Abstract: An improved analog to digital converter is disclosed incorporating a flash converter and a charge-sharing pipelined chain converter. The invention incorporates three important circuits including a novel voltage reference steering circuit, a novel high performance low power comparator circuit and a novel digital calibration for compensation circuit. The low power is accomplished by turning on compare circuits only when comparing (controlled by timing circuits that are common to all comparators) and by a low power RAM that properly aligns the converted data. The converter operates in a pipelined manor and requires multiple sample and hold circuits for the compare circuits. The improved analog to digital converter incorporates test and calibration to compensate for variations experience during operation and manufacture of the improved analog to digital converter.

Abstract: An improved analog to digital converter is disclosed incorporating a flash converter and a charge-sharing pipelined chain converter. The invention incorporates three important circuits including a novel voltage reference steering circuit, a novel high performance low power comparator circuit and a novel digital calibration for compensation circuit. The low power is accomplished by turning on compare circuits only when comparing (controlled by timing circuits that are common to all comparators) and by a low power RAM that properly aligns the converted data. The converter operates in a pipelined manor and requires multiple sample and hold circuits for the compare circuits. The improved analog to digital converter incorporates test and calibration to compensate for variations experience during operation and manufacture of the improved analog to digital converter.

Abstract: An improved analog to digital converter is disclosed incorporating a flash converter and a charge-sharing pipelined chain converter. The invention incorporates three important circuits including a novel voltage reference steering circuit, a novel high performance low power comparator circuit and a novel digital calibration for compensation circuit. The low power is accomplished by turning on compare circuits only when comparing (controlled by timing circuits that are common to all comparators) and by a low power RAM that properly aligns the converted data. The converter operates in a pipelined manor and requires multiple sample and hold circuits for the compare circuits. The improved analog to digital converter incorporates test and calibration to compensate for variations experience during operation and manufacture of the improved analog to digital converter.

Abstract: An electronic display device renders both an audio message and a visual message. The display device includes a housing, including a frame for holding at least a first and second non-overlapping transparency which contains a visual message, a front panel which contains a viewing aperture for receiving the frame, and a back panel member. Each of the front panel and back panel include an array of peripheral al, spaced apertures through which a fastening device, such as a bolt, can be passed for securing together the front panel member to the back panel member, and sandwiching the frame therebetween. The device also includes a first and second light source for illuminating, respectively, the first transparency and the second transparency. A direct analog audio storage chip is provided for playing an audio message having at least a plurality of audio segments. A sensor, such as a pryoelectric IR motion sensor, is provided for sensing the presence of a person in the vicinity of the device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for testing an access time of a macro embedded in a LSI chip. The apparatus includes a logical gate connected to the output latches of the macro, thereby controlling the access time of the macro, and a test latch for determining an on-chip delay time between a test signal for enabling the output latches and an input signal for enabling the macro. The method includes the steps of determining the on-chip delay time between the test signal and the input signal, thereby allowing the test signal to be synchronized with the input signal, supplying the synchronized test signal to the output latches for a manufacturer specified macro access time, and testing the latched output data from the macro.