Abstract: Electronic modules are transported with respect to equipment for manipulating and testing electronic modules. The transport is formed from a thin support having openings for receiving electronic modules. A locating mechanism associated with the thin support serves to locate the support relative to transport and testing equipment. A mechanism is further provided for holding the received electronic modules within the openings during transport and testing.

Abstract: There is provided a circuit and method for detecting a bad clock condition on a clock signal that includes sampling the value of the clock signal at a first plurality of time delays following a rising edge on the clock signal. This method also includes sampling the value of the clock signal at a second plurality of time delays following a falling edge on the clock signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is an output stage, and associated apparatus, for a voltage regulator that includes a clamp circuit that is operable to ensure that the output voltage recovers quickly, i.e. that the perturbation of this voltage is limited and remains within a given specification, when entering a standby mode and which is controlled in a supply independent manner.

Abstract: A method of authentication, by a terminal generating a magnetic field, of a transponder located in this field, wherein: first data, relative to the current in an oscillating circuit of the terminal, measured by the terminal for a first value of the resistive load of the transponder, are transmitted to the transponder; second corresponding data are evaluated by the transponder for a second value of the resistive load and are transmitted to the terminal; and said second data are compared with third corresponding data, measured by the terminal for the second value of the resistive load.

Abstract: An electronic device includes an analog-to-digital converter adapted to receive a radio-frequency signal and adapted to provide therefrom a digital signal, wherein the radio-frequency signal may include an interference signal. The electronic device has a controller adapted to perform a digital measure on the digital signal and adapted to generate therefrom a selection signal having a first value indicating a non-interference condition in the radio-frequency signal and having a second value indicating an interference-condition in the radio-frequency signal. A selector is adapted to transmit the digital signal in case the selection signal has the first value and to transmit a signal replacing the digital signal in case the selection signal has the second value.

Abstract: A charge transfer device formed in a semiconductor substrate and including an array of electrodes forming rows and columns, wherein: the electrodes extend, in rows, in successive grooves with insulated walls, disposed in the substrate thickness and parallel to the charge transfer direction.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive element formed by a strip of magnetoresistive material which extends on a substrate of semiconductor material having an upper surface. The strip comprises at least one planar portion which extends parallel to the upper surface, and at least one transverse portion which extends in a direction transverse to the upper surface. The transverse portion is formed on a transverse wall of a dig. By providing a number of magnetoresistive elements perpendicular to one another it is possible to obtain an electronic compass that is insensitive to oscillations with respect to the horizontal plane parallel to the surface of the Earth.

Abstract: A camera module includes a substrate with a cavity therein. A processor is located in the cavity, and wire bonding is for connecting the processor to the substrate. An imaging module is adapted to overlay the processor in the cavity and rest on at least part of the edge of the cavity. Wire bonding is for connecting the imaging module to the substrate and the processor. The cavity includes a longitudinal cutout section adapted to accommodate at least some wire bonding for connecting the processor to the substrate or associated surface mount components.

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: Described herein is a preamplifier circuit for a capacitive acoustic transducer provided with a MEMS detection structure that generates a capacitive variation as a function of an acoustic signal to be detected, starting from a capacitance at rest; the preamplifier circuit is provided with an amplification stage that generates a differential output signal correlated to the capacitive variation. In particular, the amplification stage is an input stage of the preamplifier circuit and has a fully differential amplifier having a first differential input (INP) directly connected to the MEMS detection structure and a second differential input (INN) connected to a reference capacitive element, which has a value of capacitance equal to the capacitance at rest of the MEMS detection structure and fixed with respect to the acoustic signal to be detected; the fully differential amplifier amplifies the capacitive variation and generates the differential output signal.

Abstract: A charge transfer device formed in a semiconductor substrate and including an array of electrodes distributed in rows and columns, wherein: each electrode is formed in a cavity with insulated walls formed of a groove which generally extends in the row direction, having a first end closer to an upper row and a second end closer to a lower row; and the electrodes of two adjacent rows are symmetrical with respect to a plane orthogonal to the sensor and comprising the direction of a row.

Abstract: A processor and a method for executing VLIW instructions by first fetching a VLIW instruction and then identifying from option bits encoded in a first one of the instructions within the fetched VLIW instruction packet which, if any, of the remaining instructions within the VLIW instruction are to be executed in the same execution cycle as the first instruction. Finally, executing the first instruction and any remaining instructions identified from the encoded option bits.

Abstract: A device processes an initial digital image with at least one contour zone. The device may have a magnifier able to magnify the initial image into a magnified digital image. The magnifier may have a detector able to detect the contour zones of the initial digital image, a determinater able to determine the size, in terms of number of pixels, of each contour zone, and a second magnifier able to magnify each contour zone using of a software tool, chosen as a function of the size of each contour zone, from among a set of magnifying software tools.

Abstract: A system for transmitting data includes a transmitter module, a receiver module and a channel provided with a flow control link between the transmitter and receiver modules. The channel provides a first control signal from the transmitter module to the receiver module, and a second control signal from the receiver module to the transmitter module for initiating data transmission. The transmitter or receiver module includes a synchronizer for synchronizing the first and second control signals.

Abstract: A method of storing data in a memory circuit of an Aho-Corasick type character recognition automaton recognizes character strings by implementing successive transitions in a tree of nodes stored in a memory. Each node corresponds to a state of the automaton and to a recognition of a sequence of the character string. Each node is associated with a transition vector serves to determine the destination node or nodes of a transition. For storage of the data, a test is performed to find out whether transition vectors point to common destination addresses. The transition vectors are combined if the addresses to which the vectors point are separate by formulating a combination vector and the nodes are stored at the memory addresses pointed at by the combination vector.

Abstract: A Light Modulating sensing MOSFET transistor includes: a substrate receiving light radiation, the substrate having two source and drain areas separated by a channel extending along a first direction; a gate conductive beam extending along a second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction, the beam being fixed at each of its two opposite ends on at least one supporting area and being located above the channel area, the gate beam being substantially opaque and flexible so as to perform progressive modulation of the light reaching the channel in accordance with its bending controlled by the difference of voltage between the gate and the bulk and causing the beam to bend and to come closer to the surface of the channel. A process for manufacturing a light Modulating sensing MOSFET transistor is also provided.

Abstract: A soft output Viterbi algorithm (SOVA) decoder arranged to decode symbols received over a transmission channel, the symbols indicating a state transition between two states of a plurality of states that determines a decoded data value, the SOVA decoder comprising a reliability memory unit including at least four stages of logic units, each logic unit including a single buffer and at least four stages including a plurality of full stages comprising a separate logic unit corresponding to each of the plurality of states; and a plurality of compact stages including half or less than half the number of logic units than the number of the plurality of states, each logic unit corresponding to two of the plurality of states.

Abstract: A transmission gate includes first and second MOS transistors of opposite conductivity type coupled in parallel with each other. Each transistor includes a body connection that is separately biased by corresponding first and second biasing circuits. The first biasing circuit generates a first bias voltage having a voltage level that is generated as a function of the signal at the first node and a first (for example, positive) reference voltage. The second biasing circuit generates a second bias voltage having a voltage level that is generated as a function of the signal at the first node and a second (for examples ground) reference voltage.

Abstract: A method for evaluating the current coupling factor between an electromagnetic transponder and a terminal, wherein a ratio between data, representative of a voltage across an oscillating circuit of the transponder and obtained for two values of the resistive load, is compared with one or several thresholds.

Abstract: A element for identifying an integrated circuit chip having identical diffused resistors connected as a Wheatstone bridge.