Abstract: An embodiment switching converter comprises an input stage; an output stage for providing an output voltage; a capacitive coupling stage for coupling the input stage to the output stage; a first switching stage configured to switch between a first state where an input voltage is provided to the input stage, and a second state where the input voltage is not provided to the input stage; a second switching stage configured to switch between a first state in which a reference voltage is provided to the output stage, and a second state in which the reference voltage is not provided to the output stage; and a voltage regulation stage configured to set, after the second switching stage switches from the first state to the second state and before the first switching stage switches from the second state to the first state, a target voltage across the input stage.

Abstract: A combinational circuit block has input pins configured to receive input digital signals and output pins configured to provide output digital signals as a function of the input digital signals received. A test input pin receives a test input signal. A test output pin provides a test output signal as a function of the test input signal received. A set of scan registers are selectively coupled to either the combinational circuit block or to one another so as to form a scan chain of scan registers serially coupled between the test input pin and the test output pin. The scan registers in the set of scan registers are clocked by a clock signal. At least one input register is coupled between the test input pin and a first scan register of the scan chain. The at least one input register is clocked by an inverted replica of the clock signal.

Abstract: An electronic device has an input which, in operation, receives an input stream of accelerometer data samples indicative of acceleration values along at least one axis. The devices includes circuitry, coupled to the input. The circuitry, in operation, executes an automatic-learning algorithm on blocks of samples of the input stream of accelerometer data samples to identify, for each block, a corresponding condition-of-user-movement from among a plurality of determined conditions-of-user-movement. The circuitry generates a plurality of streams of samples based on the input stream of accelerometer data samples, and for each condition of movement identified, selects a corresponding stream of samples of the plurality of streams of samples. The circuitry executes a wrist-tilt gesture detection algorithm using samples of the selected stream of the plurality of streams of samples.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a microelectromechanical (MEMS) device, including a rotor and a first piezoelectric actuator mechanically coupled to the rotor. The first piezoelectric actuator is electrically coupled between a first signal node and a common voltage node. A second piezoelectric actuator is mechanically coupled to the rotor, and is electrically coupled between a second signal node and the common voltage node. Control circuitry includes a drive circuit configured to drive the first and second piezoelectric actuators, a sense circuit configured to process sense signals generated by the first and second pizeoelectric actuators, and a multiplexing circuit. The multiplexing circuit is configured to alternate between connecting the drive circuit to the first piezoelectric actuator while connecting the sense circuit to the second piezoelectric actuator, and connecting the drive circuit to the second piezoelectric actuator while connecting the sense circuit to the first piezoelectric actuator.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical mirror device includes a fixed structure defining a cavity, a tiltable structure elastically suspended above the cavity and carrying a reflecting surface, and having a main extension in a horizontal plane. A first pair of driving arms carry respective piezoelectric material regions that are biased to cause a rotation of the tiltable structure around a first rotation axis parallel to a first horizontal axis of the horizontal plane, and elastically coupled to the tiltable structure. Elastic suspension elements that couple the tiltable structure to the fixed structure at the first rotation axis are stiff with respect to movements out of the horizontal plane and yielding with respect to torsion around the first rotation axis, and further extend between the tiltable structure and the fixed structure. The elastic suspension elements have an asymmetrical arrangement on opposite sides of the tiltable structure along the first rotation axis.

Abstract: A delta-sigma modulator includes a quantizer, a signal propagation path including a plurality of cascaded integrators coupled between the input node and the quantizer, and a feedback network including a plurality of digital-to-analog converters. In a calibration mode of operation, a first digital-to-analog converter of the plurality of digital-to-analog converters of the feedback network receives a signal including a periodic alternated digital sequence, the first digital-to-analog converter being coupled to a first integrator of the plurality of cascaded integrators, integrators of the plurality of cascaded integrators other than the first integrator operate in a gain mode of operation, the delta-sigma modulator generates a digital test signal at an output of the quantizer based on the signal including the periodic alternated digital sequence, and calibration circuitry generates a calibration signal based on the digital test signal and a reference digital word.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a device and method for generating and transmitting a TDM signal including both raw data and processed data. The device includes a sensor having a time division multiplexing (TDM) interface. The TDM interface transmits both raw data and processed data in a single TDM signal by reserving one or more slots inside a TDM frame for transmission of the processed data. The sensor also embeds additional information inside a data stream of raw data by repurposing one or more of values of the raw data as an exception code, flag, or another type of notification. The device is also enabled to transmit data, and disabled when not in use in order to conserve power.

Abstract: A MOSFET device includes a semiconductor body having a first and a second face. A source terminal of the MOSFET device includes a doped region which extends at the first face of the semiconductor body and a metal layer electrically coupled to the doped region. A drain terminal extends at the second face of the semiconductor body. The doped region includes a first sub-region having a first doping level and a first depth, and a second sub-region having a second doping level and a second depth. At least one among the second doping level and the second maximum depth has a value which is higher than a respective value of the first doping level and the first maximum depth. The metal layer is in electrical contact with the source terminal exclusively through the second sub-region.

Abstract: A control circuit for a voltage source generates a reference signal for a voltage source, wherein the reference signal indicates a requested output voltage to be generated by the voltage source. A digital feed-forward control circuit computes a digital feed-forward regulation value indicative of a requested output voltage by determining a maximum voltage drop at strings of solid-state light sources. A digital feed-back control circuit determines a minimum voltage drop for current regulators/limiters for the strings and determines a digital feed-back correction value as a function of the minimum voltage drop. The control circuit then sets the reference signal after a start-up as a function of the digital feed-forward regulation value and corrects the reference signal as a function of the digital feed-back correction value.

