Abstract: Fault detection circuitry and a corresponding method are disclosed. A count value that is indicative of the switching period of a PWM signal is determined and it is determined whether this count value is between a first threshold and a second threshold. An error signal is generated when the switching period is not between the first and the second threshold. A count value that is indicative of the switch-on duration of the PWM signal is determined and compared with a switch-on threshold in order to determine whether the switch-on duration is greater than a maximum switch-on duration. A count value that is indicative of the switch-off duration of the PWM signal is determined and compared with a switch-off threshold in order to determine whether the switch-off duration is greater than a maximum switch-off duration. Error signals can be generated when the durations are greater than the maximum durations.

Abstract: A method can be used for analyzing digital images of skin lesions. The images include pixels distributed over a lesion area. Sets of values including a first discrimination value indicative of a weighted average of the image pixels with weighing at the border of the lesion, a second discrimination value indicative of skewness and kurtosis of the distribution of the image pixels, a third discrimination value indicative of the ratio of symmetry and gray-level power of the distribution of the image pixels and calculated. A total additive score of the values in the sets of values is provided and compared with a total score threshold. The first, second and third discrimination values are compared with respective first, second and third discrimination threshold values. An output classification for the image analyzed is provided as a function of the results of the comparing.

Abstract: A transducer modulus, comprising: a supporting substrate; a cap, which is arranged on the supporting substrate and defines a chamber therewith; a pressure transducer in the chamber; an acoustic transducer in the chamber; and a processing chip, or ASIC, operatively coupled to the pressure transducer and to the acoustic transducer. The pressure transducer and the acoustic transducer are arranged on top of one another to form a stack.

Abstract: Described herein is a video projection system including an optical module with at least one collimated light source to generate a light beam and at least one movable mirror to reflect the light beam. The video projection system also includes a video source producing a digital video stream in accordance with a clock signal and a movement synchronization signal, as well as a projector system. The projector system includes mirror control circuitry configured to control movement of the at least one movable mirror in accordance with the clock signal and the movement synchronization signal, a light source controller configured to control generation of collimated light by the at least one collimated light source, and processing circuitry configured to receive the digital video stream, and to generate control signals for the light source controller based upon the received digital video stream.

Abstract: A transducer module, comprising: a supporting substrate, having a first side and a second side; a cap, which extends over the first side of the supporting substrate and defines therewith a first chamber and a second chamber internally isolated from one another; a first transducer in the first chamber; a second transducer in the second chamber; and a control chip, which extends at least partially in the first chamber and/or in the second chamber and is functionally coupled to the first and second transducers for receiving, in use, the signals transduced by the first and second transducers.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical device includes: a supporting structure; two sensing masses, movable with respect to the supporting structure according to a first axis and a respective second axis; a driving device for maintaining the sensing masses in oscillation along the first axis in phase opposition; sensing units for supplying sensing signals indicative of displacements respectively of the sensing masses according to the respective second axis; processing components for combining the sensing signals so as to: in a first sensing mode, amplify effects on the sensing signals of concordant displacements and attenuate effects of discordant displacements of the sensing masses; and in a second sensing mode, amplify effects on the sensing signals of discordant displacements and attenuate effects of concordant displacements of the sensing masses.

Abstract: A memory device including a first memory sector and a second memory sector, each of which includes a respective plurality of local bit lines, which may be selectively coupled to a plurality of main bit lines. The memory device further includes a first amplifier and a second amplifier, and a routing circuit, arranged between the main bit lines and the first and second amplifiers. The routing circuit includes: a first lower switch, arranged between a first lower main bit line and a first input of the first amplifier; a second lower switch, arranged between the first lower main bit line and a first input of the second amplifier; a first upper switch, arranged between a first upper main bit line and the first input of the first amplifier; and a second upper switch, arranged between the first upper main bit line and the first input of the second amplifier. The second inputs of the first and second amplifiers are coupled to a second lower main bit line and to a second upper main bit line, respectively.

