Abstract: A communications system has a low power connectivity processor and a high performance applications processor. The low power connectivity processor is coupled to a low power front end for wireless packets and the high performance applications processor is coupled to a high performance front end. A power controller is coupled to the low power front end and enables the applications processor and high performance front end when wireless packets which require greater processing capacity are received, and removes power from the applications processor and high performance front end at other times.

Abstract: A multi-thread communication system has several communications processors operative over a single interface for transmitting and receiving packets. The multi-thread communications processor is operative to sequentially handle multiple thread processes for each communications processor on a cycle by cycle basis according to a thread map register which determines the order of execution and how many cycles of a particular thread occur during a canonical interval.

Abstract: A communication processor is operative to adapt the thread allocation to communications processes handled by a multi-thread processor on an instruction by instruction basis. A thread map register controls the allocation of each processor cycle to a particular thread, and the thread map register is reprogrammed as the network process loads for a plurality of communications processors such as WLAN, Bluetooth, Zigbee, or LTE have load requirements which increase or decrease. A thread management process may dynamically allocate processor cycles to each respective process during times of activity for each associated communications process.

Abstract: A task processor has a low power connectivity processor and a high performance applications processor. Software processes have a component operative on a connectivity processor and a component operative on an applications processor. The low power connectivity processor is coupled to a low power front end for wireless packets and the high performance applications processor is coupled to a high performance front end. A power controller is coupled to the low power front end and enables the applications processor and high performance front end when wireless packets which require greater processing capacity are received, and removes power from the applications processor and high performance front end at other times.

Abstract: A bitstream modifier is operative on a packet which uses repetition coding. The bitstream modifier increases randomness of the data in a deterministic manner such that spectral spurs from repetition coding are greatly reduced, thereby providing greater available transmit power. In another example of the invention, baseband samples of a header and/or payload for a Bluetooth packet are modified by a canonical sequence with a low slew rate for data such that the variations in frequency may be tracked by a receiver and the transmitted spectral spurs reduced.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a radio-frequency (RF) receiver. The RF receiver includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to convert an analog input signal to a digital output signal in response to an ADC clock signal. The RF receiver further includes a frequency generator to selectively provide either a clock signal to be provided as the ADC clock signal or a signal to be used for in-phase-quadrature (IQ) calibration of the RF receiver.

Abstract: Improved clock gating cells and related methods are provided. The clock gating cells include a first mutually exclusive element (ME1), a first inverter and a second mutually exclusive element (ME2). ME1 receives a clock input and an enable signal, which is asynchronous to the clock input, and outputs the enable signal based on a timing relationship between the clock input and the enable signal. The first inverter receives the enable signal output from ME1 and provides an inverted enable signal to ME2. ME2 receives the clock input and the inverted enable signal, and provides a clock output based on a timing relationship between the clock input and the inverted enable signal. Together, ME1 and ME2 resolve meta-stability and eliminate glitches in the clock output by preventing rising and falling edges of the enable signal from passing through the mutually exclusive elements during active phases of the clock input.

Abstract: A method for calibrating an isolator product includes generating a differential pair of signals on a differential pair of nodes at an input of a demodulator circuit of a receiver signal path of a first integrated circuit die of the isolator product based on a received differential pair of signals. The method includes generating a diagnostic output signal having a level corresponding to an average amplitude of the differential pair of signals. The method includes driving the diagnostic output signal to an output terminal of the isolator product. The method may include transmitting a diagnostic signal using a carrier signal having a frequency by a second integrated circuit die via an isolation channel. The method may include, during the transmitting, sweeping the frequency of the carrier signal across a frequency band. The method may include, during the sweeping, capturing the diagnostic output signal via the output terminal.

Abstract: A continuous-time (CT) delta-sigma modulator (DSM) based analog to digital converter (ADC) in a radio receive chain supports a wide range of data rates in a power efficient way in a small die area. The ADC utilizes a 2nd order loop-filter with a single-amplifier loop-filter topology using a two stage Miller amplifier with a feed forward path and a push-pull output stage. High bandwidth operations utilize a “negative-R” compensation scheme at the amplifier input. Negative-R assistance is disabled for low data rate applications. With the negative-R assistance disabled, loop-filter resistor values are increased, instead of only the loop filter capacitor values to scale the noise transfer function (NTF), thereby limiting the capacitor area needed and enabling lower power operation. The NTF zero location is programmable allowing the NTF zero to be located near the intermediate frequency for different bandwidths to reduce the DSM quantization noise contribution for narrow-band (low data rate) applications.

Abstract: An apparatus controls a high-power drive device external to a package of a gate driver circuit. A first circuit charges the control node over a first length of time in response to a first signal through the first node indicating an absence of a fault condition and a first level of a control signal. A second circuit discharges the control node over a second length of time in response to a second signal through the second node indicating the absence of the fault condition and a second level of a control signal. A third circuit includes a current amplifier and is configured as a soft shutdown path to discharge the control node over a third length of time in response to the first signal through the first node indicating a presence of the fault condition. The third length of time is different from the second length of time.

