Abstract: A MIPI CSI-2/D-PHY receiving device is configured to handle being hot plugged to MIPI CSI-2/D-PHY transmitting device. During a hot plugging event, the MIPI CSI-2/D-PHY receiving device has not been initialized by receipt from the MIPI CSI-2/D-PHY transmitting device of a Stop State signal of duration TINIT. Though the MIPI CSI-2/D-PHY transmitting device is already transmitting data associated with a partial frame, the MIPI CSI-2/D-PHY receiving device will not enter into an error or unknown state, and will ignore line start/end and frame end events and drop the data packets associated with the partial frame until a frame start event corresponding to a full frame is received from the MIPI CSI-2/D-PHY transmitting device.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to techniques for linearizing a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in a continuous-time sigma-delta ADC. A sigma-delta ADC may be configured with a multibit quantizer for various applications. These applications may require wide-bandwidth high-resolution high-linearity power-efficient ADCs. In some embodiments, a mismatch of a multibit DAC might result in a bottleneck for achieving high linearity performance. Some linearization techniques may achieve high linearity performance. However, for a high-speed sigma-delta ADC, the DAC is configured to be part of a feedback loop. Existing linearization techniques often increase the delay in the feedback loop, which is not desired. Various aspects of the present disclosure provide improvement to linearization techniques by changing the references of the multibit quantizer. As a result, this reduces delay in the feedback loop of the sigma-delta modulator, which is beneficial for high-speed sigma-delta ADCs.

Abstract: A system for determining electrical characteristics of an electric load can comprise a signal modulation circuit that can include a first integral controller configured to control AC reference voltage based on a requested maximum AC current and an estimated maximum AC current, a second integral controller configured to control DC reference voltage based on a requested DC current and an estimated DC current, a signal demodulation circuit including an AC current estimation circuit configured to generate the estimated maximum AC current for the signal modulation circuit, a DC current estimation circuit configured to generate the estimated DC current for the signal modulation circuit, and a resistance and inductance (RL) estimation circuit configured to determine inductance of the electric load based on the estimated maximum AC current and phase shift, wherein the estimated maximum AC current is a value lower than a DC offset current value.

Abstract: A switch comprising: a channel path comprising first and second MOS transistors with common source and gate terminals and drain terminals defining first and second terminals of the channel path; and control circuitry comprising: a third MOS transistor comprising: a gate coupled to the common source terminal; a source coupled to the common gate terminal by a resistor; and a drain coupled to a first reference terminal; a first current source coupled between the first reference terminal and the common gate terminal for providing a first current; a second current source coupled between the source terminal of the third MOS transistor and a second reference terminal for providing a second current greater than the first current; and a first switching arrangement configured to selectively enable and disable the first current source; and a second switching arrangement configured to selectively couple the common source terminal to the second reference terminal.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a transistor structure that is formed by forming a sidewall spacer along a first vertical component sidewall of a trench wherein no sidewall spacer is formed along a second vertical component sidewall of the trench. During an etching of a dielectric layer in the trench, the sidewall spacer protects a first portion of the dielectric layer from being etched while a second portion of the dielectric layer along the second sidewall is etched. A portion of a control terminal can be formed in the space where the second portion is removed.

Abstract: A device wafer is provided that includes a substrate having major and minor surfaces, and a plurality of active devices located at the major surface. A eutectic alloy composition having a first thickness is formed at the minor surface of the substrate. The eutectic alloy composition is partially removed from the minor surface of the substrate such that a second thickness of the eutectic alloy composition remains on the minor surface, the second thickness being less than the first thickness. A bonding layer is deposited over the eutectic alloy composition. The bonding layer is utilized for joining semiconductor components of the device wafer to secondary structures.

Abstract: In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, an authentication token is provided, comprising: a communication unit for contactless communication between the token and an external device; an energy storage unit for storing energy; a biometric capturing unit for capturing at least one biometric sample; a processing unit for processing the biometric sample captured by the biometric capturing unit; wherein the token further comprises a synchronization unit configured to: determine a communication status of the communication unit; determine a power supply capability of the energy storage unit; adjust a processing speed of the processing unit in dependence on said communication status and said power supply capability. In accordance with a second aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding method of operating an authentication token is conceived. In accordance with a third aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding computer program is provided.

Abstract: A radar unit (400) for detecting an existence of interference is described that includes: a millimetre wave (mmW) transceiver (Tx/Rx) circuit configured to radiate a transmit radar signal and receive an echo signal thereof; a mixed analog and baseband circuit operably coupled to the mmW Tx/Rx circuit; and a signal processor circuit (452) operably coupled to the mixed analog and baseband circuit. An interference detection unit (448) is operably coupled to the mmW Tx/Rx circuit and configured to: monitor a whole or a portion of a radar frequency band supported by the radar unit and identify, from a received interference signal, an arrival direction of the identified interference and a level of interference and output an interference detected signal; and wherein the signal processor circuit (452) is configured to analyse the interference detected signal and quantify a response to the detection of an arrival direction and a level of received interference.

Abstract: In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, a localization system is provided for determining a geographic location of a movable object, the system comprising: a plurality of anchors, wherein each anchor is configured to receive a broadcasted message through an ultra-wideband communication channel; a processing unit configured to determine the geographic location based on differences between the times of arrival of the broadcasted message at the respective anchors, on relative positions of the anchors and on a predetermined orientation of the movable object.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an active region formed in a substrate. The active region includes input fingers, output fingers, and common fingers disposed within the substrate and oriented substantially parallel to one another. An input port is electrically connected to the input fingers and an output port is electrically connected to the output fingers. A common region is electrically connected to the common fingers. At least one of the input and output ports is positioned within the active region between the input, output, and common fingers. The common region is interposed between a pair of the common fingers such that the common fingers of the pair are spaced apart by a gap, and at least one of the input and output ports is position in the gap.

