Abstract: A Successive Approximation Register Analog-to-Digital Converter (SAR ADC) is disclosed. The SAR ADC includes a switched capacitor array, a buffer, a comparator and a control logic circuit. The switched capacitor array is arranged to sample an input signal according to a switch control signal to generate a sampling signal. The buffer is arranged to generate a common mode voltage. The comparator is arranged to receive the sampling signal and the common mode voltage in order to generate a comparison result. The control logic circuit is arranged to generate an output signal according to the comparison result, and generate the switch control signal to control the switched capacitor array. The control logic circuit further generates an operation control signal to adjust a Miller compensation capacitor inside the buffer. An associated control method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An adaptor device including a first interface, a second interface, a negotiation circuit and a type C manager and controller is provided. The first interface is a universal serial bus (USB) 2.0 interface, and the second interface is a type C USB interface. When the first interface receives a first mode swap request, the type C manager and controller transmits a first mode swap signal in a type C format through the second interface according to the first mode swap request; when the second interface receives a second mode swap request, the negotiation circuit transmits a second mode swap signal in a USB 2.0 format through the first interface according to the second mode swap request.

Abstract: A clock generation circuit for generating a plurality of output clocks includes: a differential circuit for receiving a single input clock signal and outputting two differential clock signals, and a DC signal; a first polyphase filter for generating four clock signals from the differential clock signals which are a quadrature phase apart from each other; a plurality of setting buffers for setting a same DC point for the four clock signals and generating four resultant clock signals; coupled polyphase filters for generating four more clock signals which are a quadrature apart from each other, and outputting the resultant eight clock signals; a phase mixer, for generating eight output clock signals 45 degrees apart from each other; and a plurality of restoration buffers for setting a DC point for each of the eight clock signals and generating eight output clock signals all riding on a same DC point.

Abstract: A capacitor includes a solid conductive plate, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The solid conductive plate is disposed above a substrate of a wafer. The solid conductive plate serves as a bottom plate of the capacitor. The first electrode is disposed above the solid conductive plate so that the solid conductive plate is located between the substrate and the first electrode. This first electrode serves as a top plate of the capacitor. The second electrode is disposed above the solid conductive plate, and is disposed beside the first electrode. The second electrode is electrically connected to the solid conductive plate.

Abstract: The controller includes a first equalizer, a first detector, a second detector, a multiplexer, a data clock generator, and a second equalizer. The first equalizer is configured to receive and equalize the input data. The first detector is configured to detect optimum phase of the input data. The optimum phase of the input data represents the input data peak. The second detector is configured to generate an envelope data according to the input data and detect peak of envelop with respect to sampling phase. The data clock generator is configured to generate the recovered data clock. The second equalizer is configured to generate the recovered data. The multiplexer is configured to generate an offset value according to the input data peak and the envelope data peak. The offset value represents the recovered data clock having an optimum sampling frequency and an optimum sampling phase.

Abstract: A clock data recovery circuit including a phase blender, a phase detector, a data sampling position detector and a data selector is provided. The phase blender generates a third clock signal and a fourth clock signal according to a first clock signal and a second clock signal. The phase detector samples a data signal according to the first and second clock signals to generate first sampled data, second sampled data and a phase state signal. The data sampling position detector samples the data signal according to the third and fourth clock signals to generate third sampled data, fourth sampled data and a control signal. The data selector generates output data according to the control signal and the phase state signal.

Abstract: A method for performing duty-cycle correction of an output clock in a Double Data Rate (DDR) system includes: setting a fixed delay of a rising-edge of the output clock as a parameter X which is equal to a digital Master Delay Locked Loop (MDLL) code of the DDR system multiplied by a percentage representing an estimated distortion of the duty-cycle of the output clock from a desired duty-cycle; shifting the rising-edge of the output clock by the fixed delay; and determining whether a duty cycle of the shifted output clock meets the desired duty-cycle. When a duty-cycle of the shifted output clock meets the desired duty-cycle, the fixed rising-edge delay is taken as a final delay code for the output clock; otherwise, a falling-edge of the output clock is shifted by an amount in a range between 0 and NX, wherein N is an integer.

