Abstract: A start signal outputting circuit according to the invention has a differential RF/DC convertor part 100 for converting a high frequency power (RF) into a d.c. potential (DC). The RF/DC convertor part 100 is formed by two transistors QRD, QDD working as a diode, and transistors QR1˜R3, QD1˜D3 and resistances RR1˜R3 for forming high resistances at anode sides and cathode sides of these diodes, respectively. A differential amplification part 200 disposed at a later stage of the diode has not only amplifying effect but also low-pass filtering effect together with filtering pars 120, 210 of its previous and later stages. In this case, it is designed so that current flowing through the respective circuits is about 2˜3 ?A. As a result, even if the high frequency power of the specified frequency is weak, for example ?60˜?40 dBm, a start signal outputting circuit 1000 which outputs a d.c. potential of 0.3˜2.4V, is suitable for integration and has a low power consumption can be obtained.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for a linear regulator with high bandwidth, PSRR, and a wide range of output current are provided. A method for isolating voltages in a circuit may comprise applying a reference voltage to an isolation resistor based on a supply voltage. An internal voltage at a reference point may be determined based on the applied reference voltage, and a maximum and/or minimum voltage may be determined based on the internal voltage. A plurality of output transistor devices may be controlled based on either the maximum voltage or minimum voltage. The reference voltage may be modified based on controlling the plurality of output transistor devices. By turning ON and OFF the output transistor devices, a much wider operating range is facilitated.

Abstract: A method of operating a delay locked loop is comprised of producing a first output signal in response to a first lock point. A new lock point is measured, or otherwise determined, while continuing to produce the first output signal. Thereafter, a second output signal is produced in response to the new lock point. The new lock point data may be loaded into the delay locked loop while the delay locked loop continues to produce the first output signal. The delay locked loop switches from producing the first output signal, responsive to a first lock point, to producing the second output signal, responsive to the new lock point, in response to various conditions such as control signals, e.g. an auto refresh command, a precharge all command, a mode register load command, a power down entry, a power down exit (among others), in response to a timer, e.g., an internal timer (among others), or in response to environmental condition signals, e.g., a temperature sensor output signal (among others).

Abstract: Delay locked loop circuits are provided that include a delay locked loop that generates a delay locked loop output signal and a jitter suppressor. The jitter suppressor may comprise a delay circuit that receives the delay locked loop output signal and generates one or more delayed versions of the delay locked loop output signal and a phase interpolator that receives the delay locked loop output signal and the one or more delayed versions of the delay locked loop output signal. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the delay circuit may comprise a plurality of serially connected delay cells. Each of these delay cells may delay signals input thereto for at time equal to one clock period of an external clock signal that is input to the delay locked loop.

Abstract: A delay locked circuit has multiple paths for receiving an external signal. One path measures a timing of the external signal during a measurement. Another path generates an internal signal based on the external signal. The delay locked circuit periodically performs the measurement to keep the external and internal signals synchronized. The time interval between one measurement and the next measurement is unequal to the cycle time of the external signal.

Abstract: Circuits and methods are described for producing a DLL clock signal with adjustable phase shift using a processed control signal. In one embodiment of the invention, a DLL circuit is provided that includes a main and smaller variable delay circuits, a phase detector and an up down counter that provides a main control signal to adjust the delay by the main variable delay circuit. When the DLL circuit is locked, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) produces a processed control signal based on the main control signal, an ALU control signal and an offset control signal, and the processed control signal is provided to the smaller variable delay circuit. By adjusting the ALU control and offset control signals, the phase shift introduced on the DLL control signal by the smaller variable delay circuit can be adjusted. In another embodiment of the invention, a second up down counter is used in place of an ALU for providing a dynamically adjustable phase shift in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Abstract: A circuit (e.g., a receiver) has a delay loop (e.g., a voltage-controlled delay loop) and (at least) two phase detectors (PDs), where each PD compares a different pair of clock signals generated by the delay loop. The outputs of the different PDs are then used to generate a control signal for adjusting the delays provided by the delay elements in the delay loop. In one implementation, the control signal indicates that a delay adjustment should be made only if both PDs agree on that adjustment. This multiple-PD technique can reduce jitter that could otherwise result from a non-50% duty cycle in the reference clock signal used by the delay loop to generate its multiple clock signals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor circuit; and, more particularly, to a duty cycle correction circuit (hereinafter referred to as “DCC”). Furthermore, the present invention relates to an open-loop digital DCC. The duty cycle correction circuit according to the present invention includes: a delayer for delaying an input clock signal and for generating a plurality of delayed clock; a phase comparator for comparing the input clock signal with the plurality of delayed clock signals; a multiplexer for selecting one out of the delayed clock signals in response to an output signal of the phase comparator and for inverting the selected delay clock signals; and a phase combiner for combining the clock signal from the multiplexer and the input clock signal. Accordingly, the digital DCC according to the present invention is of an open loop without any DLL, the duty correction can be made within five clock periods after power-up.

Abstract: In a power-up signal generating device, a power-up signal is activated at a certain level of the power supply voltage VDD by adjusting the turn-on resistance value of the MOS transistor so that the chip reliability can be improved. The power-up signal generating device comprises a reference voltage generating unit, a bias level adjusting unit, a bias signal generating unit and a signal outputting unit. The reference voltage generating unit generates a reference voltage. The bias level adjusting unit receives the reference voltage as an input for controlling a voltage level of a bias signal in a constant level. The bias signal generating unit generates the bias signal under control of the bias level adjusting unit. The signal outputting unit outputs a power-up signal depending on the voltage level of the bias signal.

