Abstract: An inertial structure is elastically coupled through a first elastic structure to a supporting structure so as to move along a sensing axis as a function of a quantity to be detected. The inertial structure includes first and second inertial masses which are elastically coupled together by a second elastic structure to enable movement of the second inertial mass along the sensing axis. The first elastic structure has a lower elastic constant than the second elastic structure so that, in presence of the quantity to be detected, the inertial structure moves in a sensing direction until the first inertial mass stops against a stop structure and the second elastic mass can move further in the sensing direction. Once the quantity to be detected ends, the second inertial mass moves in a direction opposite to the sensing direction and detaches the first inertial mass from the stop structure.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a wireless power reception system that utilizes a switched capacitor DC-DC voltage converter to charge a load. Current sensing circuits described herein enable the measurement of the input current to the switched capacitor DC-DC voltage converter while being relatively insensitive to temperature variation. Voltage/current sensing circuits described herein enable the selective measurement of load voltage, high side load current, and low side load current. One of the current sensing circuits may be used together with one of the voltage/current sensing circuits in a single device, or the current sensing circuits and voltage/current sensing circuits may be used separately in different devices.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is hardware for easing the process of changing the execution mode of a virtual machine and its associated resources. By adopting the hardware, it is possible to trigger a change in the execution mode in an automatic way, without software intervention, and without interfering with the execution of other virtual machines. In addition, in case an error has occurred for a virtual machine and it is detected, the hardware can be used to disable the resources associated with that virtual machine and generate notification of the completion this operation to other hardware, which will complete the reset of the virtual machine. By adopting the hardware, the execution mode change is simplified and offers configurability and flexibility for a system running multiple virtual machines.

Abstract: A MEMS actuator includes a main body having a central portion, couplable to a substrate, and a peripheral portion suspended over the substrate when the central portion is coupled to the substrate. The peripheral portion has a deformable structure extending around the central portion, and forming successively arranged membranes. The MEMS actuator includes bearing structures and corresponding piezoelectric actuators. The bearing structures are fixed at their top to the deformable structure and laterally delimit corresponding cavities, each having a lateral opening facing the central portion of the main body and closed at the top by a membrane. A fixed part of the membrane is fixed to the underlying bearing structure and a suspended part is laterally offset with respect to the underlying bearing structure. The piezoelectric actuators are controllable to cause deformation of the corresponding membrane and rotation of the bearing structures around the central portion of the main body.

Abstract: In an embodiment a circuit includes a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit having a first node configured to receive a reference voltage, a second node configured to receive a feedback signal, which is a comparison signal, indicative of a variation of a regulated output voltage of an electronic voltage regulator with respect to the reference voltage and a third node configured to provide a clock signal having a clock period based on the reference voltage and the feedback signal, and a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal generator circuit having a first node coupled to the VCO circuit and configured to receive the clock signal, a second node configured to receive an input signal proportional to an input voltage signal at an input node of the electronic voltage regulator and a third node configured to provide at least one PWM drive signal to one or more electronic switches of a switching stage based on the clock signal.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer includes first zones containing integrated circuits, each first zone including a substrate and a sealing ring at a periphery of the substrate. The first zones are separated from each other by second zones defining cutting lines or paths. The integrated circuit includes an electrically conductive fuse that extends between a first location inside the integrated circuit and a second location situated outside the integrated circuit beyond one of the cutting lines. This electrically conductive fuse includes a portion that passes through the sealing ring and another portion that straddles the adjacent cutting line. The portion of the fuse that passes through is electrically isolated from the sealing ring and from the substrate. The straddling portion is configured to be sliced, when cutting the wafer along the cutting line, so as to cause the fuse to change from an electrical on state to an electrical off state.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a processing system comprises a microprocessor programmable via software instructions, a memory controller configured to be coupled to a memory, a communication system coupling the microprocessors to the memory controller, a cryptographic co-processor and a first communication interface. The processing system also comprises first and second configurable DMA channels. In a first configuration, the first DMA channel is configured to transfer data from the memory to the cryptographic co-processor, and the second DMA channel is configured to transfer the encrypted data via two loops from the cryptographic co-processor to the first communication interface. In a second configuration, the second DMA channel is configured to transfer received data via two loops from the first communication interface to the cryptographic co-processor, and the first DMA channel is configured to transfer the decrypted data from the cryptographic co-processor to the memory.

Abstract: A processing system includes a communication system and a processing core configured to generate write requests. A circuit has associated a slave interface circuit configured to manage an address sub-range and selectively forward write requests addressed to a given address. Configuration data specifies whether the given address is protected/unprotected and locked/unlocked. In response to a received write request, address and data are extracted and a determination based on the configuration data is made as to whether the extracted address is protected/unprotected, and locked/unlocked. When the extracted address is unprotected or unlocked, the slave interface forwards the write request. When the extracted address is protected and locked, the slave interface generates an unlock signal in response to a comparison of the extracted address with the extracted data, with the unlock signal being asserted when the extracted data satisfy a predetermined rule with respect to the extracted address.

Abstract: A voltage regulator receives a reference voltage and generates a regulated voltage using a MOSFET having a gate terminal configured to receive a control voltage. A charge pump receives the regulated voltage and generates a charge pump voltage in response to an enable signal and a clock signal generated in response to the enable signal. The voltage regulator further includes a first switched capacitor circuit coupled to the gate terminal and configured to selectively charge a first capacitor with a first current and impose a first voltage drop on the control voltage in response to assertion of the enable signal. The voltage regulator also includes a second switched capacitor circuit coupled to the gate terminal and configured to selectively charge a second capacitor with a second current and impose a second voltage drop on the control voltage in response to one logic state of the clock signal.

