Abstract: In order to control of dimming of solid state lighting devices (SSL) a driver circuit drives the SSL subject to an input voltage using a phase-cut dimmer. The driver circuit comprises a transistor operable in two modes, either alternating between on/off states or continuously controlling a current through the transistor. A power converter network provides a switched-mode power converter in conjunction with the transistor when operated in the first mode generating a drive voltage for the SSL. The control unit controls the transistor to selectively operate in one of the two modes; to control the transistor to determine that the input voltage exceeds an input voltage threshold; and to control a drive current through the SSL based on a measurement of a phase-cut angle thereby controlling an illumination level of the SSL device.

Abstract: Simultaneous results of modulo7 and modulo9 operations on an unsigned binary number N are achieved by dividing N by a number d, d being power of 2 then the resulting quotient and remainder are used to calculate modulo 7 and modulo9 by repeatedly split-and accumulate operations. The solution allows shared use of a significant amount of logic components, by a scalable architecture modulo7 and modulo9 can be found on large numbers and allows flexible use if only modulo7 or only modulo9 calculation is required.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and circuits to measure independently of duty cycles a pulsed current of a pass transistor of a switched circuit. Methods and circuits of one embodiment may be applied to precisely operate DC-to-DC converters such as buck converters in the most efficient operation modes. Another embodiment can be used to measure the pulsed current independently of duty cycle over a wide range of current values.

Abstract: A multiple output comparator compares a first input signal and a second input signal. An output mirror circuit receives the comparison and sets an output signal at a first output terminal of the multiple output comparator to a digital state indicating that the magnitude of the first signal is greater than or lesser than the second signal. An offset generator creates an offset signal for adjusting a threshold signal level at the output mirror circuit such that the difference of the first signal and the second signal is combined with the offset signal. The output mirror circuit transfers provides a digital state to another output terminal indicating that the first signal is greater than or lesser than the second signal as adjusted by the adjustment signal.

Abstract: A variable efficiency and response buck converter is achieved. The device includes a multi-phase switch, the coupled coils, the filter capacitor, and the load. The multi-phase switch includes the phase control inputs, the circuit common reference, at least two pairs of complementary switches with each switch containing one upper switch and one lower switch, at least two phase control outputs from the complementary switches. The coupled inductive coils are coupled to the phase control outputs to enable weak couplings and strong couplings. Based on the working mode, equivalently the coupled coils can provide strong mutual inductances and weak mutual inductances. The filter capacitors connected to the output of the coupled coils provide high efficiency output to the load.

Abstract: An active diode formed within a buck power regulator with an NMOS transistor is connected to a PMOS transistor at a node that is further connected to the regulator output through an inductor. The active diode combines the NMOS transistor with circuitry to prevent conduction once the active diode passes a threshold voltage. Additional circuitry compares the output voltage to the target input voltage and varies the threshold voltage of the active diode such that the active diode can discharge excess current from the regulator each cycle until the output voltage is less than the target voltage.

Abstract: A switching mode power supply (SMPS) is capable of clearing an overvoltage condition. The overvoltage is determined by detecting that the output voltage has exceeded the input voltage by a limited amount. The overvoltage is cleared by repetitively turning on and then off the switches controlling the flow of energy to the SMPS in sequence until the excess charge resulting from the overvoltage is couple to circuit ground, and the output is reduced to within acceptable limits.

Abstract: A circuit and method is described for automatically testing multiple LDO regulator circuits on an integrated circuit chip independent of an ATE. Each LDO regulator is tested for voltage at a specified current output capability, wherein the output driver transistor is formed by at least two pass transistors, which are each tested for voltage output at a particular current capability. The test results are delivered back to the ATE and for a failed test, the gate voltage of the pass device can be observed through an analog multiplexer to enable debug.

Abstract: A variable gain analog amplifier is described that uses pulse-density modulation in the form of a sigma-delta modulator (SDM) to produce a gain by modulating the selection of a switch that selects the amount of resistance in a negative feedback loop of the amplifier. The output of the SDM is dithered to increase the gain resolution of the analog amplifier, wherein the increased resolution produces a quiet, inaudible transition between changes in gain setting at an output of the variable gain amplifier and in addition produces a quiet, inaudible mixing and merging of audio signals.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for a voltage regulator for improved voltage regulation using a remote feedback and remote feedback low pass filter. The system comprises of a power management unit, a remote load point (HOST), an inductor, a filtering capacitor, a printed circuit board (PCB) track output net, a ground connection, a remote feedback line, and a low pass filter (LPF). In this present disclosure, the electrical connection of the remote feedback low pass filter to the output filter capacitor minimizes transient ringing, reduced noise coupling, and improved system stability.

Abstract: A circuit and method provides compensation for disturbance of an output voltage caused by dielectric absorption of a load capacitor of a low dropout voltage regulator after a modification of the output voltage level of the low dropout voltage regulator. A dielectric absorption current compensation circuit generates a profile current that is applied to an output of the low dropout voltage regulator and in parallel with the load capacitor to compensate for the dielectric absorption current. The dielectric absorption current compensation circuit has a programmable profile current generator that generates the profile current. A switchable current mirror transfers a mirror profile compensation current to the load capacitor to compensate for the dielectric absorption current. In some embodiments, the profile current is a continuous profile dielectric absorption compensation current and in other embodiments, the profile current is a digital profile dielectric absorption compensation current.

