Abstract: A capacitance-to-voltage interface circuit includes a capacitive sensing circuit, an amplification circuit adapted for selective coupling to the capacitive sensing circuit, a capacitor bank comprising a plurality of binary-weighted capacitors, and a switching architecture associated with the capacitive sensing circuit, the amplification circuit, and the capacitor bank. The switching architecture reconfigures the capacitance-to-voltage interface circuit for operation in a plurality of different phases, including an amplification phase and an analog-to-digital conversion phase. During the amplification phase, the capacitor bank is utilized for offsetting capacitance of the amplification circuit. During the analog-to-digital conversion phase, the capacitor bank is utilized in a successive approximation register.

Abstract: An assembly for producing partially packaged semiconductor devices is provided. In one embodiment, the assembly includes a magnetic plate; a flexible substrate disposed adjacent the magnetic plate and having two surfaces; a nonstick coating disposed on one surface of the flexible substrate thereby exposing a nonstick surface; and a tape layer having two surfaces. The tape layer is adhesively attached to the nonstick surface to expose a surface of the tape layer. A frame is disposed on the exposed surface of the tape layer, and a plurality of integrated circuit (IC) die is positioned within the frame and supported by the tape layer. A panel is formed within the frame that at least partially surrounds the plurality of IC die and that contacts the tape layer.

Abstract: A method for mini module EMI shielding effectiveness evaluation comprises providing a test vehicle including at least one test platform. The test platform includes at least one mini emitter, a mini receiver with a reference shield, and a mini receiver with a shield under test. EMI shielding effectiveness transmission signals are applied to the at least one mini emitter. Signals received by the mini receiver with a shield under test and the mini receiver with the reference shield are evaluated. The mini emitter, mini receiver with the reference shield, and mini receiver with the shield under test comprise components fabricated concurrently and under fabrication conditions used for fabrication of the test platform of the test vehicle. As used herein, a mini emitter and mini receiver may be interchanged according to the requirements of a given EMI shielding effectiveness evaluation.

Abstract: A method and system for estimating power consumption for at least one Intellectual Property (IP) block in an integrated circuit (IC) design includes identifying at least one port in the at least one IP block. The at least one port is associated with at least one operation. A sequence of micro-operations of the at least one operation is identified. The sequence of micro-operations constitutes an operation pipeline. A set of micro-operations per cycle in the operation pipeline and energy per cycle of each cycle of the operation pipeline, based on the set of micro-operations per cycle by using one or more of, an idle energy value, a micro-operation isolated energy (MIE) value, an overlap energy (OE) value, and a micro-operation overlap energy (MOE) value, are determined. Then the power consumption of the at least one IP block is determined using the energy per cycle of each cycle of the operation pipeline.

Abstract: A system and method for bit eye center determination is provided. In general, the system samples an incoming data stream to determine where transitions in the data stream occur, selectively offsets the selected samples based on state criteria and the number of transitions in each set of samples, accumulates the offset samples and averages the result to determine the center of the bit eye. The system and method also provides the ability to locate the eye center even in the case of noise in the system, whether the noise is random or deterministic, including odd/even noise.

Abstract: A technique for producing a hashed output of an input message according to any number of hash algorithms (e.g. SHA-256, SHA-348, SHA-512) having varying bit widths is described. At least a portion of the input message is stored in a first group of registers each having a bit width equal to a first bit width (e.g. 32 bits). If the selected hash algorithm has a larger bit width (e.g. 64 bits), a remainder of the input message is stored in a second plurality of registers each having a bit width equal to the first bit width. The hashed output is then computed according to the selected hash algorithm.

Abstract: A system, computer program and a method for debugging a system, the method includes: controlling, by a debugger, an execution flow of a processing entity; setting, by the debugger or the processing entity, a value of a scheduler control variable accessible by the scheduler; wherein the debugger is prevented from directly controlling an execution flow of a scheduler; and determining, by the scheduler, an execution flow of the scheduler in response to a value of the scheduler control variable.

Abstract: A signal shaper generates an output signal representing a binary sequence, the output signal being the time-dependence of a signal value F. The signal shaper is input a first signal value F0 and a different second signal value F1, and receives a sequence of data bits, each data bit having a state which is either “zero” or “one”, the sequence containing at least a first data bit and a subsequent second data bit. The signal shaper determines the state of the first data bit and the state of the second data bit; if the state of the first data bit and the state of the second data bit are determined to be “zero” and “one”, respectively, the signal shaper controls the signal value F to change monotonically from the first signal value F0 at a first point in time via one or more intermediate values at intermediate points in time to a second signal value F1 at a later second point in time.

Abstract: A method of determining a representative frequency for data packets, each data packet having an associated time, the method comprising: receiving a sequence of time-differentials, wherein a time-differential represents a difference between the time associated with a corresponding first data packet and the time associated with a corresponding second data packet; and determining the representative frequency based on the steps of: grouping a predetermined number N of the time-differentials into one or more groups based on the magnitudes of the N time-differentials; selecting one or more of the one or more groups for use in determining a representative time-differential; determining the representative time-differential as a function of the time-differentials of the selected one or more groups; outputting an inverse of the representative time-differential as the representative frequency.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises synthesized frequency generation logic arranged to receive a reference signal, and to provide an output frequency signal. The synthesized frequency generation logic comprises divider logic arranged to receive the reference signal and to generate a divided signal comprising a frequency with a period equal to N times that of the reference signal. The synthesized frequency generation logic is further arranged to generate the synthesized frequency signal comprising a frequency with a period equal to 1/M that of the divided signal. The synthesized frequency generation logic comprises or is operably coupled to decision logic module and comprises or is operably coupled to a switching logic module such that the decision logic module is arranged to determine whether a near-integer spur arises in using the synthesized frequency signal, and configures the switching logic module to select the synthesized frequency signal in response thereto.

