Abstract: A mode-transition architecture for USB controllers is described herein. In an example embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) controller includes a controller coupled to a slope compensation circuit, the controller to detect a transition of a buck-boost converter from a first mode having a first duty cycle to a second mode having a second duty cycle that is less or more than the first duty cycle. The controller controls the slope compensation circuit to nullify an error in an output caused by the transition. The controller can cause the slope compensation circuit to apply a charge stored in a capacitor during a first cycle to start a second cycle with a higher voltage than the first cycle.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices detect defects in touch panels. Methods include scanning, using a designated integration window, a plurality of electrodes of a sensing device to obtain a plurality of measurements and determining a plurality of variance values for the plurality of electrodes based on the plurality of measurements, the plurality of variance values identifying variances in the plurality of measurements between adjacent sense locations of the sensing device. Methods also include determining if a defect is present in the sensing device based, at least in part, on a comparison of the plurality of difference values with the plurality of threshold values.

Abstract: A system and method for using a programmable macro built-in self-test (BIST) to test an integrated circuit. The method includes receiving, by a built-in self-test (BIST) controller of an integrated circuit (IC) device from a testing equipment, a test vector of a first type for testing a first region of the IC device. The method includes identifying, based on the test vector of the first type, a first BIST engine of a plurality of BIST engines associated with the first region of the IC device. The method includes generating, based on the test vector of the first type, a first command of the second type. The method includes configuring, based on the first command of the second type, the first BIST engine of the plurality of BIST engines to cause the first BIST engine to perform a first set of tests on the first region of the IC device.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices improve the sensitivity of capacitive sensors. Devices may include an attenuator configured to receive an input from at least one sense electrode of a capacitive sensing device. The attenuator may be included in a sensing channel of a capacitive sensor. Devices may further include a signal generator coupled to an input of the attenuator. The signal generator may include one or more processors configured to generate a sinusoidal signal based, at least in part, on one or more noise characteristics of a scan sequence associated with one or more transmit electrodes of the capacitive sensing device, and provide the sinusoidal signal to the input of the attenuator.

Abstract: Implementations disclosed describe techniques to effectuate operating mode changes of a wireless connection between a first communication device (CD) and a second CD. In an example embodiment, the disclosed techniques may include detecting, by a wireless network controller of the second CD, an indication that the first CD has requested the operating mode change from a first operating mode to a second operating mode. The disclosed techniques may further include modifying a transmission information (TI) associated with one or more frames in a transmission queue of the second CD, the TI including a representation used by a physical layer of the second CD to configure transmission of a respective frame to the first CD, wherein the one or more frames in the transmission queue have been previously programmed with a first-mode TI, and wherein modification of the TI is to a second-mode TI.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for saving power in a Universal Serial Bus (USB) repeater/re-timer between a USB host and a peripheral device by intercepting packets received from the host to predict the direction of data traffic to selectively turn off/on circuitry of a peripheral port used to receive packets from the peripheral device. If a host port determines that the host is sending a start-of-frame (SOF) packet, the direction of data flow is from the host to the peripheral device, and the repeater may turn off the peripheral port such as squelch circuitry. If the host port determines that the host is sending a non-SOF packet, such as an address token that precedes a host-to-peripheral-device data transfer or a peripheral-device-to-host data transfer, the direction of data flow is anticipated to be from the peripheral device to the host, and the repeater may re-enable the deactivated circuitry of the peripheral port.

Abstract: Implementations disclosed describe techniques and systems that improve connectivity and reduce network traffic and interference in wireless mesh networks by maintaining various mesh network devices (proxy nodes, beacon devices, printers, and the like) in an operating mode in which the mesh network devices do not advertise their presence to client devices. An outside client device seeking connection to mesh network devices, transmits a solicitation to the mesh network. Having received a solicitation, a mesh network device responds with one or more announcements (proxy node announcement, location beacon announcement, printer announcement, and so on). In response to receiving solicitations from one or more mesh network devices, the client device performs an action, such as selecting and establishes a proxy connection or a printer connection, determining a current location of the client device, or initiating some other action.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) device according to an example includes an interconnect bus to communicate with an external memory device, wherein the interconnect bus includes a plurality of different channels to be coupled directly to a first set of masters. The IC device includes a crossbar unit to be coupled to a second set of masters, wherein the crossbar unit is to monitor bandwidth usage at the plurality of different channels, and selectively route traffic between the second set of masters and the plurality of different channels based on the monitored bandwidth usage.