Abstract: A device includes a substrate, a first electrode formed on the substrate and a structural layer formed on the substrate. The structural layer includes a movable mass and a fixed portion, the movable mass being suspended above the substrate and the first electrode being interposed between the substrate and the movable mass. A second electrode is spaced apart from an upper surface of the movable mass by a gap and an anchor couples the second electrode to the fixed portion of the structural layer. A method entails integrating formation of the second electrode into a wafer process flow in which the first electrode and the structural layer are formed.

Abstract: In an IEEE 802.11bc wireless system, aggregated data frames are communicated between first and second STA devices by configuring the first STA device to assemble and transmit an A-MPDU frame having multiple A-MPDU subframes characterized by a fixed MPDU start spacing parameter and a fixed maximal MPDU length parameter, where the first STA device is configured with the fixed MPDU start spacing parameter and the fixed maximal MPDU length parameter without negotiating association request and response messages, and by configuring the second STA device to assemble and transmit a BA message comprising a BA bitmap identifying the one or more of the multiple A-MPDU subframes which are not successfully received by the second STA device, where the BA bitmap has a size characterized by a fixed buffer size parameter which is configured at the second STA device without negotiating add BA request (ADDBA Request) request and response messages.

Abstract: A network security device configured to monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic allows for concurrently or parallel access to a network session table by multiple session managers in order to increase the network session setup rate within the device. Each of the multiple session managers can gain access to the session table in parallel with each other when the session managers are processing packets associated with different network sessions. Session managers utilize an identifier unique to each network session to be established in the network session table, which is used to determine which session managers can concurrently access the network session table.

Abstract: A first communication device encodes, according to a non-rate-matching coding scheme, a set information bits to generate a set of coded bits, generates a first physical layer (PHY) data unit to include at least some of the coded bits, and transmits the first PHY data unit in an initial hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) transmission to a second communication device. Subsequently, in response to determining that the second communication device was not able to properly decode the set of coded bits based on the initial HARQ transmission, the first communication device selects a subset of the set of coded bits, the subset including some, but not all, coded bits that were included in the initial HARQ transmission, generates a second PHY data unit to include the subset of coded bits, and transmits the second PHY data unit in a HARQ retransmission to the second communication device.

Abstract: A moving object detector detects a moving object in a channel. The detection comprises the detector receiving a plurality of frames based on a transmitter transmitting a plurality of frames over a channel. One or more channel impulse responses (CIRs) of the channel is determined based on the received plurality of frames. The detector determines a CIR phase for each of the CIRs and a phase signal is formed based on a phase value of the CIR phase for each of the CIRs. The detector compares the phase signal with a target signal and detects the moving object in the channel based on the comparison.

Abstract: A millimeter-wave communication system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is configured to be connected to a waveguide that is transmissive at millimeter-wave frequencies, the waveguide having a propagation parameter that varies with frequency at the millimeter-wave frequencies. The transmitter is configured to generate a millimeter-wave signal comprising multiple sub-carriers that are modulated with data, wherein each sub-carrier is modulated with a respective portion of the data and is subjected to only a respective fraction of a variation in the propagation parameter, and to transmit the millimeter-wave signal into a first end of the waveguide. The receiver is configured to receive the millimeter-wave signal from a second end of the waveguide, and to extract the data from the multiple sub-carriers.

Abstract: A frequency hopping device is co-located with a set of frequency hopping devices, and includes a controller that is configured to identify from a plurality of channels, first and second sets of channels that are available and unavailable for an adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) operation associated with the frequency hopping device, respectively. The controller is further configured to assign a lowest priority level to each channel of the second set of channels, an intermediate priority level to each channel of the first set of channels that is to be utilized by the set of frequency hopping devices, and a highest priority level to each remaining channel of the first set of channels. Further, the controller is configured to generate an AFH map based on a number of channels that have the highest priority level, and execute the AFH operation based on the AFH map.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising: a functional circuit comprising one or more circuit components configured to perform a function based on one or more first input signals; at least one failure-prediction circuit for use in predicting failure of the functional circuit, the failure-prediction circuit comprising a replica of the functional circuit in terms of constituent circuit components; wherein the failure-prediction circuit is configured to be more susceptible to failure than said functional circuit, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide a prediction of failure of the functional circuit based on a determination of failure of the failure-prediction circuit.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed that for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems and methods. Front-end circuitry transmits radar signals, receives return radar signals, and outputs digital radar data. FFT circuits process the digital radar data without zero-padding to generate FFT data corresponding to oversampled pixel range values. A processor further processes the FFT data to generate radar pixel data representing a radar image. Further, the FFT circuits can interpolate the FFT data based upon pixel ranges using a streamlined range computation process. This process pre-computes x-axis components for pixels in common rows and y-axis components for pixels in common columns within the FFT data. For one embodiment, a navigation processor is coupled to a SAR system within a vehicle, receives the radar pixel data, and causes one or more actions to occur based upon the radar pixel data, such as an advanced driver assistance system function or an autonomous driving function.

Abstract: A defrosting system includes an RF signal source, two electrodes proximate to a cavity within which a load to be defrosted is positioned, a transmission path between the RF signal source and the electrodes, and an impedance matching network electrically coupled along the transmission path between the output of the RF signal source and the electrodes. The system also includes power detection circuitry coupled to the transmission path and configured to detect reflected signal power along the transmission path. A system controller is configured to modify, based on the reflected signal power, a value of a variable passive component of the impedance matching network to reduce the reflected signal power. The impedance matching network may be a single-ended network or a double-ended network.