Abstract: A CMOS output buffer circuit includes a final amplifier stage having a pull-up transistor and a pull-down transistor connected between a voltage supply and ground and having a common output node, and a control circuitry for driving the final amplifier stage including a first logic gate supplied with an input data signal, the first logic gate driving the pull-up transistor, a second logic gate supplied with said input data signal, the second logic gate driving the pull-down transistor. The pull-up transistor has a bulk electrode connected to a switchable bulk line; an auxiliary circuit is provided which as long as a voltage of the output node is not higher than said supply voltage keeps said switchable bulk line connected to the voltage supply. The first logic gate includes circuitry for transferring the voltage of the output node to said switchable bulk line when the voltage of the output node exceeds the supply voltage.

Abstract: A voltage-regulator circuit with a low voltage drop uses a DMOS power transistor driven by a charge pump. The control circuit includes two feedback loops: a first feedback loop having a high gain and accuracy but low response speed, and a second feedback loop having a wide passband and fast response speed, but low gain.

Abstract: A circuit for switching between supply voltages and in particular for non-volatile flash memory devices and of the type comprising a first and a second circuit branch each incorporating a pair of transistors connected in series provides that at least one branch of the circuit be structured with a bridge circuit made up of P-channel MOS transistors. The bridge is made of a first and a second pairs of transistors connected between a first supply voltage reference and a common node. The first pair comprises transistors bigger than the transistors of the second pair while between the transistors making up the second pair is inserted a pair of resistors. Between the pair of resistors there is an interconnection node connected to a corresponding interconnection node between the transistors of the first pair.

Abstract: An integrated capacitance multiplier circuit utilizes a pair of field effect transistors, biased in a conducting state, as virtual resistances of a classic operational amplifier network for implementing a capacitance multiplier function. The two field effect transistors have different sizes from each other for attaining a given ON-resistance ratio. A biasing circuit provides independently adjustable biasing voltages for the two field effect transistors. At least one of the two biasing voltages produced by the biasing circuit can be made dependent on temperature according to a certain dependency law in order to exploit the capacitance multiplier circuit for temperature compensating an integrated RC circuit employing the virtual capacitance provided by the multiplier circuit.

Abstract: An electronic device for performing convolution operations comprises shift registers for receiving binary input values representative of an original matrix, synapses for storing weights correlated with a mask matrix, and neurons for outputting a binary result dependent on the sum of the binary values weighted by the synapses. Each synapse has a conductance correlated with the weight stored and dependent upon the binary input value. Each neuron generates the binary result in dependence on the total conductance of the corresponding synapses.

Abstract: A signal processing system receives and mixes a plurality of analog input signals having a maximum frequency. Each analog input signal is connected to an input of a modulator producing a high frequency oversampled digital signal. Each high frequency oversampled signal is connected to an input of a first decimation filter which produces an intermediate frequency oversampled multiple bit signal. Each of the intermediate frequency oversampled signals is connected to a respective input of a first digital mixer which produces a single mixed multiple bit output signal. The single mixed multiple bit output signal is connected to a second decimation filter which produces a final digital output signal, at a frequency suitable for representing the mixed analog input signals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for setup of a signal in multicarrier modulation, including clipping the signal, in amplitude, with respect to a threshold value, and of reinjecting, with a delay and on the signal to be set up, a clipping noise redistributed, at least partly, outside the useful slip of the signal in multicarrier modulation.

Abstract: Saturation of a bipolar power transistor is controlled by sensing the current which is eventually injected into the substrate of the integrated circuit by the saturating transistor and using this signal for exerting a limiting action on the current which is driven to the base of the power transistor by a dedicated driving circuit. Unlike the prior art antisaturation systems, it is no longer necessary to precisely monitor the operating voltages across the terminals of the bipolar power transistor. A suitable sensing resistance may be integrated conveniently at a distance from the often complex integrated structure of the bipolar transistor. The system of the invention offers numerous advantages and ensures intervention of the antisaturation circuit only when the power transistor has positively reached a state of saturation, but well before any unwanted consequence.

Abstract: The microtips of charge emitting material, which define the cathode of the flat FED screen and face the grid of the screen, are tubular and have portions with a small radius of curvature. The microtips are obtained by forming openings in the dielectric layer separating the cathode connection layer from the grid layer, depositing a conducting material layer to cover the walls of the openings, and anisotropically etching the layer of conducting material to form inwardly-inclined surfaces with emitting tips. Subsequently, the portions of the dielectric layer surrounding the microtips are removed.

