Abstract: A fuel cell device includes a housing containing a fuel processor that generates fuel gas and a fuel cell having electrodes forming an anode and cathode, and an ion exchange electrolyte positioned between the electrodes. The housing can be formed as first and second cylindrically configured outer shell sections that form a battery cell that is configured similar to a commercially available battery cell. A thermal-capillary pump can be operative with the electrodes and an ion exchange electrolyte, and operatively connected to the fuel processor. The electrodes are configured such that heat generated between the electrodes forces water to any cooler edges of the electrodes and is pumped by capillary action back to the fuel processor to supply water for producing hydrogen gas. The electrodes can be formed on a silicon substrate that includes a flow divider with at least one fuel gas input channel that can be controlled by a MEMS valve.

Abstract: A soft output Viterbi algorithm (SOVA) decoder arranged to decode symbols received over a transmission channel, the symbols indicating a state transition between two states of a plurality of states that determines a decoded data value, the SOVA decoder comprising a reliability memory unit including at least four stages of logic units, each logic unit including a single buffer and at least four stages including a plurality of full stages comprising a separate logic unit corresponding to each of the plurality of states; and a plurality of compact stages including half or less than half the number of logic units than the number of the plurality of states, each logic unit corresponding to two of the plurality of states.

Abstract: A low-pass filter, including: between a first terminal and a second terminal, a series association of a first resistor, of a second resistor, and of a first amplifier; in parallel with the second resistor, a series association of a second amplifier and of a first capacitor; a second capacitor between an input of the first amplifier and a third terminal of application of a reference voltage; and a third capacitor between the second terminal and the third terminal.

Abstract: A system for processing a received signal having at least one code applied thereto, the received signal having a frequency, the system comprising: first correlator circuitry arranged to correlate the received signal with a first code to provide an output; second correlator circuitry arranged to correlate the received signal with a second code to provide an output, wherein the first code and the second code are different; and processor for processing together the outputs of the first and second correlator circuitry to cancel the frequency.

Abstract: A method is for identifying a flash memory device coupled to a host device. The flash memory device may have a page size from possible page sizes, bootstrap code stored on a first sector thereof, and a data bus for accessing data stored in the flash memory device and with a data bus size from possible data bus sizes. The method may include reading data stored in a first page of the first sector as if the flash memory device had an assumed page size and an assumed data bus size, and reading content from memory locations where error correction code (ECC) bytes of the first page are stored if the flash memory device has the assumed page size and checking whether the ECC bytes include more than a number of errors associated with the assumed page size. The method may also include if the ECC bytes do not include more than the number of errors, generating a flag signal that the flash memory device has the assumed page size and the assumed data bus size.

Abstract: An etching mask, comprising the delineation pattern of the gate electrode, of a source contact, a drain contact and a counter-electrode contact, is formed on a substrate of semi-conductor on insulator type. The substrate is covered by a layer of dielectric material and a gate material. The counter-electrode contact is located in the pattern of the gate electrode. The gate material is etched to define the gate electrode, the source contact and drain contacts and the counter-electrode contact. A part of the support substrate is released through the pattern of the counter-electrode contact area. An electrically conductive material is deposited on the free part of the support substrate to form the counter-electrode contact.

Abstract: A multimode filter that is versatile for digital signal processing including in-loop processing (de-blocking and de-ringing), post processing (de-blocking and de-ringing), and overlap smoothing. A flexi-standard filter includes the multimode filter. An electronic device includes the flexi-standard filter. A process for digital signal processing includes in-loop processing (de-blocking and de-ringing), post processing (de-blocking and de-ringing), and overlap smoothing.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a converter of the multiphase interleaving type. According to the method, there is detected when a change of a load applied to an output terminal of the converter occurs. When detected, all of the phases of the converter are simultaneously turned off by the generation of suitable PWM driving signals. The PWM driving signals are controlled so as to force the turn-on of the phases at the same time and to zero a time phase shift of driving of the interleaving type of the PWM driving signals. The interleaving of the driving time phase shift is recovered and a normal operation of the converter is restarted. A controller for controlling a converter of the multiphase interleaving type is also provided.