Abstract: The electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection apparatus includes a first well, a second well, a first doping region, and a second doping region. The first well is disposed in a substrate having a first conductivity type, wherein the first well has a second conductivity type and the substrate is electrically connected to a first pad. The second well is disposed in the first well, wherein the second well has the first conductivity type. The first doping region is disposed in the second well, wherein the first doping region has the second conductivity type, and the first doping region is electrically connected to a second pad. The second doping region is disposed in the second well, wherein the second doping region has the first conductivity type.

Abstract: A comparing circuit and a comparing module with hysteresis are provided. The comparing module includes a first resistor, a second resistor, and the comparing circuit, which are electrically connected to each other. A comparison voltage is determined according to an input voltage and the resistances of the first resistor and the second resistor. The comparing circuit includes an input circuit, an eternal circuit, and a coupling module. The coupling module includes a first coupling transistor, a second coupling transistor, a third transistor, and a fourth coupling resistor. Control terminals of the first coupling transistor and the second coupling transistor are selectively electrically connected to either one of a first terminal and a second terminal. The second terminals of the third coupling transistor and the fourth coupling transistor are selectively electrically connected to either one of the first terminal and the second terminal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a clock data recovery apparatus and an operation method thereof. The clock data recovery apparatus includes an equalizer, a phase detector, a charge pump, and an oscillation circuit. The equalizer is configured to equalize raw data to generate equalized data. The phase detector is coupled to the equalizer to receive the equalized data. The phase detector is configured to generate a detection result according to the equalized data. The phase detector performs pattern-filtering on the equalized data to filter out at least one pattern. The charge pump is coupled to the phase detector to receive the detection result. The charge pump is configured to generate a control signal according to the detection result. The oscillation circuit is coupled to the charge pump to receive the control signal. The oscillation circuit is configured to generate a clock signal according to the control signal.

Abstract: A switch device including a switch circuit and switch controller. The switch circuit comprises first and second switches to selectively enable a path between an input terminal and an output terminal. The switch controller refers to a selection signal and a switch signal to respectively generate a first switch control signal at a first switch control signal output terminal and a second switch control signal at a second switch control signal output terminal. When the voltage level of an input signal at the input terminal is larger than a power voltage, the switch controller generates the first switch control signal and the second switch control signal capable of turning off the switch circuit. When the voltage level of the input signal is not larger than the power voltage, the switch controller generates the first switch control signal and the second switch control signal according to the switch signal.

Abstract: A time detection circuit and a time detection method are provided. The time detection circuit includes an input signal processor and a time signal amplifier. The input signal processor receives a first input signal and a second input signal, calculates a time difference value between the first input signal and the second input signal, adjusts the time difference value by comparing the time difference value with a set reference value, and provides the adjusted time difference value. The time signal amplifier receives the adjusted time difference value, and amplifies the adjusted time difference value to generate an amplified time signal. The time signal amplifier operates in a linear operation region between a first time value and a second time value, and the set reference value is set according to the first time value and the second time value.

Abstract: A power switching circuit receives a first power, a second power and a switching signal, and generates an output power. The power switching circuit includes a first power path and a second power path. The first power path is connected with the first power. The second power path is connected with the second power. When the switching signal in a logic high level, the first power path is in a conducting state and the second power path is in a non-conducting state. Consequently, the first power is selected as the output power by the power switching circuit. When the switching signal in a logic low level, the first power path is in the non-conducting state and the second power path is in the conducting state. Consequently, the second power is selected as the output power by the power switching circuit.