Abstract: A current drive circuit allows for a reduction in chip size and prevents an output current from decreasing. The current drive circuit has an output terminal connected to a first resistor. The first resistor is connected to a second resistor and the drain of a first transistor. The gate of the first transistor is connected to the gate of a second transistor, a grounded first current source, and the source of a third transistor. A second current source and the third transistor are connected to a power supply line. The second current source is connected to the gate of the third transistor, the drain of a fourth transistor, the drain of a fifth transistor, and a second resistor. When the voltage decreases, the on resistance of the fourth transistor increases, the fifth transistor is then connected in series to the second transistor, which increases the gate voltage of the first transistor.

Abstract: A charge pump and method for starting up a charge pump are provided. The charge pump comprises a plurality of charge pump cells and a start-up control circuit. Each charge pump cell has a clock terminal for receiving a delayed clock signal, an input terminal for receiving an input voltage, and an output terminal for providing a boosted voltage in response to receiving the clock signal and the input voltage. The start-up control circuit is coupled to the clock terminals of each of the plurality of charge pump cells. The start-up control circuit is for delaying the delayed clock signal provided to each charge pump cell of the plurality of charge pump cells. Each of the charge pump cells receives the delayed clock signal having a different predetermined delay so that each of the plurality of charge pump cells are enabled in a predetermined sequence during start-up of the charge pump.

Abstract: A method and device for managing metastable signals. The device includes: a first latch and a second latch, a multiple switching point circuit, connected between an output node of the first latch and an input node of the second latch, wherein the multiple switching point circuit includes at least one pull up transistor and at least one pull down transistor that are selectively activated in response to a feedback signal provided from the second latch and in response to a an output signal of the first latch such as to define at least a low switching point that is lower than a high switching point of the multiple-switching point circuit; wherein a switching point of an inverter within the first latch is between the high and low switching points.

Abstract: A temperature compensated current reference circuit has a differential amplifier and a first feedback transistor with a gate coupled to the differential amplifier output. The first feedback transistor couples a supply voltage line to an inverting input of the differential amplifier. There is also a second feedback transistor with a gate coupled to the differential amplifier output, which couples the supply voltage line to a non-inverting input of the differential amplifier. A first temperature dependent conductor couples the inverting input to ground. A primary reference resistor and a second temperature dependent conductor are connected in series and couple the non-inverting input to ground. An output current control transistor has a gate and one other electrode coupled together and a third electrode coupled to the supply voltage line. A secondary reference resistor and a conductivity change sensing transistor are connected in series and couple the gate of the output current control transistor to ground.

Abstract: A method for forming a through substrate via (TSV) comprises forming an opening within a substrate. An adhesion layer of titanium is formed within the via opening, a nucleation layer of titanium nitride is formed over the adhesion layer, and a tungsten layer is deposited over the nucleation layer, the tungsten layer having a thickness less than or equal to a critical film thickness sufficient to provide for film integrity and adhesion stability. A stress relief layer of titanium nitride is formed over the tungsten layer and a subsequent tungsten layer is deposited over the stress relief layer. The subsequent tungsten layer has a thickness less than or equal to the critical film thickness. The method further includes planarizing to expose the interlevel dielectric layer and a top of the TSV and backgrinding a bottom surface of the substrate sufficient to expose a bottom portion of the TSV.

Abstract: A channel estimation method suitable for use in a CDMA communications system employs a high order interpolation using four interpolation points per slot. Four FIR interpolation filters (18-21) produce a channel estimate for each quarter of a slot by weighting the summed pilots of four slots by amounts related to pre-computed polynomial co-efficients. The invention has been shown wot mobiles and has the advantage of low computional complexity.

Abstract: A system and method for testing a plurality of memory blocks in a System on Chip (SOC) design uses two Test Access Ports (TAPs); a user TAP and an EDA tool TAP, to provide instructions and test data to the SOC. The system includes a glue logic block, a secured logic block and a memory testing module. The glue logic block selects the user TAP at the outset of the testing phase. The secured logic block is coupled with the user TAP and generates a TAP selection signal, which controls the selection of the EDA tool TAP. The memory testing module is used to carry out the process of testing the memory blocks when the EDA tool TAP is selected.

Abstract: A charge pump includes a charge pump core circuit having a first current source transistor, a second current source transistor and an output terminal (64), and a replica bias circuit. The replica bias circuit has a first reference current source transistor, a second reference current source transistor and a reference node corresponding to the output terminal of the charge pump core circuit. The reference node is connected to gates of the second current source transistor and the second reference current source transistor. A first input of a regulator circuit is connected to the output terminal of the charge pump core circuit. A second input of the regulator circuit is connected to the reference node of the replica bias circuit. An output of the regulator circuit (54) is connected to gates of the first current source transistor and the first reference current source transistor.

Abstract: An electronic device comprises a number of sub-systems coupled via an interface. One of the number of sub-systems comprises logic for receiving a frame of input data having a plurality of phases on respective data paths. The electronic device further comprises logic for performing cross correlation on the received input data with a pre-determined bit pattern, operably coupled to selection logic, for selecting a single phase from the plurality of phases sent to the interface to sample the received input data in a middle region of a data bit period in response to the cross correlation.

Abstract: A semiconductor device (10) is formed in a semiconductor layer (12). A gate stack (16,18) is formed over the semiconductor layer and comprises a first conductive layer (22) and a second layer (24) over the first layer. The first layer is more conductive and provides more stopping power to an implant than the second layer. A species (46) is implanted into the second layer. Source/drain regions (52) are formed in the semiconductor layer on opposing sides of the gate stack. The gate stack is heated after the step of implanting to cause the gate stack to exert stress in the semiconductor layer in a region under the gate stack.