Abstract: A system comprises a decision logic module, a payload IC, an optical transceiver, a mmWave transceiver, and an antenna array. The decision logic module evaluates channel conditions and selects one of four transmission modes based on a signal quality indicator. The payload IC generates baseband data and receives demodulated data. The optical transceiver, coupled to the decision logic and payload IC, transmits and receives optical signals via a free-space link using either a first or second modulation format. The optical array handles optical signal emission and reception. The mmWave transceiver, coupled to the decision logic and payload IC, transmits and receives mmWave signals via a free-space mmWave link using a third or fourth modulation format. The antenna array supports mmWave emission and reception. The first modulation format offers higher spectral efficiency than the second. The third provides a higher data rate than the fourth under favorable signal-to-noise conditions.

Abstract: A cascaded phase-locked loop (PLL) architecture including voltage-controlled oscillators (VCO) may operate in the mmWave and terahertz range. The architecture may include a low-jitter type-II radio-frequency PLL as a first stage and a wideband high-frequency dual-path PLL as a second stage. By using the radiofrequency output from the first stage as a reference, the second stage attenuates VCO phase noise, resulting in reduced overall jitter. Additionally, the first stage may include an AC-coupled charge pump to ensure robust phase noise performance across a wide VCO control voltage range, and a VCO tuning range design scheme may be provided to achieve a wide tuning range without sacrificing jitter performance.

Abstract: A phased-array transmitter system includes a plurality of signal paths and a power amplifier. Each of the signal paths comprises: a phase-shifter configured to generate a phase-shifted signal; a first mixer configured to mix the phase-shifted signal with a baseband signal to generate a first mixed signal; a variable gain amplifier (VGA) configured to perform phase-invariant gain-controlled amplification on the first mixed signal; a second mixer configured to mix the amplified first mixed signal with a radiofrequency local oscillator (RFLO) signal to generate a radiofrequency (RF) signal; and a power amplifier configured to amplify the RF signal and feed the amplified RF signal to an antenna.

Abstract: A PAM-4 receiver with jitter compensation clock and data recovery is provided. The receiver includes a first-order delay-locked loop (DLL) which employs a bang-bang phase detector (BBPD) and a voltage-controlled delay line (VCDL) circuit supporting 40 MHz jitter tracking bandwidth and static phase skew elimination. A second-order wideband phase-locked loop (WBPLL) using the ¼-rate reference clock provides multi-phase clock generation with low input-to-output latency. To suppress the consequent jitter transfer, a jitter compensation circuit (JCC) acquires the jitter transfer amplitude and frequency information by detecting the DLL loop filter voltage (VLF(s)) signal, and generates an inverted loop filter voltage signal, denoted as VLFINV(s). The VLFINV(s) modulates a group of complementary VCDLs (C-VCDLs) to attenuate the jitter transfer on both recovered clock and data. With the provided receiver, a jitter compensation ratio up to 60% can be supported from DC to 4 MHz, with a ?3-dB corner frequency of 40 MHz.

Abstract: A PAM-4 receiver with jitter compensation clock and data recovery is provided. The receiver includes a first-order delay-locked loop (DLL) which employs a bang-bang phase detector (BBPD) and a voltage-controlled delay line (VCDL) circuit supporting 40 MHz jitter tracking bandwidth and static phase skew elimination. A second-order wideband phase-locked loop (WBPLL) using the ¼-rate reference clock provides multi-phase clock generation with low input-to-output latency. To suppress the consequent jitter transfer, a jitter compensation circuit (JCC) acquires the jitter transfer amplitude and frequency information by detecting the DLL loop filter voltage (VLF(s)) signal, and generates an inverted loop filter voltage signal, denoted as VLFINV(s). The VLFINV(S) modulates a group of complementary VCDLs (C-VCDLs) to attenuate the jitter transfer on both recovered clock and data. With the provided receiver, a jitter compensation ratio up to 60% can be supported from DC to 4 MHz, with a ?3-dB corner frequency of 40 MHz.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides adaptive cascaded equalization circuits for frequency spectrum compensation. The cascaded equalization are formed in circuit configurations to achieve configurable roll-up frequency responses to compensate for the loss of signal channels in the wire-line or optical communications, particularly but not exclusively, for the loss of signal trace in the wire-line communications, and photodetectors used in the optical communications. These cascaded equalization circuits include two or more stages of equalizers. The peaking frequencies of each stage are set to be different from each other, so that the overall frequency response characteristic has a unique frequency response with a roll-up slope. The equalization function is automatically tuned by an adaptive feedback control loop.

Abstract: A lighting device is provided. The lighting device includes a substrate, integrated circuits (22?, 24), embedded passive components (26, 27), and a lighting component (22), the device being arranged in an architecture having three layers: an integrated circuits layer (11) including the integrated circuits (22?, 24), wherein the integrated circuits layer (11) is integrated on a first side of the substrate; an embedded passive components layer (12) including the embedded passive components (26, 27), wherein the embedded passive components (26, 27) are embedded in grooves formed in the substrate and wherein the embedded passive components are connected to the integrated circuits (22?, 24) through vias (28) in the substrate; and a bonded layer (13), including the lighting component (22), the lighting component (22) being connected to the integrated circuit layer (11) through flip-chip bonding or monolithic integration.

Abstract: A communications device includes: a light-emitting diode (LED) or LED array; an internet protocol (IP)-based radiofrequency (RF) wireless unit, configured to transmit and receive data over a RF wireless communications network; a visible light communication (VLC) unit, configured to drive the LED or LED array and modulate light generated by the LED or LED array with data; a control unit, connected to the IP-based RF wireless unit and the VLC unit, configured to facilitate communications between the VLC unit and IP-based RF wireless unit.