Abstract: A calibration circuit, including a duty cycle correction circuit and a phase correction circuit and associated calibrating method, are provided. Firstly, a first duty cycle adjusted clock and a second duty cycle adjusted clock are generated by the duty cycle correction circuit based on a first input clock and a second input clock, respectively. Then, a first delay adjusted clock and a second delay adjusted clock are generated by the phase correction circuit based on a phase of the first duty cycle adjusted clock, and a detection signal is generated. The detection signal is related to a duty cycle of the first input clock, a duty cycle of the second input clock, and a phase difference between the second delay adjusted clock and the first delay adjusted clock. Later, the duty cycle correction circuit and the phase correction circuit are controlled in response to the detection signal.

Abstract: An amplifier including a first routing circuit, an input stage circuit, an output stage circuit, a second routing circuit, and a bias voltage generating circuit is provided. The bias voltage generating circuit generates a first bias voltage and a second bias voltage for respectively supplying a first tail current source and a second tail current source of the input stage circuit. During a first period, the first bias voltage is related to the voltage at a first input terminal of the amplifier, and the second bias voltage is related to the voltage at a second input terminal of the amplifier. During a second period, the first bias voltage is related to the voltage at the second input terminal of the amplifier, and the second bias voltage is related to the voltage at the first input terminal of the amplifier.

Abstract: A signal converter, a duty-cycle corrector, and a differential clock generator are provided. The differential clock generator includes the signal converter and the duty-cycle corrector. The signal converter is capable of calibrating skew distortion, and the duty-cycle corrector is capable of calibrating duty-cycle distortion. With the signal converter and the duty-cycle corrector, the differential clock generator can be applied to communication devices operating at high frequency.

Abstract: An interrupt management system and a management method thereof are provided. The interrupt management system includes a processor and an interrupt signal expanding controller. The processor receives a plurality of original interrupt signals. The interrupt signal expanding controller includes a decoder and an interrupt vector table. The decoder receives a plurality of expanding interrupt request signals, and decodes the expanding interrupt request signals to generate the original interrupt signals, where number of the expanding interrupt request signals is larger than number of the original interrupt signals. The interrupt vector table stores a plurality of interrupt vectors. The decoder reads one of the interrupt vectors to obtain an accessed interrupt vector according to the expanding interrupt request signals, and the interrupt signal expanding controller transmits the accessed interrupt vector to the processor.

Abstract: A Sigma-Delta (?-?) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and operation method thereof are provided. The ?-? ADC includes a ?-? modulator, a dynamic element matching (DEM) circuit and a control circuit. An input terminal of the ?-? modulator is configured to receive an analog signal. The ?-? modulator is configured to convert the analog signal into a digital signal based on a feedback signal. The DEM circuit is coupled to the ?-? modulator to receive the digital signal. The DEM circuit is configured to perform a DEM algorithm on the digital signal to generate a feedback signal, and provide the feedback signal to the ?-? modulator. The control circuit listens to the digital signal to detect a mute period. The control circuit disables the DEM circuit during the mute period to suspend a progress of the DEM algorithm.

Abstract: An amplifier including a first routing circuit, an input stage circuit, an output stage circuit, a second routing circuit, and a bias voltage generating circuit is provided. The bias voltage generating circuit generates a first bias voltage and a second bias voltage for respectively supplying a first tail current source and a second tail current source of the input stage circuit. During a first period, the first bias voltage is related to the voltage at a first input terminal of the amplifier, and the second bias voltage is related to the voltage at a second input terminal of the amplifier. During a second period, the first bias voltage is related to the voltage at the second input terminal of the amplifier, and the second bias voltage is related to the voltage at the first input terminal of the amplifier.

Abstract: A data and clock recovery circuit includes a first selecting circuit, a high speed phase detector, a low speed phase detector, a charge pump, a voltage control oscillator and a frequency divider. The high speed phase detector generates a first phase difference signal according to the first reference clock signal and a divided clock signal or according to the data signal and the divided clock signal. The low speed phase detector generates a second phase difference signal according to a second reference clock signal and the divided clock signal. The charge pump generates a control voltage according to the first phase difference signal or the second phase difference signal. The voltage control oscillator receives the control voltage, and generates a recovered clock signal. The frequency divider receives the recovered clock signal, and generates the divided clock signal.