, a method can include acquiring a plurality of samples of an electrical characteristic of the power converter over a range of switching frequencies of the power converter to provide a plurality of sample pairs, estimating a corner value of the electrical characteristic based on the plurality of samples pairs, estimating a corresponding frequency associated with the corner value of the electrical characteristic based on frequencies of the plurality of sample pairs, and setting a switching frequency of the power converter at the corresponding frequency.

Abstract: An LLCC Secondary Overtone Resonant (LLCC-SOR) power converter obtains dramatically higher efficiency with light loads by providing a resonance in the transformer secondary that is approximately tuned to an odd order overtone of the upper primary switching frequency, an upper frequency limit of the primary switching frequency, and a secondary duty cycle control that engages once the upper primary switching frequency limit is reached. The transformer circuit resonates in an LLCC-SOR mode that regulates the output voltage when the maximum frequency limit is reached. In operation, the gain of the resonant circuit is raised above its regulation point under light loads, forcing the controller into duty cycle mode. The secondary current completes an odd number of oscillations per single oscillation of the primary current, and the primary current returns to near zero after each switching transition. Also, a zero-voltage switching condition is maintained on the primary switch.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for clock synchronization and frequency translation are provided herein. Clock synchronization and frequency translation integrated circuits (ICs) generate one or more output clock signals having a controlled timing relationship with respect to one or more reference signals. The teachings herein provide a number of improvements to clock synchronization and frequency translation ICs, including, but not limited to, reduction of system clock error, reduced variation in clock propagation delay, lower latency monitoring of reference signals, precision timing distribution and recovery, extrapolation of timing events for enhanced phase-locked loop (PLL) update rate, fast PLL locking, improved reference signal phase shift detection, enhanced phase offset detection between reference signals, and/or alignment to phase information lost in decimation.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for containing magnetic fields generated by an integrated switching package and for reducing electromagnetic interference generated from an integrated switching package.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are some examples of algorithmic analog-to-digital converters (AADCs) that perform noise shaping. In particular, an AADC disclosed herein includes circuitry that can store residue(s) of one or more conversion cycles produced by the AADC and apply a value corresponding to the residue(s) to a subsequent conversion cycle. The AADC may perform a filtering procedure with the residue(s) to produce the value applied to the subsequent conversion. Applying the value to the subsequent conversion cycle can increase a signal-to-noise ratio of the signal that the AADC is converting in the subsequent conversion cycle.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods provide predistortion for a phased array. Radio frequency (RF) sample signals from phased array elements are provided along return paths and are combined by a hardware RF combiner. Phase shifters are adjusted such that the RF sample signals are phase-aligned when combined. Adaptive adjustment of predistortion for the amplifiers of the phased array can be based on a signal derived from the combined RF sample signals.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods related to digital mobile radio (DMR) with enhanced transceiver are disclosed herein. The transceiver detects waveforms of signals received by a digital mobile station radio (MS). By detecting whether the waveforms of the signals, the transceiver allows a digital baseband processor of the MS to remain in a sleep state while the signals are being detected by the DMR, thereby reducing an amount of power used while the signals are being detected.

Abstract: There is disclosed in one example a digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) circuit adapted to avoid loop-bandwidth tradeoff, the circuit including: a frequency dimension frequency detector having an external frequency input and a feedback frequency input, the frequency dimension frequency detector including circuitry to measure a frequency difference between the external frequency input and the feedback frequency input and to drive an impulse signal, wherein the impulse signal is of a first species if the difference is positive and of a second species if the difference is negative; and a number-controlled oscillator (NCO) including circuitry to drive an output clock and to adjust the frequency of the output clock responsive to the impulse signal, wherein an output of the NCO provides the feedback frequency input of the frequency dimension frequency detector.

Abstract: VCO ADCs consume relatively little power and require less area than other ADC architectures. However, when a VCO ADC is implemented by itself, the VCO ADC can have limited bandwidth and performance. To address these issues, the VCO ADC is implemented as a back end stage in a VCO-based continuous-time (CT) pipelined ADC, where the VCO-based CT pipelined ADC has a CT residue generation front end. Optionally, the VCO ADC back end has phase interpolation to improve its bandwidth. The pipelined architecture dramatically improves the performance of the VCO ADC back end, and the overall VCO-based CT pipelined ADC is simpler than a traditional continuous-time pipelined ADC.

Abstract: Gain independent reference channel measurement system and method. A method of making robust, stable measurements, in a variety of different applications is disclosed. More specifically, this disclosure describes systems and methods relating to performing gain independent reference channel measurements by making two phase measurements of a device under test. Mathematically, the measurements are combined and many common mode parameters drop out. The result yields an analysis of a device under test analysis which mitigated errors, predominately arising from environmental variations and changes in circuit behavior stemming from swings in signal input.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein examples of systems and methods of processing captured heart sounds with frequency-dependent normalization. Based on an amount of attenuation of a first heart sound, a second heart sound can be normalized by modifying portions of the second heart sound by amounts determined based on frequencies of the portions. Accordingly, the systems and methods disclosed herein can result in different amounts of modification of different portions of the second heart sound based on the different frequencies of the portions.

Abstract: Isolators having a back-to-back configuration for providing electrical isolation between two circuits are described, in which multiple isolators formed on a single monolithic substrate are connect in series to achieve a higher amount of electrical isolation for a single substrate than for one of the isolators alone. A pair of isolators in the back-to-back configuration have top and bottom isolator components where the top isolator components are connected together and electrically isolated from the underlying substrate, resulting in floating top isolator components. The back-to-back isolator may provide one or more communication channels for transfer of information and/or power between different circuits.

Abstract: An ultra-wideband distributed ADC can be cascaded to build high performance radio frequency (RF) analog electronics integrated with advanced digital complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) electronics on the same wafer. Advantages can include wide spectral coverage, high resolution, large dynamic range, and high information processing bandwidth. Part of an overall system includes a precise, programmable, real-time delay circuit that can achieve picosecond accuracy.

Abstract: A temperature shock monitor includes a solvent material and a diffusion material. An energy barrier between the solvent material and the diffusion material is selected to be lower than is would conventionally be used in semiconductor devices such that the diffusion material diffuses into the solvent material when exposed to a temperature above a designated temperature threshold. At a later time, electrical parameters of the temperature shock monitor that change based on the amount of diffusion of the diffusion material into the solvent material allows one to determine whether the temperature shock monitor was exposed to a temperature above the temperature threshold.