Abstract: Lead screw nuts having a body having a threaded opening having a thread region formed from a plurality of different materials having different properties, e.g., a thread region formed from a first material, such as a relatively low friction material, and a second material, such as a relatively high strength material (having thread portions formed from the first material and thread portions formed from the second material).

Abstract: An electronic circuit comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit. The ADC circuit includes a pre-amplifying transistor and a quantizer circuit. The pre-amplifying transistor includes a base, an emitter and a collector. The pre-amplifying transistor is configured to receive an input voltage at the base that varies logarithmically; and produce an output voltage at the collector according to a comparison of a reference voltage and a difference between the input voltage and a voltage at the emitter. The quantizer circuit is operatively coupled to the pre-amplifying transistor and is configured to generate a digital value for the input voltage using the output voltage produced by the pre-amplifying transistor.

Abstract: Methods and systems of reducing a substrate noise in a charge pump having a flying capacitor are provided. An input node of the flying capacitor is pre-charged at a first slew rate. The input node of the flying capacitor is charged at a second slew rate that is faster than the first slew rate. The input node of the flying capacitor is pre-discharged at a third slew rate. The input node of the flying capacitor is discharged at a fourth slew rate that is faster than the first slew rate.

Abstract: A hybrid power converter includes a switching circuit, an LC circuit, and a detection circuit. The switching circuit includes three or more switching transistors in series that may turn on or off according to a switching cycle to generate a series of voltage pulses at an output port across one of the switching transistors. The LC circuit may be coupled to the output port of the switching circuit to receive the series of pulses and to generate an inductor current in the LC circuit. The inductor current may charge a capacitor of the LC circuit to generate an output voltage of the hybrid power converter. The detection circuit may be coupled to the switching circuit and may generate a low frequency portion of the inductor current based on one or more currents of the switching transistors to adjust the switching cycle based at least on the low frequency portion.

Abstract: A switching power converter circuit comprises an inductor arranged to receive input energy from an input circuit node; a switch circuit coupled to the inductor; a load current sensing circuit element coupled to a regulated circuit node and an output circuit node; a compensation circuit coupled to a compensation circuit node; a control circuit coupled to the compensation circuit node and the switch circuit, the control circuit configured to modulate activation of the switch circuit to regulate a voltage at the regulated circuit node; and a feedforward circuit coupled to the load current sensing circuit element and the compensation circuit, and configured to adjust modulation of the switch circuit according to sensed load current.

Abstract: A high-speed low-noise trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) with fast overdrive recovery is suitable for use in light detection and ranging (LIDAR) receivers.

Abstract: Chopper amplifiers with high pass filters for suppressing chopping ripple are provided herein. In certain embodiments, a chopper amplifier includes an input chopping circuit, an amplification circuit, a low frequency content detection circuit, and an output chopping circuit electrically connected in a cascade. The low frequency content detection circuit operates in combination with a transconductance or other gain circuit as a high pass filter that filters input offset voltage and/or low frequency noise of the amplification circuit, thereby suppressing output chopping ripple from arising.

Abstract: Methods and systems of controlling a switched capacitor converter are provided. Upon determining that a voltage across a flying capacitor is above a first threshold, a first current is drawn from a first terminal of the flying capacitor by a first current source, and a second current is provided to a second terminal of the flying capacitor by a second current source. Upon determining that the voltage across the flying capacitor is below a second threshold, the first current is provided to the first terminal of the flying capacitor by the first current source, and the second current is drawn from the second terminal of the flying capacitor by the second current source. Upon determining that the voltage across the flying capacitor is above the second threshold and below the first threshold from the reference voltage, the first and second current sources are turned OFF.

Abstract: A PoDL system conducts differential data and DC power over the same wire pair, and various DC coupling techniques are described that improve DC voltage coupling while attenuating AC common mode noise. Pairs of differential mode chokes (DMCs) are used to share current supplied by a power supply. In one embodiment, one DMC is coupled to the line side of a common mode choke (CMC), and one DMC is coupled to the PHY side of the CMC. The line-side DMC has windings that are loosely magnetically coupled so that DMC does not present a very low impedance to AC common mode noise on the wires. Therefore, the performance of the wires' RC termination circuitry is not adversely affected by the line-side DMC when minimizing reflections of common mode signals. The DMCs may use the same magnetic core, and the CMC may be series CMCs that used the same magnetic core.

Abstract: In a PoE system, DC power is transmitted over two wire pairs. The primary winding of an isolation transformer is connected across the differential I/O terminals of a first PHY (a transceiver). A positive voltage output of a power supply is connected to a center tap of the secondary winding, and the secondary winding is coupled across a first wire pair. In this way, differential data and DC power is supplied to the first wire pair. A CMC is connected between the secondary winding and an autotransformer which is also connected across the first wire pair. A center tap of the autotransformer is also connected to the positive voltage output of the power supply, so that the current to the powered device is shared by the isolation transformer and the autotransformer. A similar circuit, with a second PHY, is used for the DC power return path.

Abstract: A transceiver capable of common mode operating range and output voltage tolerance set by an isolation boundary and not limited by the device type used in the circuitry. The subject technology is a powered isolated transceiver, where the isolated generated supply and ground nodes are concealed and thus do not participate in tests that stress electrostatic discharge (ESD)/electrical overstress (EOS) or voltage tolerance. The architecture of the subject technology has the advantage of extremely high common mode performance and robust performance using low voltage devices and simplified architecture, which in turn provides less capacitive loading, faster operation, less expensive die development, electromagnetic interference (EMI) advantages, and simple active termination. The subject technology includes an isolation architecture that can be used in environments where isolation is used but is also advantageous in systems without the need for isolation.

