Abstract: A chirp-based spread spectrum digital radio transmitter configured to suppress or attenuate discontinuities in the chirp frequency profile with an interpolation or smoothing procedure. The interpolation reduces significantly out-of-band emissions and does not affect the demodulation and decoding. In the case of a LoRa communication, the inventive transmitter has low constellation error and can communicate with legacy unmodified receivers. The process does not introduce unwanted phase shifts and can be used to control the signal's phase, also on continuous segments of the chirp to insert an arbitrary phase shift.

Abstract: A SIMO DC-DC converter having a modified buck topology in which multiple output are served from a single inductor. The serving order of the outputs is reversed when the inductor is discharged, such that the inductor current at the end of the serving of an output can be reset to the same value that it had at the beginning of the serving of the same output in the same cycle.

Abstract: A capacitive proximity sensor with a stacked electrode structure where an inner electrode is partially screened by an upper one. The self-capacitances of selected electrodes is measured while other electrodes are held to ground or to a shield potential. In this manner, the proximity sensor estimates a value of the dielectric permittivity of the approaching body.

Abstract: This application relates to data driver circuits, in particular to laser drivers. A driver is configured to receive an input signal and generate a corresponding driver output signal for driving an output device, such as a laser. A bias generator has a first output branch connected to an output node of the bias generator and a first control loop is configured to control a current in the first output branch to have a defined relationship to a bandgap referred current to provide a first bias current for biasing the output device. A driver output node is coupled to the driver and also to the output node of the bias generator, for outputting the driver output signal and the first bias current to the output device.

Abstract: An electronic component for adapting a pre-set matched impedance for an antenna. The electronic component comprises 1) a capacitance measurement circuit for measuring capacitance of a sensor, wherein the measured capacitance is indicative of a use case of the antenna, 2) a Radio Frequency (RF) switch configured for electrically connecting at least one selected impedance to an RF output, wherein the at least one selected impedance is an impedance in a group of impedances having at least two elements, wherein the RF switch is capable of providing an electrical connection between any impedance in the group of impedances and the RF output, and wherein the at least one selected impedance is configured for adapting the pre-set matched impedance, and 3) a digital processor having access to at least one threshold and the measured capacitance.

Abstract: A proximity sensor for a portable connected wireless device generating an immediate proximity status signal (PROXSTAT, 310) that becomes active when a part of a user's body is close to the proximity sensor, an averaging unit (259) that may include a FIFO buffer, averaging the immediate proximity status flag in a predetermined time window, and a decision unit generating a time-averaged proximity status flag (350) based on an averaged value of the immediate proximity status flag in the time window, for example when the averaged value exceeds a predetermined threshold. In embodiments, the sensor is configured to switch temporarily and repeatedly the time-averaged proximity status flag to an inactive state when the value of the averaged or accumulated value yields an active state of the time-averaged proximity status flag. This feature improves the connectivity when the sensor is used to limit the RF emission of mobile devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to an input circuit (9) for a wireless power receiver (10), the input circuit (9) comprises: an active rectifier (5) configured with output nodes; a voltage regulator (7) connected to the output nodes, wherein the active rectifier (5) is configurated to output a DC voltage (VDC) at the output nodes, wherein the voltage regulator (7) is arranged to actively affect the said DC voltage (VDC); a control structure adapted to control the DC voltage (VDC), wherein the control structure comprises a first control loop operatively coupled to the voltage regulator (7) and configured to control a voltage regulation operation of the voltage regulator (7), and a second control loop operatively coupled to the active rectifier (5) and configured to control a rectifier operation of the active rectifier (5), operates with a faster response time (more than two order of magnitude faster) than the second control loop, and wherein the first control loop is operably engaged with the second control loop.

Abstract: DC/DC converter operated in PFM mode, with an analogue timing circuit that generates the charging time and the discharging time based on the input voltage and the output voltage. The converter does not rely on a zero crossing detector and has a slow feedback loop that corrects either the charge time or the discharge time such that the residual current circulating in the inductor tends to zero at the end of the discharge phase. The inductor's current is sampled at the end of the discharge.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a capacitive sensor device comprising a capacitance-measuring circuit, a main sense input and a reference sense input, wherein the capacitive sensor device is configured to measure, using the capacitance-measuring circuit, a current main value of capacitance seen by the main sense input and a current reference value of capacitance seen by the reference sense input, wherein the capacitive sensor device is configured to at least temporarily store at least one previously measured reference value, and wherein the capacitive sensor device is configured to use 1) the current main value, 2) the current reference value and the at least one previously measured reference value, and 3) at least one current correction coefficient, with the capacitive sensor device being configured to adaptively determine the at least one current correction coefficient based on at least the current reference value and the at least one previously measured reference value, for determining a corrected current

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic component for adapting a pre-set matched impedance for an antenna. The electronic component comprises 1) a capacitance measurement circuit for measuring capacitance of a sensor, wherein the measured capacitance is indicative of a use case of the antenna, 2) a Radio Frequency (RF) switch configured for electrically connecting at least one selected impedance to an RF output, wherein the at least one selected impedance is an impedance in a group of impedances having at least two elements, wherein the RF switch is capable of providing an electrical connection between any impedance in the group of impedances and the RF output, and wherein the at least one selected impedance is configured for adapting the pre-set matched impedance, and 3) a digital processor having access to at least one threshold and the measured capacitance.