Abstract: A method for soldering a die obtained using the semiconductor technique with a leadframe, comprising the steps of providing a leadframe, which has at least one surface made at least partially of copper; providing a die, which has at least one surface coated with a metal layer; applying to the surface a solder alloy comprising at least 40 wt % of tin or at least 50% of indium or at least 50% of gallium, without lead, and heating the alloy to a temperature of at least 380° C. to form a drop of solder alloy; providing a die, which has at least one surface coated with a metal layer; and setting the metal layer in contact with the drop of solder alloy to form the soldered connection with the leadframe. Moreover, a device obtained with said method is provided.

Abstract: A vertical-conduction MOSFET device, includes: a semiconductor body, having a front side and a back side and having a first conductivity; a trench-gate region; a body region, having the first conductivity; a source region, having a second conductivity; and a drain region, having the second conductivity. The source region, body region, and drain region are aligned with one another along a first direction and define a channel area, which, in a conduction state of the MOSFET device, hosts a conductive channel. The drain region borders on a portion of the semiconductor body having the first conductivity, thus forming a junction diode, which, in an inhibition state of the MOSFET device, is adapted to cause a leakage current to flow outside the channel area.

Abstract: A method of managing an integrated circuit memory includes having an integrated circuit card with a memory space including memory space regions for storing user profile data. The memory space is partitioned into segments of memory space regions, where the segments of memory space regions includes allocated regions and empty regions. From the empty regions, the biggest empty region of the memory space is selected. The selected biggest empty region is widened by moving memory blocks positioned in a subset of allocated regions that are at boundaries of the selected biggest empty region into other available empty regions.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a read/write device for a hard-disk memory system. The read/write device includes a fixed structure; a membrane region including a first and a second membrane, which are constrained to the fixed structure, and a central portion, interposed between the first and second membranes; a first and a second piezoelectric actuator, mechanically coupled, respectively, to the first and second membranes; and a read/write head, which is fixed to the central portion of the membrane region. The first and second piezoelectric actuators can be controlled so as to cause corresponding deformations of the first and second membranes, said deformations of the first and second membranes causing corresponding movements of the read/write head with respect to the fixed structure.

Abstract: A control circuit for a driving an electronic switch associated with a switching node of a flyback converter includes a comparison circuit configured to generate a switch-off signal by comparing a current measurement signal with a current measurement threshold signal. A valley detection circuit is configured to generate a trigger in a trigger signal when a valley signal indicates a valley in a voltage at the switching node of the flyback converter, and a blanking circuit is configured to generate a switch-on signal by combining the trigger signal with a timer signal provide by a timer circuit. The timer signal indicates whether a blanking time-interval has elapsed.

Abstract: In response to a request to store new data at a memory location of a bitwise programmable non-volatile memory, data stored at the memory location of the bitwise programmable memory is sensed. The bits of the sensed data are compared with bits of the new data. An indication of a cost difference is determined between a first burst of bitwise programming operations associated with programming bits of the new data which are different from bits of the sensed data, and a second burst of bitwise programming operations associated with programming bits of a complementary inversion of the new data which are different from bits of the sensed data. One of the first burst of bitwise programming operations or the second burst of bitwise programming operations is executed based on the generated indication of the cost difference.

Abstract: A MEMS device includes a semiconductor body with a cavity and forming an anchor portion, a tiltable structure elastically suspended over the cavity, first and second support arms to support the tiltable structure, and first and second piezoelectric actuation structures biasable to deform mechanically, generating a rotation of the tiltable structure around a rotation axis. The piezoelectric actuation structures carry first and second piezoelectric displacement sensors. When the tiltable structure rotates around the rotation axis, the displacement sensors are subject to respective mechanical deformations and generate respective sensing signals in phase opposition to each other, indicative of the rotation of the tiltable structure. The sensing signals are configured to be acquired in a differential manner.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for the preparation of a precursor solution for a ceramic of the BZT-aBXT type wherein X is selected from Ca, Sn, Mn and Nb and a is a molar fraction selected in the range between 0.10 and 0.

Abstract: An amplifier circuit includes a first input stage with a differential input transistor pair and a second gain stage having an output node coupled to a load. A node in the first gain stage is coupled to the output node in the second gain stage. A feedback line couples the output node to the control node of a first transistor of the differential input transistor pair. Current mirror circuitry is coupled to a current flow path through a further transistor in the second gain stage and includes a sensing node configured to produce a sensing signal indicative of the current supplied to the load. The sensing signal at the sensing node is directly fed back to the control node of the first transistor of the differential input transistor pair to provide a zero in the loop transfer function that is matched to and tracks and cancels out a load-dependent pole.

Abstract: Described herein is a MEMS acoustic transducer device provided with a micromechanical detection structure that detects acoustic-pressure waves and supplies a transduced electrical quantity, and with an integrated circuit operatively coupled to the micromechanical detection structure and having a reading module that generates at output an audio signal as a function of the transduced electrical quantity. The integrated circuit is further provided with a recognition module, which recognizes a of sound activity event associated to the transduced electrical quantity. The MEMS acoustic transducer has an output that supplies at output a data signal that carries information regarding recognition of the sound activity event.

Abstract: A memory array arranged in multiple columns and rows. Computation circuits that each calculate a computation value from cell values in a corresponding column. A column multiplexer cycles through multiple data lines that each corresponds to a computation circuit. Cluster cycle management circuitry determines a number of multiplexer cycles based on a number of columns storing data of a compute cluster. A sensing circuit obtains the computation values from the computation circuits via the column multiplexer as the column multiplexer cycles through the data lines. The sensing circuit combines the obtained computation values over the determined number of multiplexer cycles. A first clock may initiate the multiplexer to cycle through its data lines for the determined number of multiplexer cycles, and a second clock may initiate each individual cycle. The multiplexer or additional circuitry may be utilized to modify the order in which data is written to the columns.