Abstract: A gate driver circuit includes an input terminal for receiving an input switching signal for driving a switching circuit that has a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor vertically stacked. The gate driver circuit also includes a dead-time control circuit, that includes two dead-time measurement circuits. The first dead-time measurement circuit produces a first pulse signal having a first pulse width representing a first dead-time between when a gate voltage of the low-side transistor falls below a first threshold voltage and when a gate voltage of the high-side transistor rises above a second threshold voltage. The second dead-time measurement circuit produces a second pulse signal having a second pulse width representing a second dead-time between when the gate voltage of the high-side transistor falls below the second threshold voltage and when the gate voltage of the low-side transistor rises above the second threshold voltage.

Abstract: A two-terminal rectifier includes a power MOSFET, a body diode, and a Schottky diode coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal. The two-terminal rectifier also has a power management circuit, a capacitor, a control circuit, and a driver circuit coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal. The two-terminal rectifier can be implemented in a two-pin package and can be used in a power converter for CCM operation.

Abstract: Multipath clock and data recovery circuits and multipath I/O devices are described that operate to provide flexible I/O paths for serial data communications. Active unidirectional components such as a clock and data recovery circuit may be used to implement different I/O paths. Bandwidth and signal degradation for high-speed serial data transmission is reduced.

Abstract: A controller for controlling a plurality of serially-connected LED strings includes a reference voltage generator configured to generate a plurality of reference voltages. The reference voltage generator is further configured to vary the plurality of reference voltages based on a sampled voltage signal. The sampled voltage signal can include one or both of a peak voltage of the rectified input AC voltage and a peak voltage of an LED diode forward voltage Vf. The controller further includes a plurality of linear regulators, each linear regulator coupled between a cathode of a corresponding LED string and a common current sense node, and each linear regulator is configured to regulate a current through a corresponding LED string according to a corresponding reference voltage.

Abstract: A circuit receives a first input signal and a second input signal, and provides three driving signals to three output wires, respectively. A first driving signal is provided to a first output wire, and is based on a difference between the first input signal and the second input signal. A second driving signal is provided to a second output wire, and is based on a sum of the first input signal and the second input signal. A third driving signal is provided to a third output wire, and is based on an inverse of the first driving signal. A first output signal between the first output wire and the second output wire is based on the second input signal. A second output signal between the third output wire and the second output wire is based on the first input signal.

Abstract: A controller for controlling a plurality of serially-connected LED strings includes a reference voltage generator configured to generate a plurality of reference voltages. The reference voltage generator is further configured to vary the plurality of reference voltages based on a sampled voltage signal. The sampled voltage signal can include one or both of a peak voltage of the rectified input AC voltage and a peak voltage of an LED diode forward voltage Vf. The controller further includes a plurality of linear regulators, each linear regulator coupled between a cathode of a corresponding LED string and a common current sense node, and each linear regulator is configured to regulate a current through a corresponding LED string according to a corresponding reference voltage.

Abstract: Referenceless clock and data recovery circuits are described that operate to align the clock/data strobe with each data eye to achieve a low bit error rate. The appropriate frequency and phase to be used is determined by an edge counter based frequency error detector and a phase error detector.

Abstract: An over-power protection circuit for a MOSFET includes an over-current protection circuit and a current limit setting circuit, and an over-power protection circuit configured to continuously monitor a voltage across the MOSFET being protected to prevent over-power conditions, and to dynamically determine a maximum current limit based on the monitored voltage and a pre-set maximum power limit.

Abstract: A sensor device comprises a sensor element for measuring a stimulus and generating a corresponding signal, an ADC for convert the signal to a multi-bit digital signal, a memory unit for storing the digital signal, and a timing unit for switching off the sensor element when the ADC is converting the signal and for switching off the ADC after the digital signal is stored in the memory.

Abstract: A control circuit includes an input terminal for receiving an input signal, which maybe either a digital input signal or an analog input signal, and the control circuit is configured to provide a digital control signal in response to the input signal. The control circuit may include a mode detection circuit for determining whether the input signal is a digital signal or an analog signal and providing a mode signal, a multiplexer circuit configured to select either a digital reference signal or an analog reference signal in response to the mode signal, and a comparator configured for comparing the input signal with the reference signal selected by the multiplexer to provide the PWM control signal.

Abstract: A power MOSFET or a power rectifier may be fabricated according to the invention to include a gate trench and a field plate trench. Both trenches can be formed with a two-step etching process as described in detail in the specification. The devices that embody this invention can be fabricated with higher packaging density and better and more tightly distributed device parameters such as the VF, RDSS, and BV.

Abstract: A power supply includes a power converter configured to convert an input voltage to a target output DC voltage in response to a feedback signal, the feedback signal having a value. The power supply also includes a regulator coupled to the power converter and configured to generate an output power status signal, which may be in one of two states depending whether an output current from the regulator is above or below a target current over a preset time duration. Further, a control circuit is coupled to the power converter and to the regulator and configured to increment or decrement the value of the feedback signal depending on the state of the power status signal.

Abstract: A security system comprises a Hall sensor, two comparators, and a logic unit. The system takes periodic measurement of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the Hall sensor and compares the measured voltage to two known references voltages. When the measured voltage is outside the range defined by the reference voltages, the system triggers an alarm.

Abstract: A multiple channel current regulator is configured to deliver a maximum current to a load associated with the channel in a lighting system. Different channels may have a different maximum current and the ratio among the maximum currents is fixed. In operation, the current of each channel can be individually modulated by a pulse stream that controls the current that flows to the load.

Abstract: A power MOSFET or a power rectifier may be fabricated according to the invention to include a gate trench and a field plate trench. Both trenches can be formed with a two-step etching process as described in detail in the specification. The devices that embody this invention can be fabricated with higher packaging density and better and more tightly distributed device parameters such as the VF, RDSS, and BV.

Abstract: A trenched MOS gate controlled rectifier has an asymmetric trench structure between the active area of active trenches and the termination area of termination trenches. The asymmetric trench structure has a gate electrode on one side of the trench to turn on and off the channel of the MOS structure effectively and a field plate structure on the other side with field dielectric sufficiently thick in order to sustain the high electric field during the reverse bias condition.

Abstract: A rectifier package is provided, which comprises a first rectifier die having an anode and a cathode conductively bonded to a first conductive film on a first surface. The rectifier package also comprises a second rectifier die having an anode and a cathode conductively bonded to the first conductive film on a second surface, which is opposite to the first surface. The first conductive film is in contact with both anodes or both cathodes of the first rectifier die and the second rectifier die.

Abstract: Damages to the rectifying MOSFET in the secondary side of voltage converters are reduced or eliminated by inserting intermediary steps between detecting a dropping in the converter output voltage VCC and activating the under voltage lock out (UVLO) circuitry. During the intermediary steps, the timing for switching off the MOSFET is advanced to prevent the current flow in the MOSFET from reversing its direction.

Abstract: TSV devices with p-n junctions that are planar have superior performance in breakdown and current handling. Junction diode assembly formed in enclosed trenches occupies less chip area compared with junction-isolation diode assembly in the known art. Diode assembly fabricated with trenches formed after the junction formation reduces fabrication cost and masking steps increase process flexibility and enable asymmetrical TSV and uni-directional TSV functions.

Abstract: A sensor device comprises a sensor element for measuring a stimulus and generating a corresponding signal, an ADC for convert the signal to a multi-bit digital signal, a memory unit for storing the digital signal, and a timing unit for switching off the sensor element when the ADC is converting the signal and for switching off the ADC after the digital signal is stored in the memory.