Abstract: An integrated circuit integrated on a semiconductor material die and adapted to be at least partly tested wirelessly, wherein circuitry for setting a selected radio communication frequencies to be used for the wireless test of the integrated circuit are integrated on the semiconductor material die.

Abstract: A correlator may correlate a satellite signal modulated with a pseudo-random binary sequence with a local binary sequence including a given number of samples. The correlation may be performed on a given input sequence of length 2N?1 with respect to versions of the local binary sequence of length N having different phases and defining a search space for the correlation results of the table, organized in a table, wherein the lines of the table may represent the versions of the local binary sequence with different phases. The correlator may be structured to perform the correlation operating on a number N of samples equal to a sub-multiple of the number of samples included in the local binary sequence, by exploring the table according to rhomboidal subsets by operating on subsequent lines with sliding windows having widths equal to N and according to a lexicographical order with a periodic return to a new line.

Abstract: A system includes analog supply circuitry providing first and second analog potentials. A switch module assumes first or second states to enable and inhibit transfer of an analog electrical signal from a source module to a user module based upon a driving electrical signal. A driving device drives, based upon the driving electrical signal, a control terminal of the switch module, allowing the switch module to assume the first or second state. The driving device allows the switch module to make a first driving transition from the first state to the second state, and a second driving transition from the second state to the first state. The driving device alternately connects the control terminal to a first reference potential, during the first state, and to a second reference potential, during the second state.

Abstract: A package includes a substrate provided with a passing opening and a MEMS device. The MEMS device includes an active surface wherein a portion of the MEMS device is integrated sensitive to the chemical/physical variations of a fluid. The active surface of the MEMS device faces the substrate and is spaced therefrom, the sensitive portion being aligned to the passing opening. A protective package incorporates the MEMS device and the substrate, leaving at least the sensitive portion of the MEMS device exposed through the passing opening of the substrate.

Abstract: An embodiment of an electronic system includes a first electronic circuit and a second electronic circuit. The electronic system further includes a resonant LC circuit having a resonance frequency for coupling the first electronic circuit and the second electronic circuit; each electronic circuit includes functional means for providing a signal at the resonance frequency to be transmitted to the other electronic circuit through the LC circuit and/or for receiving the signal from the other electronic circuit. The LC circuit also include capacitor means having at least one first capacitor plate included in the first electronic circuit and at least one second capacitor plate included in the second electronic circuit. The LC circuit further includes first inductor means included in the first electronic circuit and/or second inductor means included in the second electronic circuit.

Abstract: A solution for indexing electronic devices includes corresponding electronic device including a die integrating an electronic circuit, the die having at least one index including a reference defining an ordered alignment of a plurality of locations on the die and a marker for defining a value of the index according to an arrangement of the marker with respect to the reference. In one embodiment, the marker includes a plurality of markers each one arranged at a selected one of the locations, the selected location of the marker defining a value of a digit associated with a corresponding power of a base higher than 2 within a number in a positional notation in the base representing the value of the index.

Abstract: An integrated circuit integrator includes a first transconductance amplifier having a gain adjustable based upon a first control signal, and receives, as an input, a signal to be filtered, and generates, as an output, a corresponding amplified signal. The first transconductance amplifier includes an R-C output circuit to filter components from the amplified signal, and an output resistance being adjustable based upon a second control signal. A second transconductance amplifier is matched with the first transconductance amplifier, and has a gain adjustable based upon the first control signal, and a matched output resistance adjustable based upon the second control signal. A circuit is configured to force a reference current through the matched output resistance. An error correction circuit is coupled to the second transconductance amplifier and is configured to generate the second control signal so as to keep constant a voltage on an output of the second transconductance amplifier.

Abstract: A MEMS resonant accelerometer is disclosed, having: a proof mass coupled to a first anchoring region via a first elastic element so as to be free to move along a sensing axis in response to an external acceleration; and a first resonant element mechanically coupled to the proof mass through the first elastic element so as to be subject to a first axial stress when the proof mass moves along the sensing axis and thus to a first variation of a resonant frequency. The MEMS resonant accelerometer is further provided with a second resonant element mechanically coupled to the proof mass through a second elastic element so as to be subject to a second axial stress when the proof mass moves along the sensing axis, substantially opposite to the first axial stress, and thus to a second variation of a resonant frequency, opposite to the first variation.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical device that includes a fixed supporting body, at least one semiconductor body, which is movable with respect to the fixed supporting body, and at least one micromotor for moving the semiconductor body with respect to the fixed supporting body, the micromotor having at least one permanent magnet and a coil, which are coupled together and are movable with respect to one another. A ferromagnetic guide is coupled to the magnet and is shaped so as to concentrate lines of magnetic field generated by the magnet towards the coil.

Abstract: An interface device, such as for a System-on-Chip (SoC) bus, transfers data from an input queue through an output to a target. The interface device includes a buffer network for buffering input data when the target is not available for receiving the data. A multiplexer switches between a first operating condition for directing to the target the data from the input queue, and a second operating condition for directing to the target the buffered data from the buffer network. A finite-state machine selectively switches the multiplexer between the first operating condition and the second operating condition based on an acknowledgement signal received from the target. This indicates the availability of the target for receiving the data.