Abstract: Techniques for operating a power supply under light load conditions are provided. In an example, a frequency of an oscillator can be adjusted based on a feedback signal indicative of a voltage error of the power supply when the feedback signal falls below a first threshold. In certain examples, a peak inductor current command can be kept constant and a slope compensation ramp can be based on the frequency of the oscillator when the feedback signal falls below the first threshold. In some examples, various circuits of the power supply can be disabled when the feedback signal further falls below a second threshold. The feedback signal can be indicative of a load on the power supply.

Abstract: A ripple monitoring circuit may generate information indicative of a failing component in a power supply. At least one input may receive a ripple signal from the power supply that has a ripple component. A quantization circuit may repeatedly quantize the amplitude of the ripple component. A ripple amplitude statistics counter bank may count and store the number of times that different quantized amplitudes or different ranges of quantized amplitudes of the ripple component occurred. A ripple monitoring circuit may generate information about a power supply. At least one input may receive a ripple signal from the power supply that has a ripple component. A ripple measurement circuit may measure a characteristic of the ripple component. A storage circuit may store information about the measurement. A comparison circuit may compare information stored in the storage circuit with a threshold value and indicate when the stored information meets or exceeds this threshold value.

Abstract: A switch mode power supply may utilize a switching signal to control one or more power switches in the switch mode power supply. A switch mode power supply controller may generate and/or control this switching signal. The controller may reduce the peak spectral noise of the switch mode power supply by varying the instantaneous switching frequency at a constant slew rate magnitude that changes sign at random times. The instantaneous switching frequency may be controlled by a signal that is generated by integrating a random bit stream. The stream may repeat at a sub-audio frequency. The integrator may be lossy, so that the output does not wonder off to an arbitrary value. The frequency modulation signal may be filtered by a low pass filter.

Abstract: A wireless power transfer system may wirelessly transmit and receive power. A transmitting coil may wirelessly transmit the power. A receiving coil may be magnetically but wirelessly coupled to the transmitting coil and may wirelessly receive the power and generate an AC input voltage. A rectifier may rectify the AC input voltage. A capacitance may filter the rectified AC input voltage. An electronic switch may be connected in series between the rectified AC input voltage and an output. A load may be connected to the output. A controller may open and close the electronic switch so as to cause the output to be at a constant DC voltage, notwithstanding variations in the load.

Abstract: A power divider/combiner circuit with coupled inductors is provided. With coupled inductors, the new circuit topology exhibits broader bandwidth for insertion loss, port matching and isolation compared with traditional power divider/combiner circuit topologies. The coupled inductors can be implemented for single-stage low-pass networks, multi-stage low-pass networks, or multi-stage wide-band networks. For example, the power divider/combiner circuit includes a first coupled inductor circuit coupled to an input terminal that provides a first signal path to a first output terminal, and a second coupled inductor circuit coupled to the input terminal that provides a second signal path to a second output terminal. Each of the coupled inductor circuits include multiple inductors that are tightly and positively magnetically coupled to one another.

Abstract: In a PoDL system, where DC power and differential data are supplied over the same conductors between a PSE and a PD, a low-power test is first performed to determine the conductor resistance. The PSE and PD are connected to the conductors via DC-coupling inductors that block the data signals. Such inductors have a DC resistance (DCR). To avoid the DCR of the PD inductors being included in the resistance test of the conductors and to avoid the requirement of additional pins for kelvin sensing, the PD includes a MOSFET switch connected across the conductors on the line-side of the PD inductors. The PSE applies a current pulse of a known value to one of the conductors while the MOSFET switch is temporarily closed. The PSE measures the resulting voltage across the wires and uses Ohm's law to more accurately calculate the resistance of the conductors.

Abstract: In a Power over Data Lines (PoDL) system that conducts differential data and DC power over the same wire pair, various DC coupling techniques are described that improve DC voltage coupling while attenuating AC common mode noise. Pairs of differential mode chokes (DMCs) are used to share current supplied by a single phase or multi-phase power supply. In one embodiment, one DMC is coupled to the line side of a common mode choke (CMC), and one DMC is coupled to the PHY side of the CMC. The line-side DMC has windings that are loosely magnetically coupled so that DMC does not present a very low impedance to AC common mode noise on the wires. Therefore, the performance of the wires' RC termination circuitry is not adversely affected by the line-side DMC when minimizing reflections of common mode signals.

Abstract: The stability of a channel in a wireless network is evaluated at a node. Upon transmitting a packet from the node on a network channel, a first counter associated with the channel is incremented. Upon receiving an acknowledgment packet responsive to the transmitted packet, a second counter associated with the channel is incremented. A stability metric for the channel is computed based on values stored in the first and second counters. Additionally, interference on a channel of the network is measured at a node. Upon determining that no packet is received during a predetermined time-period on the channel, a received signal strength (RSS) is measured on the channel at an end of the predetermined time-period. Alternatively, upon determining that a packet is received during the predetermined time-period on the channel, the RSS is measured on the channel following completion of the transmission of the packet on the channel.

Abstract: A notch filter is controlled synchronously with a chopper to filter out chopping ripple. In one embodiment, the notch filter is coupled to the differential output of the chopper and includes a sampling capacitor, a hold capacitor, and a second set of switches between the sampling capacitor and the hold capacitor. The second set of switches is temporarily closed once per chopper switching cycle to transfer charge from the sampling capacitor to the hold capacitor such that the ripple from the chopper is not transferred to the hold capacitor. The voltage across the hold capacitor may be coupled to any other circuit, such as to the differential inputs of an amplifier.