Abstract: A driver for an electric load includes a power device having a control terminal and an output terminal for an output current, and a control module. The control module is configured to drive the power device in an auto-recovery mode by switching between activation and deactivation in the occurrence of an overcurrent condition, wherein the output current reaches a threshold current. The control module is also configured to evaluate a first time interval between a time wherein the overcurrent condition occurs, and a first time, and generate a limit signal when the time interval is equal to a time threshold. The power device is driven in a switching-off condition at least as a function of the limit signal.

Abstract: A cartridge for an optical analysis, including a supporting body, having a first face and a second face opposite to one another; a plurality of wells adapted to receive a biological solution to be analyzed, the wells extending in the supporting body on the first face; at least one biocompatible layer extending inside each well; an anti-reflection layer extending on the first face outside the wells; and a reflection layer extending inside each well. Methods of using same are also provided.

Abstract: A system may be for the correction of phase and amplitude errors. The system may receive a first input signal and a second input signal and supply a first output signal and a second output signal. The system may include two adders that supply the first and second output signals, respectively. The two adders may be configured for computing a sum of the first and second input signals, and multiplying the weighted sum by a third coefficient. Moreover, the first coefficient or the second coefficient of the first adder may be variable to enable correction of the phase errors, and the third coefficient of the second adder may be variable to enable correction of the amplitude errors.

Abstract: An integrated circuit card includes a substrate and an integrated circuit carried by the substrate. A first sector is delimited by a first weakening line on the substrate, with the first sector being able to be separated from the substrate. A second sector is delimited by a second weakening line inside the first sector, with the second sector being able to be separated from the substrate and having the integrated circuit thereon. A disposable frame-piece is defined between the first and second weakening lines of the first and second sectors, and has a ring form. A breakage lug is arranged with respect to the disposable frame-piece to break the disposable frame-piece so that it is no longer intact, during separation of the second sector from the substrate.

Abstract: A calibration signal is generated from a modulating signal having a first frequency and a carrier signal having a second frequency. A single-sideband mixer modulates the modulating signal on the carrier signal. At least two frequency dividers by two connected in cascade receive the modulating signal modulated on the carrier signal and generate an output of the calibration signal.

Abstract: A communication cell for an integrated circuit includes a physical interface configured to supply an input signal (for example, a capacitive signal or an ohmic signal). A receiver circuit operates to receive the capacitive signal and generate a first intermediate signal. A buffer circuit operates to receive the ohmic signal and generate a second intermediate signal. An output stage including a selector device (for example, a multiplexer) configured to receive the first and second intermediate signals and selectively pass only one of those signals to the integrated circuit based on operating condition. The input signal may further be an inductive signal, with the output stage further functioning to selectively pass that signal based on operating condition.

Abstract: An embodiment of a motor controller includes a motor driver and a signal conditioner. The motor driver is operable to generate a motor-coil drive signal having a first component at a first frequency, and the signal conditioner is coupled to the motor driver and is operable to alter the first component. For example, if the first component of the motor-coil drive signal causes the motor to audibly vibrate (e.g., “whine”), then the signal conditioner may alter the amplitude or phase of the first component to reduce the vibration noise to below a threshold level.

Abstract: A memory device may include memory cells. The method may include receiving a request of reading a selected data word associated with a selected code word stored with an error correction code, and reading a first code word representing a first version of the selected code word by comparing a state of each selected memory cell with a first reference. The method may include verifying the first code word, setting the selected code word according to the first code word in response to a positive verification, reading at least one second code word representing a second version of the selected code word, verifying the second code word, and setting the selected code word according to the second code word in response to a negative verification of the first code word and to a positive verification of the second code word.

Abstract: A control device controls a rectifier of a switching converter that is supplied with an input voltage and provides an output current. The rectifier is configured to rectify the output current of the converter and has at least one transistor. The control device, when the at least one transistor is turned off, provides a slow discharge path to ground in a normal operation condition and provides a fast discharge path to ground for discharging the control terminal of the at least one transistor in response to detecting a zero cross event of the current flowing through said at least one transistor.

Abstract: A method of calibrating a thermometer-code SAR-A/D converter is provided. The thermometer-code SAR-A/D converter includes an Nbit-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for outputting an Nbit-bit output code. The DAC includes a first subconverter having a plurality of NTh thermometer elements Tj and a second subconverter having a plurality of NBin binary-weighted elements. The Nbit output code is equal to the sum of NBitTh and NBitBin where NTh=2NBitTh and NBitBin is equal to NBin=NBitBin. The calibration method includes determining an Integral Non-Linearity error value (?R) of an Rth thermometer-code level of the thermometer elements. The method further includes reducing the highest of the error value ?R to obtain a reduced error value, and generating the output code according to said reduced error.

Abstract: One or more embodiments are directed to encapsulating structure comprising: a substrate having a first surface and housing at least one conductive pad, which extends facing the first surface and is configured for being electrically coupled to a conduction terminal at a reference voltage; a cover member, set at a distance from and facing the first surface of the substrate; and housing walls, which extend between the substrate and the cover member. The substrate, the cover member, and the housing walls define a cavity, which is internal to the encapsulating structure and houses the conductive pad. Moreover present inside the cavity is at least one electrically conductive structure, which extends between, and in electrical contact with, the cover member and the conductive pad for connecting the cover member electrically to the conduction terminal.

