Abstract: An amplifier overload power limit circuit, system, and a method thereof comprising a monitoring of a current gain of a BJT based on a current detector and limiting power to the BJT based on the monitored current gain to prevent the BJT from driven into a saturation mode and the amplifier overdrive.

Abstract: A drive circuit includes a second drive circuit that drives a semiconductor switching element in a case where a pulse width of a corresponding signal is determined to be larger than a second threshold, and a timing adjustment circuit that adjusts a timing at which the second drive circuit cooperates with a first drive circuit to drive the semiconductor switching element during a turn-off period of the semiconductor switching element due to drive of the first drive circuit.

Abstract: A fluctuating oscillator includes: an adder that has an input terminal to which an input signal including a main signal and an uncorrelated signal that is uncorrelated with the main signal and is higher in frequency than the main signal is input, and adds a feedback signal to the input signal; a threshold discrimination unit that generates a pulse signal by comparing an addition signal added by the adder with a threshold; a transient response unit that generates an output signal by transiently responding the generated pulse signal; and a feedback loop that feeds back the output signal to the adder as the feedback signal.

Abstract: There is described a rectifier circuit for providing and limiting a supply voltage to an RFID tag, the circuit including a pair of antenna input terminals configured to receive an input signal from an RFID tag antenna. A plurality of charge pump stages are coupled in cascade in such a way that an input terminal of a first charge pump stage in the cascade is connected to ground and an input terminal of each subsequent charge pump stage in the cascade is coupled to an output terminal of the preceding charge pump stage in the cascade. A control logic is configured to select the output terminal of one charge pump stage among the plurality of charge pump stages to provide the supply voltage. Furthermore, an RFID tag and a method of providing and limiting a supply voltage to an RFID tag are described.

Abstract: The present description concerns a method of controlling a bidirectional switch (200), including: first (210 1) and (210 2) field-effect transistors electrically in series between first (262 1) and second (262 2) terminals of the bidirectional switch; third (614) and fourth (612) field-effect transistors electrically in series between said first and second terminals of the bidirectional switch, a first connection node (252) in series with the first and second transistors being common with a second connection node (616) in series with the third and fourth transistors, including steps of: receiving a voltage (V200) between the terminals of the bidirectional switch; detecting, from the received voltage, a first sign of said voltage; at least while the first sign is being detected, coupling the first terminal to said first node (252), potentials of control terminals of the first, second, third, and fourth transistors being referenced to the potential (REF) of the first and second nodes having common sources of th

Abstract: Examples of amplifiers and nth-order loop filters thereof are configured to enable fast and robust recovery from saturation, while limiting signal distortion at or near full power delivery across multiple process and temperature corners. An example nth-order loop filter comprises n series-coupled resistor-capacitor (RC) integrators. In an example, each of the second RC integrator to the (n?1)th RC integrator has a reset mechanism responsive to a reset signal output from a reset controller when an input signal overload condition is detected at the input. Upon detecting the overload condition, each of the third RC integrator to the (n?1)th RC integrator is hard reset, the nth RC integrator is not reset, and a controlled reset is performed on the second RC integrator to recover from saturation caused by the signal overload condition, while maintaining the output signal below the 1% total harmonic distortion (THD) level at or near full power delivery.

Abstract: A four-phase (or multi-phase) generation circuit, related method of operation, and transceivers or other systems utilizing such a circuit, are disclosed herein. In one example embodiment, the circuit includes two input ports respectively configured to receive positive and negative differential input signals, and four output ports respectively configured to output first, second, third and fourth output signals, respectively, the second, third, and fourth output signals being respectively phase-shifted relative to the first output signal by or substantially by 90, 180, and 270 degrees. Also, the circuit includes four SR latches respectively including output terminals that are respectively coupled to the respective output ports. Further, the circuit includes two tunable delay circuits respectively coupled at least indirectly between the input ports and latches, and two comparison circuits configured to output respective feedback signals.

Abstract: Series of first ramps and second ramps are generated. A circuit delivers a first signal representative of the comparison of each first ramp with a set point and delivers a second signal representative of the comparison of each second ramp with the set point. Based on the first and second signals: a first ramp is stopped and a second ramp is started when the first ramp reaches the set point, and a second ramp is stopped and a first ramp is started when the second ramp reaches the set point. The value of the set point is modulated in response a maximum value of the first/second last ramp compared with the set point.

Abstract: Methods and devices to address antenna termination in absence of power supplies within an electronic circuit including a termination circuit and a switching circuit. The devices include regular NMOS devices that decouple the antenna from the switching circuit in absence of power supplies while the antenna is coupled to a terminating impedance having a desired impedance value through a native NMOS device. The antenna is coupled with the switching circuit via the regular NMOS device during powered conditions while the antenna is decoupled from the terminating impedance.

Abstract: A class of design topologies in the field of nonlinear networks (NLN) or nonlinear transmission lines (NLTL) that re-utilize direct current (DC) and low-frequency (LF) signal content reflected from a load or an output filter to yield increased pulse to radio frequency conversion efficiency and increased overall system efficiency. A nonlinear transmission line topology comprises a plurality of series inductive elements and a plurality of nonlinear capacitive elements. The inductive elements and the capacitive elements are arranged in a periodic structure forming a nonlinear network. An output coupling circuit connected across an output of the nonlinear network is configured to transmit high-frequency content to a load and to reflect back direct current and low-frequency content into the nonlinear network.

Abstract: A method includes detecting a signal on a switching node connected to a power switch, detecting a gate drive voltage of the power switch, during a gate drive process of the power switch, reducing a gate drive current based on a first comparison result obtained from comparing the signal with a first threshold, and during the gate drive process of the power switch, increasing the gate drive current based on a second comparison result obtained from comparing the gate drive voltage with a second threshold.