Abstract: A leakage path through a parasitic diode in a charge transfer MOS transistor is cut off to prevent increase in the power consumption and loss of control of a charge pump circuit. A first charge transfer MOS transistor and a second charge transfer MOS transistor are N-channel type and are connected in series with each other. A ground electric potential VSS is supplied to a source of the first charge transfer MOS transistor as an input electric potential, and an output electric potential is obtained from an output terminal connected with a drain of the second charge transfer MOS transistor. A back gate of the first charge transfer MOS transistor is set by a first switching circuit to either an electric potential at a connecting node between the first and the second charge transfer MOS transistors or the ground electric potential VSS.

Abstract: A double frequency signal generator to which a synchronization signal having a duty cycle of 1% to 999% is inputted. The synchronization signal is used for triggering of a switching component at positive and negative edges to generate a triangular-wave signal. An average of voltages of the triangular-wave signal is acquired and compared with the triangular-wave signal at a comparator to generate a square-wave having a duty cycle of 50%. Then, the square-wave signal is used for triggering at positive and negative edges to generate a double frequency signal. As such, the high cost issue and the limitation of a square-wave input signal occurred in the prior art may be efficiently overcome.

Abstract: The frequency changes in a bang-bang PLL that are generated using a digital phase detector's up/down signal are initially set to produce a faster pull-in rate and then reduced to produce a slower pull-in rate. The faster pull-in involves relatively large frequency changes and the slower pull-in rate involves smaller frequency changes. The changes in frequency of a bang-bang PLL can be implemented using a step size controller that includes timing control logic and step size logic. The function of the timing control logic is to control the timing of step size changes. The function of the step size logic is to set the step size of the frequency changes that are made by the VCO in response to the pd_up/down signal that is delivered directly to the VCO from the digital phase detector.

Abstract: A CMOS driver with minimum shoot-through current is disclosed. The potential for shoot-through current may be eliminated or reduced with a break-before-make circuit driving an output stage. The break-before-make circuit may include a first logic element followed by a first inverter and a second logic element followed by a second inverter. The inverters may be cross-coupled to one another and/or the internal transistors may be configured with different strengths. The logic elements may be configured to eliminate or reduce potential shoot-through current paths, and the signal inputs may be controlled within a certain voltage range.

Abstract: In a basic circuit of a booster circuit, two charging units perform a charging operation and two boosting units perform a boosting operation (discharging operation). One of the charging units is connected to a voltage input and the other is connected to a voltage output. The charging unit that is connected to the voltage input includes three parallel connected MOS transistors Q11, Q12, and Q13, the other charging unit includes a MOS transistor Q4. One of the boosting units is connected to the voltage input and the other is connected to the voltage output. The boosting unit that is connected to the voltage input includes three parallel connected MOS transistors Q31, Q32, and Q33, the other boosting unit includes a MOS transistor Q2. Q11 and Q31 are turned ON immediately after start up, then Q12 and Q32 are turned ON and finally Q13 and Q33 are turned ON.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device for controlling switching power supply of this invention, having a switching element and switching operation control circuit, after receiving a current detection signal when switching is turned off, a fixed delay time is applied to the current detection signal by a delay circuit so that switching turn-on control by a transformer reset pulse signal obtained based on a signal from the tertiary windings of the transformer is not accepted within a blanking time corresponding to the delay time. Thus, the switching by the switching element is halted.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor integrated circuit device equipped with a negative feedback amplifier circuit or a step-down circuit which realizes stabilization of an output voltage effectively in response to a variation in power supply voltage. A constant current source is used to cause a bias current for setting current consumption to flow in a differential amplifying MOSFET. A capacitor is provided between an external power supply voltage and a predetermined circuit node to thereby detect a reduction in the external power supply voltage. An operating current of the differential amplifying MOSFET is increased through the use of a current flowing in the capacitor due to such an external power variation, thereby executing the operation of stabilizing an output voltage corresponding to the reduction in the external power supply voltage.

Abstract: A clock generator for generating an output clock signal synchronized with an input clock signal and having a corrected duty cycle. The clock generator includes an input buffer to buffer the input clock signal and generate a buffered clock signal and an output buffer to generate the output clock signal in response to first and second clock signals applied to first and second inputs. An adjustable delay loop coupled to the output of the input buffer and coupled to the first and second inputs of the output buffer has a single feedback delay loop and is configured to generate a first clock signal and a second clock signal. The second clock signal is out of phase from the first clock signal by 180 degrees.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to an internal pulse generator outputting a signal with a constant pulse width nevertheless of a frequency of an input signal, including a first PMOS transistor, a PMOS second transistor and an NMOS transistor which are connected between a power supply voltage and a ground voltage in series, a latch and an inverter which are connected between an output terminal and a first node as a drain of the NMOS transistor, and a Y-time delay circuit connected between the output terminal and a second node that is a common gate of the PMOS and NMOS transistors.

Abstract: The digitally programmable delay circuit to correct timing skew between data and clock is developed. The digitally programmable delay circuit may be built by cascading delay cells. The delay circuit uses delay cells comprising simple digital elements such as inverters and tri-state inverters to eliminate the intrinsic delay and achieves linearity and monotinicity. The delay cell may be used as a building module which is repeatedly used in a serial fashion. The delay range is fully programmable from the delay of one delay cell to infinity if the chip area is available. The delay range can be scaled by adding more delay cells.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for maintaining a desired slope of clock edges in a phase interpolator using an adjustable bias. The disclosed phase interpolator comprises at least one delay element to generate at least two interpolation signals each having an associated phase and a variable slope unit associated with each of the at least two interpolation signals, wherein a slope of each of the variable slope units is controlled by a bias signal and is varied based on a data rate of the interpolation signals. The slope is varied to maintain a desired slope of clock edges associated with the interpolation signals. The slope can be maintained, for example, between approximately the value of the delay between consecutive clock edges and twice the value of the delay between consecutive clock edges.