Abstract: The method transmits a long packet of digital data over a poly-phase power line affected by impulsive noise synchronous with phase voltages. Instead of using very complicated coding schemes, starting from the knowledge of the typical power line scenario, useful information is transmitted where noise synchronous with the main signal is absent. Time-intervals of a known or estimated duration during which the poly-phase power line is affected by impulsive noise are determined, and dummy data during the time-intervals, and useful data during other time-intervals free from impulsive noise, are transmitted.

Abstract: A PWM controlled multi-phase resonant voltage converter may include a plurality of primary windings powered through respective half-bridges, and as many secondary windings connected to an output terminal of the converter and magnetically coupled to the respective primary windings. The primary or secondary windings may be connected such that a real or virtual neutral point is floating.

Abstract: An on-chip receiver for flows of information conveyed to a target via optical signals with different wavelengths includes a plurality of photo-detector modules, each sensitive to a different wavelength, for converting a respective optical signal at input into an electrical signal, a plurality of de-serialization circuits acting on the electrical signals for converting into packet traffic the flows of information received via the photo-detector modules, and an arbitration node acting on the packet traffic to enable a single packet at a time to achieve the target.

Abstract: A System-on-Chip may include initiators, targets exchanging information with the initiators, and a control module. The control module may be configured to selectively set to one of different reduced power consumption modes each of the initiators and each of the targets based upon external reduced power consumption instructions, and selectively wake-up from the reduced power consumption mode each initiator and each target.

Abstract: A method and a circuit may have an ability to provide constant currents of a certain set value, the rising and falling edges of which may be shorter than the design minimum on-phase. Essentially, these results may be obtained by keeping an operational amplifier that controls the output power switch in an active state during off-phases of an impulsive drive signal received by the current source circuit in order to maintain the output voltage of the operational amplifier at or just below the voltage to be applied to the control terminal of the output power switch during a successive on-phase of a received drive pulse signal.

Abstract: A method of driving a stepper motor in a feed-forward voltage mode may include for a desired speed for the stepper motor setting an amplitude of a sinusoidal phase voltage of the stepper motor to be equal to a sum of an expected back-electromotive force (BEMF) amplitude estimated as a junction of the desired speed, and a product of a desired phase current amplitude and an estimated absolute value of an impedance of the stepper motor.

Abstract: An integrated MEMS structure includes a driving assembly anchored to a substrate and actuated with a driving movement. A pair of sensing masses suspended above the substrate and coupled to the driving assembly via elastic elements is fixed in the driving movement and performs a movement along a first direction of detection, in response to an external stress. A coupling assembly couples the pair of sensing masses mechanically to couple the vibration modes. The coupling assembly is formed by a rigid element, which connects the sensing masses and has a point of constraint in an intermediate position between the sensing masses, and elastic coupling elements for coupling the rigid element to the sensing masses to present a first stiffness to a movement in phase-opposition and a second stiffness, greater than the first, to a movement in phase, of the sensing masses along the direction of detection.

Abstract: A method for programming multilevel PCM cells envisages: forming an amorphous region of amorphous phase change material in a storage element of a PCM cell by applying one or more reset pulse; and forming a conductive path of crystalline phase change material through the amorphous region by applying one or more set pulse, a size of the conductive path defining a programmed state of the PCM cell and an output electrical quantity associated thereto, and being controlled by the value of the reset pulse and set pulse. The step of forming an amorphous region envisages adaptively and iteratively determining, during the programming operations, a value of the reset pulse optimized for electrical and/or physical properties of the PCM cell, and in particular determining a minimum amplitude value of the reset pulse, which allows programming a desired programmed state and a desired value of the output electrical quantity.

Abstract: A half bridge switching dc-dc converter an input dc voltage to an output dc voltage. The converter includes a switching circuit for receiving the input dc voltage and generating a periodic square wave voltage oscillating from a high value corresponding to the input dc voltage to a low value corresponding to a reference voltage. The periodic square wave voltage oscillates at a main frequency with a main duty cycle equal to about 50% when the converter operates in a steady state. The converter further includes a conversion circuit for providing the output dc voltage from the square wave voltage based on the main frequency and on the main duty cycle. The converter still further comprises a switching control circuit controlling the switching circuit for temporarily varying the main duty cycle during at least one period of the square wave after a power on of the converter.

Abstract: Spectrum usage in a radio cognitive transmission system may be monitored in a distributed manner in space and time through a first set of monitoring apparatuses and a second set of monitoring apparatuses. The first set of monitoring apparatuses may be associated to apparatuses, such as base stations, having a monitoring precision level, for example, linked to the spectrum sampling frequency, greater with respect to the monitoring precision of the monitoring apparatus of the second set. The later may be suitable to be represented by a low-cost “sniffer” associated to consumer electronics devices.