Abstract: An embodiment of an electrically trimmable electronic device, wherein a resistor of electrically modifiable material is formed by a first generally strip-shaped portion and by a second generally strip-shaped portion, which extend transversely with respect to one another and are in direct electrical contact in a crossing area. The first and second portions have respective ends connected to own contact regions, coupled to a current pulse source and are made of the same material or of the same composition of materials starting from a same resistive layer of the material having electrically modifiable resistivity, for example, a phase-change material, such as a Ge—Sb—Te alloy, or polycrystalline silicon, or a metal material used for thin-film resistors. The trimming is performed by supplying a trimming current to the second portion so as to heat the crossing area and modify the resistivity thereof, without flowing longitudinally in the first portion.

Abstract: A magnetic-field sensor includes: a chip including a substrate having a first surface and an insulating layer covering the first surface; first and second magnetoresistors each extending into the insulating layer and having a main axis of magnetization and a secondary axis of magnetization; a first magnetic-field generator configured to generate a first magnetic field having field lines along the main axis of magnetization of the first magnetoresistor; a second magnetic-field generator configured to generate a second magnetic field having field lines along the main axis of magnetization of the second magnetoresistor. The main axes of magnetization extending transversely to each other and the secondary axes of magnetization extending transversely to each other. The first and second magnetoresistors extend into the insulating layer at a first distance and a second distance, respectively, that differ from one another, from the first surface.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for a modified, balanced throughput data-path architecture is given for efficiently implementing the digital signal processing algorithms of filtering, convolution and correlation in computer hardware, in which both data and coefficient buffers can be implemented as sliding windows. This architecture uses a multiplexer and a data path branch from the Address Generator unit to the multiply-accumulate execution unit. By selecting between the data path of Address Generator to execution unit and the data path of register to execution unit, the unbalanced throughput and multiply-accumulate bubble cycles caused by misaligned addressing on coefficients can be overcome. The modified balanced throughput data-path architecture can achieve a high multiply-accumulate operation rate per cycle in implementing digital signal processing algorithms.

Abstract: A polynomial representation (bi(x)) in an AES finite field ( Z 2 ? [ x ] ( r ? ( x ) ) ) of input bytes (bi) of a state matrix (B) is obtained. A plurality (1) of irreducible polynomials (fi(y)) and a moving map (?i) are used to map each polynomial (bi(x)) of the polynomial representation into a respective field of polynomials ( Z 2 ? [ y ] ( f i ? ( y ) ) ) computed with respect to one of the irreducible polynomials (fi(y)), to obtain respective moved polynomials (?i(y)). The moved polynomials (?i(y)) are mapped into a polynomial (a(z)) of a polynomial ring ( Z 2 ? [ z ] ( p ? ( z ) ) ) , obtained by applying an isomorphism (?) between the fields of polynomials ( Z 2 ? [ y ] ( f i ? ( y ) ) ) and the polynomial ring ( Z 2 ? [ z ] ( p ? ( z ) ) ) based upon the Chinese remainder theorem (CRT). AES encryption is applied to the polynomial (a(z)).

Abstract: A MEMS speaker device including a membrane that forms a first capacitor and a second capacitor, respectively, with a top plate and with a bottom plate. The device includes a driving circuit that operates, during a first operating period, to move the membrane into a first position, in which the membrane is close to the bottom plate, and during a second operating period, to move the membrane into a second position, in which the membrane is close to the top plate. The device includes a testing circuit having a measuring circuit, which generates a first signal, based on a capacitance of one of the first capacitor and the second capacitor and a second signal based on a capacitance of one of the first capacitor and the second capacitor; and a comparator, which compares the first and second signals with at least one first electrical reference quantity.

Abstract: An integrated circuit on a substrate including at least one peripheral portion that surrounds an active area and is realized close to at least one scribe line providing separation with other integrated circuits realized on a same wafer. The integrated circuit includes at least one conductive structure that extends in its peripheral portion on different planes starting from the substrate and realizes an integrated antenna for the circuit.

Abstract: A diode is integrated on a semiconductor chip having anode and cathode surfaces opposite to each other. The diode comprises a cathode region extending inwardly from the cathode surface, a drift region extending between the anode surface and the cathode region, and a plurality of anode regions extending from the anode surface in the drift region. The diode further comprises a cathode electrode coupled with the cathode region, and an anode electrode that contacts one or more contacted anode regions of said anode regions and is electrically insulated from one or more floating anode regions of the anode regions. The diode is configured so that charge carriers are injected from the floating anode regions into the drift region in response to applying of a control voltage exceeding a threshold voltage.

Abstract: An electronic power component including a normally on high-voltage transistor and a normally off low-voltage transistor. The normally on transistor and the normally off transistor are coupled in cascode configuration and are housed in a single package. The normally off transistor is of the bottom-source type.

Abstract: A proximity sensor may include an array of Geiger mode avalanche photodiodes, each including an anode contact and a cathode contact. A common cathode contact may be coupled to the cathode contacts of the array to define a first connection lead at a back side of the array. A common anode collecting grid contact may be coupled to the anode contacts of the array to define a second connection lead of the array. Circuitry may be coupled with the first and second connection leads and configured to sense at least one of a dark current and a rate of current spikes generated in dark conditions, and generate an output signal representing an estimated distance of an object from the array upon the sensing.