Abstract: A spectrometer including: a photodiode having a depleted region and generating an electrical detection signal indicating instants of detection of optical pulses; a converter generating an electrical delay signal, indicating delays between the instants of detection and corresponding instants of emission of the optical pulses; a memory, storing a theoretical function corresponding to the probability of triggering an avalanche by a charge carrier generated in the depleted region; and a computing stage which determines a statistical distribution of the delays between the instants of detection and the corresponding instants of emission; selects a Gaussian portion of the statistical distribution; calculates the ratio between the sum of the number of delays of the Gaussian portion and the sum of the number of delays of the statistical distribution; and determines an estimate of the wavelength of the optical pulses on the basis of the theoretical function and of the sample value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the attitude of an object is provided herein. The method for determining the attitude of the object comprises: receiving a gravity acceleration signal and a geomagnetic field signal, the gravity acceleration signal and the geomagnetic field signal changing with the attitude of the object accordingly; determining a gravity field representation in an object coordinate system according to the gravity acceleration signal, and determining a geomagnetic field representation in the object coordinate system according to the geomagnetic field signal; calculating a conversion parameter of coordinate system between to the object coordinate system and a terrestrial coordinate system according to the gravity field representation and the geomagnetic field representation in the object coordinate system; and determining the attitude of the object according to the conversion parameter of coordinate system.

Abstract: An embodiment of a testing architecture of integrated circuits on a wafer is described of the type including at least one first circuit of a structure TEG realized in a scribe line providing separation between at least one first and one second integrated circuit. The architecture includes at least one pad shared by a second circuit inside at least one of these first and second integrated circuit and the first circuit, as well as a switching circuitry coupled to the at least one pad and to these first and second circuits.

Abstract: An integrated circuit may include a region containing a thermoelectric material and be configured to be subjected to a temperature gradient resulting from a flow of an electric current in a part of the integrated circuit during its operation, and an electrically conducting output coupled to the region for delivering the electrical energy produced by thermoelectric material.

Abstract: A millimeter wave transceiver including a plate forming an interposer having its upper surface supporting an interconnection network and having its lower surface intended to be assembled on an electronic device; at least one integrated circuit chip assembled on the upper surface of the interposer; at least one antenna including at least one track formed on the upper surface of the interposer; and at least one block attached under the plate and including in front of each antenna a cavity having a metalized bottom, the distance between each antenna and the bottom being on the order of one quarter of the wavelength, taking into account the dielectric constants of the interposed materials.

Abstract: A method is for monitoring the electrical integrity of lines of photosites of an imaging device with matrix array of photosites. The control lines of photosites may include for each line of photosites an emission of elementary electrical control signals for the photosites of the line. The method may include diagnosis of the elementary electrical control signals emitted.

Abstract: A first cache arrangement including an input configured to receive a memory request from a second cache arrangement; a first cache memory for storing data; an output configured to provide a response to the memory request for the second cache arrangement; and a first cache controller; the first cache controller configured such that for the response to the memory request output by the output, the cache memory includes no allocation for data associated with the memory request.

Abstract: A lid for a MEMS device and the relative manufacturing method. The lid includes: a first board with opposite first and second surfaces having first and second metal layers disposed thereon, respectively, wherein a through cavity extends through the first board and the first and second metal layers; a second board with opposite third and fourth surfaces; an adhesive layer sandwiched between the second surface of the first board and the third surface of the second board to couple the first and second boards together such that the through cavity is closed by the second board, thereby forming a recess; and a first conductor layer coating the bottom and the side surfaces of the recess.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electronic device on a plastic substrate includes: providing a carrier as a rigid support for the electronic device; providing a metallic layer on the carrier; forming the plastic substrate on the metallic layer, the metallic layer guaranteeing a temporary bonding of the plastic substrate to the carrier; forming the electronic device on the plastic substrate; and releasing the carrier from the plastic substrate. Releasing the carrier comprises immersing the electronic device bonded to the carrier in a oxygenated water solution that breaks the bonds between the plastic substrate and the metallic layer.

Abstract: A gyroscope, including: a body; a driving mass, mobile along a driving axis; a driving device that keeps the driving mass in oscillation according to the driving axis at a driving frequency; a sensing mass, coupled to the driving mass to move according to the driving axis and is mobile with respect to the driving mass along a sensing axis; and a reading device, which receives a sensing signal associated with the movement of the sensing mass and supplies an output signal indicating a position of the sensing mass. The reading device includes an analog-to-digital converter, which receives a voltage signal associated with the sensing signal. The voltage signal includes a useful signal component and a spurious signal component, phase-shifted with respect to one another by approximately 90°, and the analog-to-digital converter is configured for sampling the voltage signal at maximum values assumed by the useful signal component.

Abstract: A test structure may characterize the properties of a transistor including a DC test structure for testing DC properties of the transistor, and an AC test structure for testing AC properties of the transistor. The DC and AC test structures may have common test pads.

Abstract: A transformer of the balanced-unbalanced type includes a primary inductive circuit and a secondary inductive circuit housed inside an additional inductive winding connected in parallel to the terminals of the secondary circuit and inductively coupled with the primary circuit and the secondary circuit.