Abstract: A multiport USB-PD adaptor including a flyback-converter, a USB controller including a USB-PD subsystem and buck-controller, and multiple buck and bypass-circuits, and methods for operating the same are provided. Generally, the adaptor is operated in a buck-bypass-mode, in which at least one buck-circuit is bypassed and the flyback-converter is operated to generate an input voltage (VIN) to the buck-circuits equal to a requested output voltage (VOUT_C), which is then coupled directly to the associated port. Buck-circuits coupled to other active ports can also be bypassed if the requested VOUT_Cs are the same, or the buck-circuits operated to provide another VOUT_C. If a bypass-circuit unavailable, the adaptor is operated in a variable-buck-input-mode by determining a highest VOUT_C requested on any port and setting VIN to a sum of the highest VOUT_C and an offset voltage. Buck-circuits coupled to active ports are then operated to provide the requested output voltages.

Abstract: A method can include, by operation of a user device, receiving beacon data via a wireless signal. Beacon data can include unencrypted data that includes a key identification (ID) corresponding to a private key/public key pair, a time value, and a location value. Beacon data can also include encrypted data that includes at least a beacon ID, a beacon time value, and a beacon location value. If the unencrypted time value is within a predetermined range of a current time value of the user device, the beacon data can be stored in a user record with a user ID. Periodically, the user record can be uploaded to a tracking system. Corresponding devices and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: The embodiments described herein are directed at techniques to sharing a transmission medium in a Bluetooth transceiver/WLAN transceiver combination device. A first device may receive a request from a second device to use the wireless transmission medium. The second device may also transmit timing data to the first device. The first device may determine a period of time to allow the second device to use the wireless transmission medium based on the timing data.

Abstract: Communicating fault conditions between primary-side and secondary-side controllers of a Universal Serial Bus Power Delivery (USB-PD) device is described. The primary-side controller receives a control signal from the secondary-side controller across a galvanic isolation barrier. The primary-side controller converts the control signal into a first pulse signal and applies the first pulse signal to control a primary-side switch. When the primary-side controller detects that a first fault condition has occurred, the primary-side controller communicates a first information signal about the first fault condition to the secondary-side controller across the galvanic isolation barrier. The first information signal is generated by converting the control signal into a second pulse signal having a different pulse width than the first pulse signal. The primary-side controller applies the second pulse signal to control the primary-side power switch.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for using firmware and hardware blocks of a device to decode signals encoded by signal edge positioning within a data bit width, such as bi-phase mark space coding (BMC) used for encoding in-band communication of wireless charging systems. The first device may use general purpose I/O (GPIO) interrupts to detect the start of a packet. The firmware may synchronize and configure the clock of a serial peripheral interface (SPI) to oversample the signals. The SPI may store the sampled data into a buffer, freeing the firmware from having to expend processing cycles to detect the transitions of the data in real-time. The firmware may read the buffered samples to decode the packet data in a post-processing stage. The firmware may detect the end of the packet by polling and GPIO interrupts or based on the samples read from the buffer to stop the clock of the SPI.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for using firmware and hardware blocks of a device to decode signals encoded by signal edge positioning within a data bit width, such as bi-phase mark space coding (BMC) used for encoding in-band communication of wireless charging systems. The first device may use general purpose I/O (GPIO) interrupts to detect the start of a packet. The firmware may synchronize and configure the clock of a serial peripheral interface (SPI) to oversample the signals. The SPI may store the sampled data into a buffer, freeing the firmware from having to expend processing cycles to detect the transitions of the data in real-time. The firmware may read the buffered samples to decode the packet data in a post-processing stage. The firmware may detect the end of the packet by polling and GPIO interrupts or based on the samples read from the buffer to stop the clock of the SPI.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for using a sense amplifier for the voltage path having an adjustable gain and a current amplifier for the current path having an adjustable sample-hold interval for demodulation of in-band ASK data in power transmitting devices of a wireless charging system. The sample-hold interval may be adjusted as a function of the error rate of the demodulated data and used to sample the modulated current when the adjustable gain of the voltage path is not able to track the modulated voltage. The adjustable sample-hold may function as a variable reference of a comparator used to compare the sampled current to generate the sensed current. A controller may flexibly adjust the gain, adjust the sample-hold interval, and/or select the sensed voltage or the sensed current path for further filtering, demodulation, decoding, and processing depending on the error rate under various loading, coupling scenarios, and phases of power transfer.