Abstract: A method for generating a clock signal includes selecting a primary reference clock signal or a secondary reference clock signal as a reference clock signal for a phase-locked loop configured to generate an output clock signal. The method includes generating an indication of whether a failure of the reference clock signal has occurred by monitoring the secondary reference clock signal and a plurality of additional clock signals using the reference clock signal. The failure is determined based on whether a gross failure of the reference clock signal has occurred and if the gross failure has not occurred, further based on whether a quality failure of the reference clock signal has occurred.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for encrypting messages from a first node splits the message into a plurality of message units, each of which is encrypted. The encrypted message units are split into path units, each of which is directed to a different route path to a destination node. At the destination node, the path units are received and reassembled into encrypted message units, which are decrypted into message fragments and concatenated to form a message corresponding to the original one sent.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a clock management unit that selectively provides a clock signal, an energy management circuit that provides an internal power supply voltage to an internal voltage rail in response to an external power supply voltage, and has a capacitor coupled between the internal voltage rail and a reference voltage terminal, and a clocked digital circuit that is coupled to the internal voltage rail and the reference voltage terminal and operates in synchronism with the clock signal. The clock management unit provides the clock signal at a first frequency during a standby state, continuously at a second frequency higher than the first frequency during an active state, and during a first clock cycle following an end of the standby state while suppressing the clock signal during at least one subsequent clock cycle during a transition state between the standby state and the active state.

Abstract: A power saving receiver has a controller which is operative to remove power from the receiver when a threshold is exceeded during reception of a packet. The threshold level is formed by comparison of any of: signal energy of unoccupied subcarriers less the signal energy in occupied subcarriers; signal energy in a first range of occupied subcarriers compared to signal energy in a different range of occupied subcarriers; error vector magnitude from a first set of subcarriers to a second set of subcarriers in a different spectral region of the channel; cyclic prefix cross-correlation, or common phase error increase.

Abstract: Embodiments of improved CMOS input stage circuits and related methods are provided herein to maintain a near constant transconductance across an entire common-mode input voltage range of the input stage. One embodiment includes a pair of NMOS input transistors and a pair of PMOS input transistors, each coupled to receive a differential input voltages at their gate terminals; a current source coupled to source terminals of the pair of PMOS input transistors and configured to generate a current; a current steering circuit configured to steer the current to the pair of NMOS input transistors and/or to the pair of PMOS input transistors, depending on whether a common mode input voltage (CMV) is greater than, less than, or substantially equal to a cross-over voltage; and a current stealing circuit configured to reduce the current when the CMV is substantially equal to the cross-over voltage.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that may be implemented to configure and/or reconfigure device operating modes based on relative position of a wireless transmitter to a wireless receiver that is receiving a wireless radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted from the wireless transmitting device, or vice-versa. The relative position of a wireless transmitter to a wireless receiver may be determined using any suitable technique, e.g., using Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) of a signal received at separate antenna elements of an antenna array of the wireless receiver, using Angle of Arrival (AoA) of a signal received at an antenna array of the wireless receiver, using measured received signal strength (e.g., received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or received signal decibel-milliwatts (dBm)) of a signal received at different antenna elements of an antenna array of the wireless receiver, using Angle of Departure (AoD) of a signal transmitted from an antenna array of the wireless transmitter, etc.

Abstract: A system and method for optimizing battery life in Bluetooth low power nodes without appreciably affecting latency is disclosed. The low power node may vary its PollTimeout value based on certain criteria, including time of day, ambient conditions or input from other devices. In this way, power consumption is minimized during those times when latency is not anticipated to be problematic, while latency is reduced during other times. In another embodiment, the low power node may save preconstructed messages before going into a low power or sleep mode to minimize the time required to transmit those messages.

Abstract: A system and method of downloading firmware into an embedded device while maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of the firmware is disclosed. In one embodiment, the process comprises four phases. In the first phase, unauthenticated content is written into the memory of the embedded device. In the second phase, this content is verified. In the third step, a secure connection is established between the host and the embedded device. In the fourth step, the firmware is loaded into the embedded device using this secure connection. The firmware is encrypted as it is transferred from the host to the embedded device and is never accessible outside of the embedded device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes: a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit having a digital portion to receive a digital value and an analog portion to generate an analog voltage based on the digital value; and a refresh circuit coupled to the DAC circuit to clock gate provision of a first clock signal to the DAC circuit when the digital portion is inactive.

Abstract: An array of capacitors on an integrated circuit includes a plurality of unit capacitors. Each unit capacitor includes an isolated capacitor node formed in a pillar structure. Each unit capacitor further includes a shared capacitor adjacent to the isolated capacitor node. The shared capacitor node is electrically coupled to shared capacitor nodes of other unit capacitors in the array. Each unit capacitor further includes a shield node coupled to a low impedance node and formed adjacent to the isolated capacitor node to reduce the chance of capacitance forming between conductors to the isolated nodes and the shared nodes thereby preventing unwanted charge from entering the shared nodes and reducing linearity of the array.