Abstract: A method for sequencing a nucleic acid strand, comprising the steps of: providing a solution containing truncated strands having lengths different from one another terminating with a respective dideoxynucleotide from among ddATP, ddTTP, ddGTP, and ddCTP; functionalizing first masses by a donor molecule and second masses by an acceptor molecule such as to generate a light emission when they come into mutual contact; coupling a first mass to a first end of each truncated strand; coupling the second masses to a respective terminal dideoxynucleotide of each strand; applying an AC electrical field having variable frequencies that are such as to generate, on each second mass, a net movement directed towards the first mass; acquiring a plurality of light radiations for each frequency value; and associating each light radiation acquired to a respective dideoxynucleotide and, thus, to a respective nucleotide base.

Abstract: A tensile stress measurement device is to be attached to an object to be measured. The tensile stress measurement device may include an IC having a semiconductor substrate and tensile stress detection circuitry, the semiconductor substrate having opposing first and second attachment areas. The tensile stress measurement device may include a first attachment plate coupled to the first attachment area and extending outwardly to be attached to the object to be measured, and a second attachment plate coupled to the second attachment area and extending outwardly to be attached to the object to be measured. The tensile stress detection circuitry may be configured to detect a tensile stress imparted on the first and second attachment plates when attached to the object to be measured.

Abstract: A heartrate monitor detects heartbeats in a test signal. A local heartrate and an energy of acceleration are associated with the detected heartbeats. Detected heartbeats are included or excluded from a test set of heartbeats based on the local heartrate and energy of acceleration associated with the respective heartbeats. Anomalous heartbeats in the test set of heartbeats are detected using a sparse approximation model. The heartrate monitor may detect heartbeats in a training heartbeat signal. A reference heart rate and an energy of acceleration are associated with detected beats of the training heartbeat signal and selectively included in a set of training data based on the heart rate and energy of acceleration associated with the detected beat in the training heartbeat signal. A dictionary of the sparse representation model may be generated using the set of training data.

Abstract: A sensor is driven at a first heating power value. The sensor generates a sensing signal that is indicative of a sensed entity. A possible onset of a sensor contamination condition is detected as a function of the sensing signal generated by the sensor. If such detecting fails to indicate onset of a sensor contamination condition, the sensor continues to be driven at the first heating power value. However, if such detecting indicates onset of a sensor contamination condition, a protection mode is activated. In the protection mode, the sensor is driven at a second heating power value for a protection interval, where the second heating power value is lower than the first heating power value. Furthermore, the operation may refrain from supplying power to the sensor for a further protection interval, wherein the further protection interval is longer than the protection interval.

Abstract: The accelerometric sensor has a suspended region, mobile with respect to a supporting structure, and a sensing assembly coupled to the suspended region and configured to detect a movement of the suspended region with respect to the supporting structure. The suspended region has a geometry variable between at least two configurations associated with respective centroids, different from each other. The suspended region is formed by a first region rotatably anchored to the supporting structure and by a second region coupled to the first region through elastic connection elements configured to allow a relative movement of the second region with respect to the first region. A driving assembly is coupled to the second region so as to control the relative movement of the latter with respect to the first region.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a passivation layer over a dielectric layer, a via through the passivation layer and the dielectric layer, an interconnection metallization arranged over said at least one via; said passivation layer underlying peripheral portions of said interconnection metallization, and an outer surface coating that coats said interconnection metallization. The coating preferably includes at least one of a nickel or nickel alloy layer and a noble metal layer. The passivation layer is separated from the peripheral portion of the interconnection metallization by a diffusion barrier layer, preferably a titanium or a titanium alloy barrier. The device includes a dielectric layer arranged between the passivation layer and the diffusion barrier layer; and a hollow recess area between the passivation layer and the end portion of the barrier layer and between the passivation layer and the foot of the outer surface coating.

