Abstract: What is proposed is a current sensor comprising a current rail and comprising a magnetic field sensor, wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to measure a magnetic field induced by a current flowing through the current rail, wherein a first insulation layer and a second insulation layer are arranged between the current rail and the magnetic field sensor, wherein an interface between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer is free of a contact with the current rail and/or is free of a contact with the magnetic field sensor.

Abstract: A method is suggested for providing a response, wherein the method comprises: obtaining a challenge from a host, determining the response based on the challenge, determining an auxiliary value based on the response or the challenge, providing the auxiliary value to the host, obtaining a random value from the host, checking the validity of the challenge based on the random value, and providing the response to the host only if the challenge is valid. Also, corresponding methods running on the host and system are provided. Further, corresponding devices, hosts and systems are suggested.

Abstract: A MEMS pump includes a basis structure, a membrane structure opposing the basis structure and being deflectable parallel to a surface normal of the basis structure and includes a pump chamber between the basis structure and the membrane structure wherein a volume of the pump chamber is based on a position of the membrane structure with respect to the basis structure. The MEMS pump includes a passage for letting a fluid pass into the pump chamber or exit the pump chamber, wherein the passage is arranged in-plane with respect to the pump chamber. The MEMS pump includes a valve structure coupled to the passage for connecting, in a first state, the passage to a first outer volume and for connecting, in a second state, the passage to a second outer volume.

Abstract: A scanning system includes a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) scanning structure configured with a desired rotational mode of movement based on a driving signal; a plurality of comb-drives configured to drive the MEMS scanning structure according to the desired rotational mode of movement based on the driving signal, each comb-drive including a rotor comb electrode and a stator comb electrode that form a capacitive element that has a capacitance that depends on the deflection angle of the MEMS scanning structure; a driver configured to generate the at least one driving signal; a sensing circuit selectively coupled to at least a subset of the plurality of comb-drives for receiving sensing signals therefrom, wherein each sensing signal is representative of the capacitance of a corresponding comb-drive; and a processing circuit configured to determine a scanning direction of the MEMS scanning structure in the desired rotational mode of movement based on the sensing signals.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a base portion of a bonding pad on a semiconductor portion, the base portion further comprising a base layer; forming a main surface of the bonding pad, the main surface comprising a bonding region; bonding a bond wire or clip to the bonding region; and forming a supplemental structure directly on the base portion. The supplemental structure laterally adjoins the bond wire or clip or is laterally spaced apart from the bond wire or clip. A volume-related specific heat capacity of the supplemental structure is higher than a volume-related specific heat capacity of the base layer.

Abstract: A device includes a semiconductor chip including an electrical contact arranged on a main surface of the semiconductor chip. The device includes an external connection element configured to provide a first coax-like electrical connection between the device and a printed circuit board, wherein the first coax-like electrical connection includes a section extending in a direction vertical to the main surface of the semiconductor chip. The device further includes an electrical redistribution layer arranged over the main surface of the semiconductor chip and configured to provide a second coax-like electrical connection between the electrical contact of the semiconductor chip and the external connection element, wherein the second coax-like electrical connection includes a section extending in a direction parallel to the main surface of the semiconductor chip.

Abstract: A circuit includes a radio frequency (RF) channel including an input node and an output node and being configured to receive an RF oscillator signal at the input node and to provide an RF output signal at the output node; a mixer configured to mix an RF reference signal and an RF test signal representative of the RF output signal to generate a mixer output signal; an analog-to-digital converter configured to sample the mixer output signal in order to provide a sequence of sampled values; and a control circuit configured to provide a sequence of phase offsets by phase-shifting at least one of the RF test signal and the RF reference signal using one or more phase shifters, calculate a spectral value from the sequence of sampled values; and calculate estimated phase information indicating a phase of the RF output signal based on the spectral value.

Abstract: A method for operating an electronic switch is described hereinafter. According to one exemplary embodiment, the method (for an electronic switch in the switched on state) comprises detecting whether there is an undervoltage condition at a supply voltage node and providing an undervoltage signal which indicates an undervoltage condition. The method further comprises switching off the electronic switch if the undervoltage signal indicates an undervoltage condition and switching (back) on the electronic switch if the undervoltage signal no longer indicates an undervoltage condition. If the undervoltage signal indicates an undervoltage condition during a switch-on process of the electronic switch, the electronic switch is switched off again and switching back on is prevented for a defined period of time, irrespective of the undervoltage signal. Moreover, a corresponding circuit is described.

Abstract: A microphone device includes a number N of at least two serially coupled microphones forming a microphone chain. The microphones are configured to transmit data to a controller via the microphone chain. The microphone chain is configured to output time-multiplexed data transmitted by the microphones.

Abstract: A microcontroller powered by a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) includes a plurality of cores. A first core of the microcontroller can be configured to implement a system power transient management component. One or more other or second cores of the microcontroller can be configured to implement one or more applications. The system power transient management component implemented by the first core can be configured to dynamically identify an expected load transient event to occur in the microcontroller, determine power control data to optimize a response to the identified expected load transient event, the power control data comprising a power control mode and associated parameters, and provide the power control data to the power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) device includes a display screen and a flexible substrate. The display screen is configured to transmit visible light at a first side of the display screen. The flexible substrate includes a first portion overlapping the first side, and a second portion overlapping an opposite second side of the display screen. The RF device further includes a plurality of antennas disposed over the first portion of the flexible substrate and the first side, and a transmission line disposed on a bent region of the flexible substrate between the first and second portions. The plurality of antennas is configured to transmit/receive RF signals on the first side of the display screen. The display screen is opaque to the RF signals. The transmission line is configured to propagate the RF signals between the first portion and the second portion on the opposite second side of the display screen.