Abstract: A batteryless wireless sensor system includes a data acquisition system, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, and a batteryless wireless sensor device. The RF transceiver is in communication with the data acquisition system, transmits a RF signal, and receives sensor data and provide the sensor data to the data acquisition system. The batteryless wireless sensor device includes a RF transmitter, an analog to digital converter (ADC), and a sensor. The batteryless wireless sensor harvests energy from the RF signal and generates a DC signal based on the energy harvested from the RF signal, powers up and operates the ADC and the sensor based on the DC signal, and generates sensor data. The batteryless wireless sensor then transmits the sensor data via the RF transmitter to the RF transceiver. In certain examples, the ADC is implemented as a current mode ADC.

Abstract: Techniques and apparatus for controlling gate drivers of a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) circuit—such as a three-level buck converter, a divide-by-two charge pump, or an adaptive combination power supply circuit capable of switching therebetween—in a power-saving mode (e.g., a pulse-skipping mode). During such a power-saving mode in which a capacitor of a charge pump is disconnected from at least one power supply rail (e.g., first and second input nodes of the charge pump) and is coupled to power terminals of one or more drivers of the SMPS circuit, the capacitor is temporarily disconnected from the power terminals and temporarily coupled to the at least one power supply rail (e.g., for a few microseconds).

Abstract: A batteryless wireless sensor system includes a data acquisition system, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, and a batteryless wireless sensor device. The RF transceiver is in communication with the data acquisition system, transmits a RF signal, and receives sensor data and provide the sensor data to the data acquisition system. The batteryless wireless sensor device includes a RF transmitter, an analog to digital converter (ADC), and a sensor. The batteryless wireless sensor harvests energy from the RF signal and generates a DC signal based on the energy harvested from the RF signal, powers up and operates the ADC and the sensor based on the DC signal, and generates sensor data. The batteryless wireless sensor then transmits the sensor data via the RF transmitter to the RF transceiver. In certain examples, the ADC is implemented as a current mode ADC.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for locking a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) at a high frequency may include use of a VCO and an integrator, which generates and outputs a control signal to the VCO, based on an inverting signal and a reference signal. The control signal locks the VCO to a high frequency signal (FH). A frequency divider is coupled to the VCO, receives FH from the VCO, divides FH by a factor “F”, and outputs a low frequency signal (FL). A switched capacitor resistor circuit (SCRC) is coupled to the frequency divider and the integrator. The SCRC receives FL from the frequency divider and generates the inverting signal. An integrating capacitor is coupled across an inverting and an output terminal of op-amp in the integrator. The output of the op-amp provides an integrator signal, which may be (optionally) filtered to produce the control signal.

Abstract: A detection circuit is provided in the invention. The detection circuit includes a synchronous circuit, a comparison circuit and a fail-signal generating circuit. The comparison circuit is coupled to the synchronous circuit. The comparison circuit compares a target signal with a reference signal to generate a comparison result. The frequency of the reference signal is lower than the frequency of the target signal. The fail-signal generates circuit is coupled to the synchronous circuit and the comparison circuit. The fail-signal receives the comparison circuit. According to the comparison circuit, the fail-signal determines whether the target signal has failed.

Abstract: An under voltage lockout circuit includes a reference circuit, an oscillator, a voltage divider, and a dynamic comparator. The reference circuit generates a reference voltage signal and a current source activation signal. The oscillator is activated to generate a clock signal after receiving the current source activation signal. The voltage divider samples an operating voltage signal to generate a detection voltage signal after receiving the clock signal. The voltage divider includes a switched-capacitor circuit for adjusting a ratio of the detection voltage signal to the operating voltage signal. The dynamic comparator receives the clock signal, the detection voltage signal and the reference voltage signal, and compares the reference voltage signal with the detection voltage signal only after receiving the clock signal. When the reference voltage signal is higher than the detection voltage signal, the dynamic comparator outputs a power-on-reset pulse signal.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to soft starting a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) circuit operating as a charge pump in a reverse multiply-by-two mode. One example SMPS circuit generally includes a plurality of transistors, a capacitive element coupled to the plurality of transistors, and a current sink coupled between the capacitive element and a reference potential node for the SMPS circuit. For certain aspects, the current sink is configured to be enabled during a first phase of a soft start operation for the SMPS circuit, but is configured to be disabled during a second phase of the soft start operation and during normal operation for the SMPS circuit.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present application are directed towards a level shifter with temperature compensation. In some embodiments, the level shifter comprises a transistor, a first resistor, and a second resistor. The first resistor is electrically coupled from a first source/drain of the transistor to a supply node, and the second resistor is electrically coupled from a second source/drain of the transistor to a reference node. Further, the first and second resistors have substantially the same temperature coefficients and comprise group III-V semiconductor material. By having both the first and second resistors, the output voltage of the level shifter is defined by the resistance ratio of the resistors. Further, since the first and second resistors have the same temperature coefficients, temperature induced changes in resistance is largely cancelled out in the ratio and the output voltage is less susceptible to temperature induced change than the first and second resistors individually.

Abstract: A system includes an output terminal and a linear switch circuit coupled to the output terminal. The linear switch circuit includes a first power field-effect transistor (FET) having: a first channel width; a control terminal; a first current terminal; and a second current terminal, wherein the second current terminal is coupled to the output terminal. The linear switch circuit also includes a second power FET having: a second channel width smaller than the first channel width; a control terminal; a first current terminal coupled to the first current terminal of the first power FET; and a second current terminal coupled to the output terminal. The system also comprises a control circuit coupled to the control terminal of the first power FET and to the control terminal of the second power FET. The control circuit detects a drain-to-source voltage (VDS) saturation condition and controls the first and second power FETs accordingly.