Abstract: A memory read circuit includes a dynamically controlled precharging device that can be applied in the field of non-volatile (EEPROM, Flash EPROM) memories. The precharging circuit interrupts the precharging of the bit line and the reference line when the potential of the these lines reaches a boundary value referenced with respect to ground.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a triac network wherein each triac includes an N-type semiconductor substrate, containing a first thyristor comprised of NPNP regions and a second thyristor comprised of PNPN regions, and surrounded with a P-type deep diffusion. A P-type well contains an N-type region, on the front surface side. A first metallization corresponds to a first main electrode, a second metallization corresponds to a second main electrode, a third metallization covers the N-type region and is connected to a gate terminal, and a fourth metallization connects the P-type well to the upper surface of the deep diffusion.

Abstract: A coprocessor including a first multiplication circuit and a second multiplication circuit with a series input to receive n bits and a series output to give n+k bits. The coprocesser also includes addition and multiplexing circuits enabling the data elements produced by the multiplication circuits to be added up with one another and with other data elements encoded on n bits. The invention makes parallel use of the multiplication circuits to carry out modular or non-modular operations on pieces of binary data having n bits or more.

Abstract: A filter performs a reduction of pulsed noise in video images in accordance with fuzzy logic. An interface circuit of the filter receives consecutive digital signals in time corresponding to the video images and generates an image window having a digital signal to be processed at the center. The filter also has a comparator block, a plurality of digital subtractors, and a memory circuit connected in cascade to the comparator block. The filter also has a filtering circuit that organizes values of digital signals of the video image, and an arithmetic block that performs a switch between the digital signal to be processed and the output of the filtering circuit on the basis of the values taken by the parameter.

Abstract: To enable the putting into use of a monolithic integrated circuit comprising a processor and a fuzzy logic coprocessor, both having a single program memory in common, an operation is effected by which, at the time of the initializing of the integrated circuit, a volatile, random-access memory of the coprocessor is loaded with instructions stored in this single program memory.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the programming and erasure of a memory cell made out of floating-gate transistors and to the circuit pertaining thereto is described. It can be applied especially to non-volatile electrically erasable and programmable memories, for example EEPROMs and flash EPROMs. A programming voltage or erasure voltage comprising a voltage shift equal in value to a reference voltage is produced, followed by a voltage ramp comprising a rising phase followed possibly by voltage plateau, this voltage ramp being shifted in voltage by the value of the reference voltage and being followed, in turn, by a voltage drop. The value of the voltage shift is fixed at an intermediate value that is lower than the value of a so-called tunnel voltage of the memory cell but greater than the supply voltage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a monolithic assembly of a vertical IGBT transistor and a vertical fast diode connected to the drain of the IGBT transistor, implemented in an N-type semiconductor substrate. The rear (or lower) surface of the structure is uniformly formed of a P-type layer having many openings through which the N-type substrate appears. This rear surface is covered with a material for establishing a Schottky contact with the substrate and an ohmic contact with the P-type layer.

Abstract: A MOS technology power device comprises a semiconductor material layer of a first conductivity type, a plurality of elementary functional units, a first insulating material layer placed above the semiconductor material layer and a conductive material layer placed above the first insulating material layer. Each elementary functional unit includes an elongated body region of a second conductivity type formed in the semiconductor material layer. Each elementary functional unit further includes a first elongated window in the conductive material layer extending above the elongated body region. Each elongated body region includes a source region doped with dopants of the first conductivity type, intercalated with a portion of the elongated body region wherein no dopant of the first conductivity type are provided. The MOS technology power device further includes a second insulating material layer disposed above the conductive material layer and disposed along elongated edges of the first elongated window.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for correcting errors in a data frame including horizontal parity data enabling correction of errors in the rows of the frame based on horizontal syndromes calculated on the rows, and vertical parity data enabling correction of errors in the columns of the frame based on vertical syndromes calculated on the columns. The method includes the steps of calculating, on the fly, the horizontal and vertical syndromes of a current frame on the data of the current frame being received in a slow memory, storing these syndromes in a fast memory area, and, as the data of the next frame are being received in the slow memory, finding the values and positions of the errors of the current frame based on the syndromes stored in the fast memory area.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device of information transfer between two circuits exchanging data via delta-sigma converters. The present invention includes coding the information in the form of at least one signal of determined frequency corresponding to an integer multiple of a frequency of the digital data samples; mixing, at a first end of a line carrying an oversampled digital signal of the converter, the signal of determined frequency; extracting from the mixture, at a second end of the line, the signal of determined frequency; and decoding the corresponding information.

Abstract: A sense circuit for reading EPROM and ROM type memory cells employs a circuit for generating an offsetting current which is exempt of error during transients and which thus permits to achieve a reduced access time. On the other hand, the sense circuit maintains the intrinsic advantages of a current-offset sensing architecture which is represented by a substantially unlimited operating voltage range toward the maximum value VCC.sub.max. The current generating circuit is driven by means of a supplementary row of cells which is decoded at every reading and which replicates, during transients, the behaviour of the row selected for the reading.