Abstract: The described techniques address issues associated with hybrid current or magnetic field sensors used to detect both low- and high-frequency magnetic field components. The hybrid sensor implements a DC component rejection path in the high-frequency magnetic field component path. Both digital and analog implementations are provided, each functioning to generate a DC component cancellation signal to at least partially cancel a DC component of a current signal generated via the high-frequency magnetic field component path. The hybrid sensor provides a high-bandwidth, high-accuracy, and low DC offset hybrid current solution that also eliminates the need for DC decoupling capacitors in the high-frequency path. A modification is also described for implementing a Sigma-Delta (??) quantization noise reduction path to reduce the quantization noise and to improve accuracy.

Abstract: A semiconductor chip includes a chip pad arranged at a surface of the semiconductor chip. A dielectric layer is arranged at the surface of the semiconductor chip. The dielectric layer has an opening within which a contact portion of the chip pad is exposed, the opening having at least one straight side. The dielectric layer includes a solder flux outgassing trench arranged separate from and in the vicinity of the at least one straight side of the opening and that extends laterally beyond sides of the opening adjoining the straight side.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method for operating a millimeter-wave power amplifier including an input transistor having an output node coupled to a load path of a cascode transistor includes: receiving a millimeter-wave transmit signal at a control node of the input transistor; amplifying the millimeter-wave transmit signal to form an output signal; providing the output signal to a load coupled to an output node of the cascode transistor; and adjusting a first DC bias current of the input transistor to form a substantially constant second DC bias current of the cascode transistor.

Abstract: A method for configuring a storage circuit, including: writing data via an input line into the storage circuit by a software write access; writing a bit-wise inverted form of the data via the input line into the storage circuit by a subsequent software write access; and generating an error signal if a comparison based on the written data and the written bit-wise inverted form of the data indicates a storage circuit configuration error, wherein the storage circuit permits hardware read access and lacks software read access.

Abstract: A device includes a substrate with an excitation coil configured to generate a magnetic field in reaction to an input signal fed in, and with a pickup coil arrangement configured to generate an output signal in reaction to a magnetic field. The excitation coil includes one or more turns arranged around the pickup coil arrangement in a ring-shaped manner in a plan view of the substrate plane. The device further includes a chip package comprising at least one electrical connection connected to the pickup coil arrangement by means of a signal-carrying conductor. In accordance with the concept described herein, the chip package is positioned on the substrate in such a way that the signal-carrying conductor and the one or more turns of the excitation coil do not overlap in a plan view of the substrate plane.

Abstract: According to an example, an electronic device includes a component, a supply line providing a supply voltage, a transistor with a control input, a linear first control loop, and a non-linear second control loop. The transistor outputs an output voltage to the component depending on a signal applied to the control input. The linear first control loop includes an ADC to convert an analog output voltage level into a digital measurement signal, a controller to generate a digital control signal for the transistor depending on the digital measurement signal, and a DAC to convert the digital control signal into a first analog control signal. The non-linear second control loop is configured to generate a second analog control signal depending on the analog output voltage level. The second analog control signal is superimposed with the first analog control signal and the combined control signals are fed to the control input of the transistor.

Abstract: A method of operating a pipelined analog-to-digital converter (ADC) having a plurality of output stages includes: performing a first calibration process for the pipelined ADC to update a parameter vector of the pipelined ADC, where components of the parameter vector are used for correcting nonlinearity of the pipelined ADC, where performing the first calibration process includes: providing an input signal to the pipelined ADC; converting, by the pipelined ADC, the input signal into a first digital output; providing a scaled version of the input signal to the pipelined ADC, where the scaled version of the input signal is generated by scaling the input signal by a scale factor; converting, by the pipelined ADC, the scaled version of the input signal into a second digital output; and calibrating the pipelined ADC using the first digital output and the second digital output.

Abstract: A light steering system includes: a reflective structure configured to tilt about a first axis; a frame that includes a frame recess over which the reflective structure is suspended; and a suspension assembly that includes a piezoelectric corrugated structure coupled to and between the reflective structure and the frame. The piezoelectric corrugated structure includes a first corrugated surface including concentric rings of alternating peaks and valleys; a second corrugated surface arranged opposite to the first corrugated surface; a plurality of peak electrodes, each peak electrode being coupled to a respective peak of the first corrugated surface; a plurality of valley electrodes, each valley electrode being coupled to a respective valley of the first corrugated surface; and a common electrode layer coupled to the second corrugated surface, wherein the common electrode layer is arranged counter to the plurality of peak electrodes and to the plurality of valley electrodes.

Abstract: A sensor device includes a first sensor element that generates a first sensor signal based on a varying magnetic field; a second sensor element that generates a second sensor signal based on the varying magnetic field; a signal processing circuit configured to generate a first pulsed signal based on the first sensor signal and generate a second pulsed signal based on the second sensor signal; a fault detector that detects a fault and generates an error signal indicating the fault; and an output generator that receives the error signal based on a first condition that the fault detector detects the fault, and simultaneously outputs a first output signal and a second output signal. In response to the first condition being satisfied, the output generator maintains the first output signal in a steady state and outputs the second pulsed signal as the second output signal.