Abstract: An optical coupling includes a body having a first surface which couples with a photonics integrated circuit and a second surface including an array of lenses integral with the body. The array of lenses couples to an optical fiber connector. The array of lenses may be a linear array. The body may be made of a polymer material, which may be optically cured. The photonics integrated circuit and the optical coupling may be used, for example, in a mobile phone. The optical coupling may be made by shaping curable material on a photonics integrated circuit into a body, and curing the body of curable material. The cured body includes the first surface in contact with the photonics integrated circuit and the second surface including the array of optical lenses to couple with the optical fiber connector.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a non-volatile memory device includes a memory array divided into a plurality of tiles, and a row decoder that includes main row decoding units associated to a respective group of tiles. The row decoded further includes local row decoding units, each associated to a respective tile for carrying out selection and biasing of corresponding word lines based on decoded address signals and biasing signals. Each local row decoding unit has logic-combination modules coupled to a set of word lines and include, for each word line, a pull-down stage for selecting a word line, and a pull-up stage. The pull-up stage is dynamically biased, alternatively, in a strong-biasing condition towards a tile-supply voltage when the word line is not selected, or in a weak-biasing condition when the word line is selected.

Abstract: One or more embodiments are directed to quad flat no-lead (QFN) semiconductor packages, devices, and methods in which one or more electrical components are positioned between a die pad of a QFN leadframe and a semiconductor die. In one embodiment, a device includes a die pad, a lead that is spaced apart from the die pad, and at least one electrical component that has a first contact on the die pad and a second contact on the lead. A semiconductor die is positioned on the at least one electrical component and is spaced apart from the die pad by the at least one electrical component. The device further includes at least one conductive wire, or wire bond, that electrically couples the at least one lead to the semiconductor die.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes: a lead-frame including one or more electrically conductive areas, one or more dielectric layers over the electrically conductive area or areas, one or more electrically conductive layer over the one or more dielectric layers thus forming one or more capacitors each including the dielectric layer sandwiched between an electrically conductive area and the electrically conductive layer. The semiconductor device also includes a semiconductor die on the lead-frame electrically connected to the one or more electrically conductive layers.

Abstract: A sense-amplifier circuit can be used with a non-volatile memory device having a memory array with memory cells arranged in word lines and bit lines and coupled to respective source lines. The circuit has a first circuit branch and a second circuit branch, which receive on a respective first comparison input and second comparison input, during a reading step of a datum stored in a memory cell, a cell current from the bit line associated to the memory cell and a reference current, from a reference bit line in a differential reading operation or from a current-reference generator in a single-ended reading operation. The first and second circuit branches generate, during the datum-reading step, a first output voltage and a second output voltage, as a function of the difference between the cell current and the reference current.

Abstract: A voltage-regulator circuit with a current-adder output node for supplying a load with a load current at a regulated output voltage includes an analog portion sensitive to the output voltage and including one or more reference-voltage sources. The analog portion applies to the current-adder node a first current that is a function of the difference between the output voltage and the reference voltage. A digital portion including an integrator is sensitive to the first current. The integrator is coupled to a current source for applying to the current-adder node a second current so that the first current and the second current supply on the current-adder output a load current at the aforesaid regulated output voltage.

Abstract: A MEMS accelerometric sensor includes a bearing structure and a suspended region that is made of semiconductor material, mobile with respect to the bearing structure. At least one modulation electrode is fixed to the bearing structure and is biased with an electrical modulation signal including at least one periodic component having a first frequency. At least one variable capacitor is formed by the suspended region and by the modulation electrode in such a way that the suspended region is subjected to an electrostatic force that depends upon the electrical modulation signal. A sensing assembly generates, when the accelerometric sensor is subjected to an acceleration, an electrical sensing signal indicating the position of the suspended region with respect to the bearing structure and includes a frequency-modulated component that is a function of the acceleration and of the first frequency.