Abstract: An integrated circuit package includes a support substrate and a heat sink. A lateral wall of the heat sink is fastened on a mounting face of the support substrate by fastening devices. The fastening devices are accommodated in compartments of the lateral wall and cross the support substrate through the first orifices. The fastening devices and the first orifices are configured to enable fastening of the lateral wall on the mounting face and permit a relative movement of the fastening devices relative to the first orifices.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a pixel comprising: a photodiode comprising a portion of a substrate of a semiconductor material, extending vertically from a first face of the substrate to a second face of the substrate configured to receive light; a layer of a first material covering each of the lateral surfaces of the portion; a layer of a second material covering the portion on the side of the first face, first and second material having refractive indexes lower than that of the semiconductor material; and a diffractive structure disposed on a face of the photodiode on the side of the second face.

Abstract: A base substrate has a thickness between two faces. The base substrate includes at least one hole extending in a thickness of the base substrate perpendicular to one of the two face. At least one dipole of a surface-mount device type is housed in the at least one hole of the base substrate.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a phase circuit includes: a bidirectional output stage configured to be coupled between a first battery and a second battery; a memory configured to store a number of active phases, and an identifier; and a synchronization circuit configured to receive a first clock signal and determine a start time of a switching cycle of the bidirectional output stage based on the number of active phases, the identifier, and the first clock signal, where the phase circuit is configured to control the timing of the switching of the bidirectional output stage based on the start time.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a method for a touch scan is proposed. The method includes operating a device in first and second modes corresponding to the device, respectively, being wirelessly and not wirelessly charged. In each mode for each frame, the method includes dividing a frequency range corresponding to a touch-sensing technology into M or N positive integer numbers of equal and sequential frequency intervals, where N is greater than M. In the first mode, the method includes determining a first frequency interval of the M frequency intervals with the least noise and performing the touch scan using a first frequency within the first frequency interval. In the second mode for each frame, the method includes determining a second frequency interval of the N frequency intervals with the least noise and performing the touch scan using a second frequency within the second frequency interval.

Abstract: A control circuit for controlling a switching stage of an electronic converter includes a first terminal configured to provide a drive signal and a second terminal configured to receive a first feedback signal. A third terminal receives a second feedback signal and a driver circuit provides the drive signal as a function of a PWM signal. A PWM signal generator circuit generates the PWM signal as a function of the first feedback signal, a reference threshold and the second feedback signal or a slope compensation signal. The control circuit is configured to sense an input signal, provide a first compensation parameter, and provide a first compensating signal as a function of a power of the input sensing signal.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope includes a driving mass and a driving circuit that operates to drive the driving mass in a mechanical oscillation at a resonant drive frequency. An oscillator generates a system clock that is independent of and asynchronous to the resonant drive frequency. A clock generator circuit outputs a first clock and a second clock that are derived from the system clock. The drive loop of the driving circuit including an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit that is clocked by the first clock and a digital signal processing (DSP) circuit that is clocked by the second clock.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an integrated component formed by a first wafer having first and second trenches defined in a top surface thereof, and a second wafer coupled to the first wafer and formed by a substrate with a structural layer thereon that integrated an electromagnetic radiation detector overlying the second trench. A first cap is coupled to the second wafer, overlies the electromagnetic radiation detector, and serves to define a first air-tight chamber in which the electromagnetic radiation detector is positioned. A stator, a rotor, and a mobile mass are integrated within the substrate and form a drive assembly for driving the mobile mass. The rotor overlies the first trench. A second cap is coupled to the second wafer, overlies the mobile mass, and serving to define a second air-tight chamber in which the mobile mass is positioned.

Abstract: A neural network is able to reconfigure hardware accelerators on-the-fly without stopping downstream hardware accelerators. The neural network inserts a reconfiguration tag into the stream of feature data. If the reconfiguration tag matches an identification of a hardware accelerator, a reconfiguration process is initiated. Upstream hardware accelerators are paused while downstream hardware accelerators continue to operate. An epoch controller reconfigures the hardware accelerator via a bus. Normal operation of the neural network then resumes.

Abstract: A method is for synchronizing power consumption data with trace data in a microcontroller debugging system. The method involves periodically sending synchronization requests from a host device to a synchronization manager within a debug probe. The synchronization manager retrieves the current power acquisition cycle number from a power acquisition circuit in response to each request, corresponding to a current sample of microcontroller power consumption. Each synchronization request, along with the retrieved cycle number, is sent to a protocol manager, which transmits the request to a microcontroller's debug-port. Upon receiving acknowledgment from the microcontroller, the protocol manager communicates these to the synchronization manager. The synchronization manager measures the latency between sending each synchronization request and receiving its acknowledgment, which is indicative of synchronization quality.

Abstract: A delta-sigma modulator includes a loop filter circuit having a first input that receives an input signal and a second input that receives a feedback signal. The loop filter circuit generates a filtered signal. A quantizer circuit quantizes the integrated signal to generate an output signal. An anti-windup circuit detects instances where the integrated signal is outside an input signal input of the quantizer circuit and in response thereto generates a dead zone signal having a magnitude and sign corresponding to a difference between the filtered signal and the input signal range. The feedback signal is a sum of the output signal and the dead zone signal.