Abstract: An integrated circuit device may include a multi-material toothed bond pad including (a) an array of vertically-extending teeth formed from a first material, e.g., aluminum, and (b) a fill material, e.g., silver, at least partially filling voids between the array of teeth. The teeth may be formed by depositing and etching aluminum or other suitable material, and the fill material may be deposited over the array of teeth and extending down into the voids between the teeth, and etched to expose top surfaces of the teeth. The array of teeth may collectively define an abrasive structure. The multi-material toothed bond pad may be bonded to another bond pad, e.g., using an ultrasonic or thermosonic bonding process, during which the abrasive teeth may abrade, break, or remove unwanted native oxide layers formed on the respective bond pad surfaces, to thereby create a direct and/or eutectic bonding between the bond pads.

Abstract: An electronic device may have a plurality of defined life cycle stages and a one-time-programmable (OTP) memory comprising a plurality of life cycle bits, wherein respective bit patterns of the life cycle bits may correspond with respective life cycle stages of the defined life cycle stages. The electronic device may also have a boot code stored in read only memory and executable by a processor to receive a request to transition from a current life cycle stage to a next life cycle stage and, in response to the received request, automatically generate a bit pattern corresponding to the next life cycle stage of the plurality of defined life cycle stages and program the bit pattern corresponding to the next life cycle stage of the plurality of defined life cycle stages in the OTP memory during a time when the OTP memory is not user-accessible.

Abstract: Ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) capacitors and methods of forming FRAM capacitors are provided. An FRAM capacitor may be formed between adjacent metal interconnect layers or between a silicided active layer (e.g., including MOSFET devices) and a first metal interconnect layer. The FRAM capacitor may be formed by a damascene process including forming a tub opening in a dielectric region, forming a cup-shaped bottom electrode, forming a cup-shaped ferroelectric element in an interior opening defined by the cup-shaped bottom electrode, and forming a top electrode in an interior opening defined by the cup-shaped ferroelectric element. The FRAM capacitor may form a component of an FRAM memory cell. For example, an FRAM memory cell may include one FRAM capacitor and one transistor (1T1C configuration) or two FRAM capacitors and two transistor (2T2C configuration).

Abstract: An apparatus includes a database with device profiles, and a device programmer. The device programmer includes instructions. The instructions, when read and executed by a processor, cause the device programmer to identify a device identifier of an electronic device. The device programmer is further caused to, based upon the device identifier, access device data from the database. The device programmer is further caused to, based upon the device data, determine an area of memory of the electronic device that can be written. The device programmer is further caused to, based on the determination of the area of memory of the electronic device that can be written, write data to the area of memory.

Abstract: A system and method of testing an integrated circuit provide a first clock signal to a first flip-flop with an output to a functional circuit, provide a second clock signal to a second flip-flop with an input from the functional circuit, wherein the second flip-flip has a minimum hold time, provide a test input to the first flip-flop, observe a signal propagation time through the functional circuit, determine the signal propagation time is less than the minimum hold time of the second flip-flop, and increasing a timing separation by adding a unit of delay to the first clock signal or subtracting a unit of delay from the second clock signal.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) package product, e.g., system-on-chip (SoC) or system-in-package (SiP) product, may include at least one integrated inductor having a core magnetic field (B field) that extends parallel to the substrate major plane of at least one die or chiplet included in or mounted to the product, which may reduce the eddy currents within each die/chiplet substrate, and thereby reduce energy loss of the indictor. The IC package product may include a horizontally-extending IC package substrate, a horizontally-extending die mount base arranged on the IC package substrate, at least one die mounted to the die mount base in a vertical orientation, and an integrated inductor having a B field extending in a vertical direction parallel to the silicon substrate of each vertically-mounted die, thereby providing a reduced substrate loss in the integrated inductor, which provides an increased quality factor (Q) of the inductor.

Abstract: A universal serial bus (USB) dock includes USB ports, each configured to connect to a respective USB element. The USB dock includes a circuit communicatively coupled to the USB ports and configured to determine a first temperature measurement in the USB dock, determine a power demand for each USB element connected to the USB ports, determine an allocation of power for the USB elements, and, based on the first allocation of power, provide less than the power demand for one or more of the USB elements based upon a total power demand by the USB elements and the first temperature measurement.

Abstract: A three-dimensional metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor is formed in an integrated circuit structure. The 3D MIM capacitor may include a bottom conductor including a bottom plate portion (e.g., formed in a metal interconnect layer) and vertically-extending sidewall portions extending from the bottom plate portion. An insulator layer is formed on the bottom plate portion and the vertically extending sidewall portions of the bottom conductor. A top conductor is formed over the insulating layer, such that the top conductor is capacitively coupled to both the bottom plate portion and the vertically extending sidewall portions of the bottom conductor, to thereby define an increased area of capacitive coupling between the top and bottom conductors. The vertically extending sidewall portions of the bottom conductor may be formed in a single metal layer or by components of multiple metal layers.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a sampling circuit to sample input from a sensor circuit. The input includes a cosine coil waveform and a sine coil waveform. The sampling circuit is to generate a cosine coil sampled data stream and a sine coil sampled data stream. The apparatus includes an adjustment circuit to, based upon a characterization of the sensor circuit, delay the cosine coil sampled data stream or the sine coil sampled data stream.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a transaction host, first and second peripherals, memory, an access control register, and first and second access controllers. The memory stores access control identifier management instructions, a first task related to the first peripheral, and a first bitmask indicating respective access settings for the first and second peripherals for performing the first task. The access control register includes a first access control identifier for the first peripheral and a second access control identifier for the second peripheral. The transaction host executes the access control identifier management instructions to program the first and second access control identifiers based on the first bitmask, and subsequently executes the first task. The first and second access controllers control access to the first and second peripherals, respectively, based on the respective first and second access control identifiers programmed based on the first bitmask.