Abstract: A lighting device is provided. The lighting device includes a substrate, integrated circuits (22?, 24), embedded passive components (26, 27), and a lighting component (22), the device being arranged in an architecture having three layers: an integrated circuits layer (11) including the integrated circuits (22?, 24), wherein the integrated circuits layer (11) is integrated on a first side of the substrate; an embedded passive components layer (12) including the embedded passive components (26, 27), wherein the embedded passive components (26, 27) are embedded in grooves formed in the substrate and wherein the embedded passive components are connected to the integrated circuits (22?, 24) through vias (28) in the substrate; and a bonded layer (13), including the lighting component (22), the lighting component (22) being connected to the integrated circuit layer (11) through flip-chip bonding or monolithic integration.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides adaptive cascaded equalization circuits for frequency spectrum compensation. The cascaded equalization are formed in circuit configurations to achieve configurable roll-up frequency responses to compensate for the loss of signal channels in the wire-line or optical communications, particularly but not exclusively, for the loss of signal trace in the wire-line communications, and photodetectors used in the optical communications. These cascaded equalization circuits include two or more stages of equalizers. The peaking frequencies of each stage are set to be different from each other, so that the overall frequency response characteristic has a unique frequency response with a roll-up slope. The equalization function is automatically tuned by an adaptive feedback control loop.

Abstract: A system to test integrated circuits on a wafer may include a transceiver formed on the wafer. The system may also include an antenna system couplable to the transceiver. The transceiver may be formed in one of a scribe line on the wafer, a chip on the wafer or on an otherwise unusable portion of the wafer. The antenna system maybe formed in at least one of the same scribe line as the transceiver or in at least one other scribe line formed in the wafer. Alternatively, the antenna system may include an antenna external to the wafer.

Abstract: A method for producing an on-chip signal transforming device. The method includes providing a substrate, and laying a first conductive layer above the substrate, wherein the first conductive layer has a plurality of interleaved inductors. The method then includes laying a second conductive layer above the substrate, wherein the second conductive layer has at least one inductor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a synthesizer having an efficient lock detect signal generator, an extended range VCO that can operate within any one of a plurality of adjacent characteristic curves defined by a plurality of adjacent regions, and a divide circuit implemented using only a single counter along with a decoder. This allows for a method of operating the synthesizer, methods of establishing or reestablishing a lock condition using the extended range VCO, and a method of designing a plurality of divide circuits which each use the same single counter and each use a different decoder.

Abstract: An on-chip signal transforming device includes a substrate and a first conductive layer above the substrate, wherein the first conductive layer has a plurality of interleaved inductors. The device further includes a second conductive layer above the substrate, wherein the second conductive layer has at least one inductor.

Abstract: A method for producing an on-chip signal transforming device. The method includes providing a substrate, and laying a first conductive layer above the substrate, wherein the first conductive layer has a plurality of interleaved inductors. The method then includes laying a second conductive layer above the substrate, wherein the second conductive layer has at least one inductor.

Abstract: An ESD protection circuit uses an inductor to create an electromagnetic resonance in conjunction with the load capacitance of a conventional ESD device. By properly tuning the resonance of this combination, the protective properties of the ESD device can be maintained while minimizing its capacitive load on the main circuit. The inductor can be interposed in various series configurations with the ESD device between the main circuit and a voltage rail; alternatively, the inductor can be connected in various configurations in parallel with the ESD device. The inductor may be implemented as an on-chip inductor using conventional IC fabrication technologies, or may be implemented using IC chip bonding wires as inductors.

Abstract: An ESD protection circuit uses an inductor to create an electromagnetic resonance in conjunction with the load capacitance of a conventional ESD device. By properly tuning the resonance of this combination, the protective properties of the ESD device can be maintained while minimizing its capacitive load on the main circuit. The inductor can be interposed in various series configurations with the ESD device between the main circuit and a voltage rail; alternatively, the inductor can be connected in various configurations in parallel with the ESD device. The inductor may be implemented as an on-chip inductor using conventional IC fabrication technologies, or may be implemented using IC chip bonding wires as inductors.

Abstract: The present invention provides a synthesizer having an efficient lock detect signal generator, an extended range VCO that can operate within any one of a plurality of adjacent characteristic curves defined by a plurality of adjacent regions, and a divide circuit implemented using only a single counter along with a decoder. This allows for a method of operating the synthesizer, methods of establishing or reestablishing a lock condition using the extended range VCO, and a method of designing a plurality of divide circuits which each use the same single counter and each use a different decoder.

Abstract: A method for producing an on-chip signal transforming device. The method includes providing a substrate, and laying a first conductive layer above the substrate, wherein the first conductive layer has a plurality of interleaved inductors. The method then includes aying a second conductive layer above the substrate, wherein the second conductive layer has at least one inductor.

Abstract: An ESD protection circuit uses an inductor to create an electromagnetic resonance in conjunction with the load capacitance of a conventional ESD device. By properly tuning the resonance of this combination, the protective properties of the ESD device can be maintained while minimizing its capacitive load on the main circuit. The inductor can be interposed in various series configurations with the ESD device between the main circuit and a voltage rail; alternatively, the inductor can be connected in various configurations in parallel with the ESD device. The inductor may be implemented as an on-chip inductor using conventional IC fabrication technologies, or may be implemented using IC chip bonding wires as inductors.