Abstract: A system may include a recovery circuit that may: receive a first detect signal for a first burst signal and a second detect signal for a second burst signal in a burst mode data path; receive a reference pattern signal from a continuous mode data path; generate a first lock signal locked to the first burst signal or locked to the reference pattern signal, and a second lock signal locked to the second burst signal; and output the reference pattern signal from the recovery circuit during a guard period. The frequency of the recovery circuit may be locked to the frequency of the reference pattern signal during the guard period. The guard period may start based on when the first detect signal de-asserts or when the first lock signal de-asserts. During the guard period, the recovery circuit does not output the first burst signal or the second burst signal.

Abstract: A voltage protection circuit, comprising a dV/dt triggered turn-on circuit configured to receive an input voltage and to turn on a switch when a change in voltage over time exceeds a predetermined level. A voltage limiting circuit coupled to the dv/dt triggered turn-on circuit and configured to limit a maximum voltage seen by the dV/dt triggered turn-on circuit. A current sharing circuit coupled to the dV/dt triggered turn-on circuit and configured to control a level of current through the dV/dt triggered turn-on circuit. A level shifting circuit coupled to the dV/dt triggered turn-on circuit and configured to shift a DC voltage level of the dV/dt triggered turn-on circuit.

Abstract: A voltage protection circuit is disclosed that includes a programmable reference voltage circuit configured to receive an input voltage and to generate a reference voltage. An error amplifier stage is coupled to the programmable reference voltage circuit. A voltage limiting circuit is coupled to the programmable reference voltage circuit and the error amplifier stage. A voltage clamping element is coupled to the programmable reference voltage circuit, the error amplifier stage and the voltage limiting circuit.

Abstract: A capacitive sensor device with a capacitance-measuring circuit, a main sense input and a reference sense input, wherein the capacitive sensor device is configured to measure, using the capacitance-measuring circuit, a current main value of capacitance seen by the main sense input and a current reference value of capacitance seen by the reference sense input, wherein the capacitive sensor device is configured to store one previously measured reference value, and wherein the capacitive sensor device is configured to use 1) the current main value, 2) the current reference value and the previously measured reference value, and 3) a current correction coefficient, the capacitive sensor device being configured to adaptively determine the current correction coefficient based on the current reference value and the previously measured reference value, for determining a corrected current main value of capacitance; the capacitive sensor device can be used in a portable electronic device.

Abstract: A variable transimpedance amplifier may include first and second amplifiers. Each of the first and second amplifiers may include a transistor amplifier with a feedback resistor and a capacitor. The output node of the first amplifier may be an output node of the variable transimpedance amplifier. The output node of the second amplifier is not part of the output node of the variable transimpedance amplifier. The open loop gains of the transistor amplifiers may be variable, but the feedback resistor values can be fixed. The transimpedance may be determined by the feedback resistors and a scaling factor proportional to ratio of open loop gains. The transistor amplifiers may share an input transistor. The configuration can provide a high dynamic range of variable transimpedance that is stable over process and operating condition variations, minimize input capacitance loading and noise contribution to small input signals.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a voltage input circuit node and a ground voltage node. A first transistor is coupled between the voltage input circuit node and the ground voltage node. A triggering circuit is coupled between the voltage input circuit node and the ground voltage node in parallel with the first transistor. The triggering circuit includes a trigger diode. An output of the triggering circuit is coupled to a control terminal of the first transistor. A load is powered by coupling the load between the voltage input circuit node and the ground voltage node.

Abstract: A portable device including a capacitive proximity sensor can suppress a drift superimposed to the capacitive proximity signal and the corresponding method. A processor generates a baseline value by integrating a series of values that are derived from the slope of the proximity signal, when the slope is within stated limits, or a fixed value outside of the stated limits.

Abstract: A leadframe is formed by chemically half-etching a sheet of conductive material. The half-etching exposes a first side surface of a first contact of the leadframe. A solder wettable layer is plated over the first side surface of the first contact. An encapsulant is deposited over the leadframe after plating the solder wettable layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, comprising 1) a radiofrequency (RF) front-end configured to acquire GNSS signals emitted by a plurality of GNSS satellites in at least two snapshot time windows, wherein each emitted GNSS signal comprises a respective known spreading code identifying the emitting GNSS satellite, and wherein the RF front-end is configured to transform the acquired GNSS signals in each of the at least two snapshot time windows into a digital sequence, respectively, and 2) a receiver unit configured to determine for each snapshot time window pseudo-ranges from the GNSS receiver to at least a subset of the emitting GNSS satellites, respectively, wherein said at least two subsets corresponding to the at least two snapshot time windows may differ from one another, and wherein said pseudo-ranges are determined using (i) the known spreading codes and (ii) the at least two digital sequences.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a voltage input circuit node and a ground voltage node. A first transistor is coupled between the voltage input circuit node and the ground voltage node. A triggering circuit is coupled between the voltage input circuit node and the ground voltage node in parallel with the first transistor. The triggering circuit includes a trigger diode. An output of the triggering circuit is coupled to a control terminal of the first transistor. A load is powered by coupling the load between the voltage input circuit node and the ground voltage node.