Abstract: An EtherCAT device is disclosed. The EtherCAT device comprises a data input port to receive a signal representing data, the signal representing one of a plurality of possible logical values; and a degradation calculation circuit. The degradation calculation circuit is to read, demodulate, and convert the received signal into a digital domain representation; process the digital domain representation into slices, where the value of the received signal at a respective time is represented in a respective one of the slices; determine differences between the respective slices and reference slices; identify an intended logical value of the received signal responsive to the determined differences; determine a quantification of error at the respective time responsive to the identified logical value and the determined differences; and determine a signal quality index responsive to the determined quantification of error.

Abstract: An EtherCAT device with a node for use in an EtherCAT network is disclosed. The EtherCAT device includes: a clock circuit; a clock input to receive an input clock signal; a clock output to send an output clock signal; and control logic. The control logic is to determine whether to operate the EtherCAT device in a clock generation mode or a clock propagation mode, wherein in the clock generation mode, the clock circuit is to drive an oscillator to generate the input clock signal; and in the clock propagation mode, the clock circuit is to receive the input clock signal from another node in the EtherCAT network. The control logic is further to control the clock circuit to output the output clock signal for a subsequent node in the EtherCAT network based upon the input clock signal.

Abstract: An apparatus may be communicatively coupled to other nodes in a network. The apparatus may include a control circuit configured to repeatedly issue transmission cycles to the other nodes. A given transmission cycle may include a least one send slot for each of the other nodes to send data. The control circuit may be configured to initiate transmission cycles by issuing beacon signals to the other nodes. The control circuit may be configured to determine when to issue a beacon signal in a given transmission cycle by determining that all of the other nodes have completed all associated send slots in an immediately previous transmission cycle and based upon a determination of the completion of the other nodes' transmission, delaying transmission of the beacon signal for the given transmission cycle.

Abstract: A CAN bus transmitter has an input to receive a transmit data signal, and CANH and CANL outputs coupled to a CAN bus. The CAN bus transmitter comprises a plurality of CAN driver circuits having inputs coupled through delay circuits with their CANH and CANL outputs in common and connected to the CAN bus. Matching of Cgs capacitances between devices of the CANH and CANL legs provides substantially synchronized changes in the CANH and CANL output logic levels upon a change in the input logic level. Variable delaying of the input logic level changes to each of the plurality of CAN driver circuits reduces emission of unwanted signals from the CAN bus.

Abstract: Disclosed examples include an apparatus. The apparatus may include first interfaces, second interfaces, a bus interface, and a buffer interface. The first interfaces may be to communicate at first data widths via first interconnects for operable coupling with data samples sources. The second interface may be to communicate at second data widths via second interconnects for operable coupling with data sinks. The buffer interface may be to communicate with a system to process data samples sampled using different sampling rates according to processing frame durations. The buffer interface may include an uplink channel handler and a downlink channel handler. The uplink channel handler may be to receive data samples from the first interfaces at first data widths and provide the data samples to the bus interface at third data widths.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a transaction host, a first peripheral, a second peripheral, a first access controller connected to the first peripheral, a second access controller connected to the second peripheral, and an access control register storing a first access control identifier for the first peripheral and a second access control identifier for the second peripheral. The first access controller to receive an access request for access to the first peripheral by the transaction host, perform an access determination for the first peripheral based at least on the first access control identifier for the first peripheral, and allow or prevent the transaction host access to the first peripheral based on the access determination.

Abstract: An apparatus and method including a command input to receive a command with a macro identifier from a channel processor, a macro memory storing a plurality of flash control commands, each comprising a duration and a plurality of target control values to control a flash target; and a second finite state machine comprising a plurality of control outputs each corresponding control inputs on the flash target, wherein in response to a received command, the first finite state machine locates in the macro memory a sequence of flash control commands associated with the macro identifier and sequentially outputs the flash control commands to the second finite state machine; and wherein the second finite state machine drives each of the plurality of control outputs based on corresponding values in the first flash control command for the duration specified in the current flash control command.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of automatically trimming a PCB-based LC circuit. The apparatus may comprise an interface to a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB may include a PCB inductor and a PCB capacitor to form an LC circuit. The LC circuit may have an LC circuit frequency. The apparatus may comprise a variable capacitor communicatively coupled to the interface and configured to adjust an effective capacitance of the LC circuit.

Abstract: Physical layer devices and related methods for determining Bit Error Rates (BERs) and correcting errors in signals received through shared transmission media of wireless local area networks are disclosed. A physical layer device is configured to identify coding violations in received signal, determine a rate of the coding violations in the signal, and estimate a BER of the signal to be equal to the determined rate of the coding violations. A physical layer device is configured to invert a half symbol immediately preceding or immediately following a coding violation based, at least in part, on signal integrities of the half symbol immediately preceding and the half symbol immediately following the coding violation to correct a bit error.

Abstract: A metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor includes a bottom electrode cup, an insulator, and a top electrode. The bottom electrode cup includes a laterally-extending bottom electrode cup base and a bottom electrode cup sidewall extending upwardly from the laterally-extending bottom electrode cup base. The insulator includes an insulator cup formed in an opening defined by the bottom electrode cup, and an insulator flange extending laterally outwardly from the insulator cup sidewall and extending laterally over an upper surface of the bottom electrode cup sidewall. The top electrode is formed in an opening defined by the insulator cup. The top electrode is insulated from the upper surface of the bottom electrode cup sidewall by the insulator flange.