Abstract: Controllers for driver circuits of solid state light bulb assemblies including light emitting diodes comprise a power converter, a data storage unit operable to store data items relating to an operating behavior of the light bulb assembly, a temperature sensor operable to determine a chip temperature of the controller, and a data processing unit operable to receive the chip temperature, to retrieve the stored data items from the data storage unit, to generate a control signal in dependence upon the chip temperature and the retrieved data items, and to output the control signal to the power converter for operation of the light source.

Abstract: A modulated current of an LED device provides a capability to dim of the light produced by a string of LED device. The current modulation takes the form of pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse density modulation (PDM). The modulation is produced on the primary side of a transformer and coupled to the string of LED diodes that are coupled to the secondary side of the transformer. The modulation is varied to change the current of the LED devices and therefore the light intensity of the LED devices.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a temperature and calibration utilizing resonant frequency peaks in an oscillator. A circuit providing resonant peaks for utilization for temperature measurements comprising a resonator device for providing an oscillating source, a variable gain-bandwidth amplifier in parallel with the crystal/resonator for providing modulation of the gain and/or bandwidth driving the crystal/resonator, and control of resonant peaks for selection for oscillation, a first capacitor electrically coupled to the parallel combination of the input of the variable gain-bandwidth amplifier, and the resonator device for providing charge storage for oscillation, and a second capacitor electrically coupled to parallel combination of the output of the variable gain-bandwidth amplifier, and the resonator device for providing charge storage for oscillation.

Abstract: The present document relates to charge pump voltage doublers for use in integrated circuits. A charge pump circuit configured to generate an output voltage Vout at an output of the circuit from an input voltage Vin at an input of the circuit is described. The circuit further comprises a boosting capacitor coupled at a first side to the output node of the first P-type switch and coupled at a second side to a capacitor control signal. Furthermore, the circuit comprises control circuitry configured to provide a capacitor control-signal-which alternates between a low level and a high level, and configured to generate first and second control signals based on the capacitor control signal for alternating the first and second P-type switches between on-states and off-states, respectively, such that electrical energy is transferred from the input to the output of the circuit using the boosting capacitor.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a high efficiency switched mode power supply (SMPS) having increased efficiency due to loss-less coil current estimation for current control. A circuit in the control unit of SMPS comprises a capacitor and the voltage on the capacitor is an integral of the current flowing into the cap over time and if there are current sources which depend on the input and the output voltage, periodically switched with the same signals as the P and N switches, the voltage on the charged capacitor has the same shape as the current through the coil. The signal gleaned from the capacitor voltage are used the same manner by the control unit as it was with the signals from prior art current sensing.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a bandgap voltage reference circuit with improved operation for a low voltage power supply. A bandgap voltage reference circuit which is operable at low power supply voltage for power supplies of 1.3V comprising of a first npn bipolar transistor, a second npn bipolar transistor, a third npn bipolar transistor, a first resistor, a second resistor, a third resistor, a fourth resistor, and a first, second and third p-channel MOSFET. The matched second resistor and third resistor, and the first and third npn bipolar transistor pair establishes a ?Vbe dependent current (a PTAT current), and the fourth resistor established a ?Vbe to establish a bandgap voltage of approximately 1.2V.

Abstract: Circuits and methods to achieve a clean start-up process and power saving of pulsed enabled electronic devices having an output capacitor and components requiring biasing during normal operating conditions are disclosed. These electronic devices could be e.g. LDOs, amplifiers or buffers. A set of switches are enabling bias currents from the output capacitor to internal nodes requiring biasing under normal operational conditions as e.g. output nodes of amplifying means.

Abstract: An apparatus of an exponential current digital-to-analog converter (IDAC) using a binary-weighted MSB to efficiently drive current controlled light emitting diode (LED) devices. The apparatus comprises of an exponential current digital-to-analog converter (IDAC) current source, a voltage buffer to create an active cascode at the output stage, and an error amplifier that by means of a DC-DC converter voltage loop imposes an appropriate voltage at the output of the IDAC, depending on the current load set to drive the LEDs. The definition of the apparatus involves defining an exponential LSB and exponential MSB current mirrors according to a defined methodology.

Abstract: A method for the design synthesis of an exponential current digital-to-analog (IDAC) using a binary-weighted MSB. The design synthesis involves defining an exponential LSB and exponential MSB current mirrors according to a defined methodology. A method to achieve an exponential current digital-to-analog converter (IDAC) having improved accuracy using a binary-weighted most significant bit (MSB) comprising (1) defining a differential non-linearity (DNL); (2) defining number of LSB bits needed for the targeted DNL with a binary weighted MSB; (3) calculating the number of bits to be used for the binary-weighted MSB to get the desired IDAC base; (4) deriving the minimum current for the Imax; (5) defining the LSB as an exponential current mirror according to the specified relationship for the ILSB; and (6) defining a binary-weighted MSB according to the specified relationship for IMSB.