Abstract: Methods for seamlessly onboarding commonly owned wireless local area network (WLAN) enabled devices to a wireless network are provided. Generally, the method includes exchanging an UID, encryption algorithm and key between the devices to form a common-onboarding-group (COG), manually provisioning credentials to onboard a first device of the COG, and automatically provisioning credentials to onboard a second device. In one embodiment, the first device registers with the network the UID and an encrypted-connection-profile encrypted using the algorithm, the network responds to a probe from the second device with the UID and encrypted-connection-profile, and the second device decrypts the encrypted-connection-profile using the secret key and joins the network. In another embodiment, the first device monitors the network and responds to a probe from the second device with the UID and encrypted-connection-profile.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of impedance sensing are described. One method includes performing a first digital conversion of an attribute of a sensor electrode and performing a second digital conversion of the attribute of the sensor electrode. The second digital conversion differs by at least one characteristic from the first digital conversion. The method further includes calculating a resistance of the sensor electrode from a first and second digital value of the first and second digital conversions, respectively; and calculating a capacitance of the sensor electrode from the first and second digital value of the first and second digital conversions, respectively.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques to regenerate SYNC bits of a High-Speed data packet lost by the transmission envelope detector of a repeater/hub that interconnects electronic devices compliant with Universal Serial Bus (USB) Specification Revision 2.0 or higher. A physical layer logic (PHY) of a first port of the repeater/hub receives a High-Speed data packet to store a recovered bit stream into an elastic buffer. The recovered bit stream may lose some SYNC bits at the beginning of the SYNC pattern. The repeater/hub reads the recovered bit stream from the elastic buffer for transmission through the PHY of a second port. If the end of the SYNC is read before a programmable number of SYNC bits have been transmitted, the repeater/hub generates additional SYNC bits for transmission until the programmable number of SYNC bits are transmitted. The repeater/hub then resumes transmitting the rest of the High-Speed data packet starting from the payload.

Abstract: A method includes transmitting one or more segments of a security certificate on a wireless advertising channel of a peripheral device, where at least one of the segments of the security certificate identifies an authentication server, participating in a public key exchange between the peripheral device and a host device by transmitting a signed public key of the peripheral device, where the signed public key is signed in the security certificate, and transmitting one or more encrypted messages from the peripheral device to the host device via a first secure connection established based on the public key.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques to compensate frequency systematic known error (FSKE) in reflector or initiator radios using a hybrid RF-digital approach in multi-carrier phase-based ranging. The hybrid RF-digital approach combines a coarse frequency compensation technique in the RF domain and a fine frequency compensation technique in the digital domain to remove the FSKE across all carrier frequencies from a device. The coarse frequency compensation performed in the RF domain may use a PLL to multiply the crystal frequency to arrive close to a target carrier frequency to compensate for a coarse portion of the known FSKE at the target frequency. The fine frequency compensation may use digital techniques to remove the remaining portion of the known FSKE not compensated by the RF. The hybrid approach reduces the number of fractional bits in the multiplier of the PLL when compared to an approach that uses only the RF-PLL to remove the FSKE.