Abstract: A combination device is featured for both tethering a snowboard to the boot of a user and for carrying a snowboard over the shoulder. The device has a retraction unit that houses a spring-wound strap within. The retractable unit has a flange for attaching the unit to one of the bindings of the snowboard. Screws are used to affix the flange, and hence the retraction unit, to the binding. The combination tether and carrying strap is easily accessible by pulling on the hooking latch, which is attached to the retractable strap.

Abstract: A spark plug, including an insulator embedding a first metallic electrode axially extending therethrough from a high voltage outer end terminal to the center of the inner end of the insulator from which it protrudes; a metallic ground electrode isolated from the first electrode and having an extended inner termination facing toward the first electrode extending from the insulator tip for defining therebetween a spark gap, a resistive element connected to the ground electrode such that upon mounting the spark plug in an internal combustion engine, the ground electrode electrically connects to the engine body through the resistive element; and a second outer termination of the ground electrode, adapted to constitute an accessible sensing terminal.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes junction insulation on a substrate of semiconductor material. The integrated circuit comprises active regions of a first type of conductivity, and insulation regions which separate the junction-forming active regions from one another and from the substrate. The integrated circuit also includes electrical contacts for reverse-biasing the junctions. In order to obtain highly efficient insulation, at least one of the active regions is separated from the active regions adjacent to it and from the substrate by insulation regions which form an inner insulation shell, including regions of a second conductivity type. These regions contain the active region. An outer insulation shell includes regions of the first conductivity type which contain the inner insulation shell.

Abstract: A voltage, replica of the difference between two dissimilar base-emitter voltages in the form of an intrinsic input offset voltage of a differential input pair of transistors of a noninverting, buffer-configured operational amplifier, is summed with a pre-established fraction of a base-emitter voltage, to produce a voltage reference without thermal drift of a level that can be as low as few 10 mV. The intrinsic input offset voltage is controlled by a local feedback loop acting on the bias current that is forced through the input pair of transistors that may be realized with a certain area ratio. The relatively simple circuit is useful in battery operated, low supply voltage, systems.

Abstract: In a junction isolated integrated circuit including power DMOS transistors formed in respective well regions or in an isolated epitaxial region on a substrate of opposite type of conductivity, circuits are formed in a distinct isolated region sensitive to oversupply and/or belowground effects. These effects are caused by respective power DMOS transistors coupled to the supply rail or ground. These effects are alternatively controllable by specifically shaped layout arrangements, and may be effectively protected from both effects. This is achieved by interposing between the region of sensitive circuits and the region containing the power DMOS transistors for which the alternatively implementable circuital arrangements are not formed, the region containing the power DMOS transistors coupled to the supply rail or to a ground rail for which the alternatively implementable arrangements are formed.

Abstract: An integrated circuit having a passive circuit component that can be adjusted following the manufacturing process to provide a precise absolute value for resistance or capacitance. A plurality of passive elements are selectively combinable using logic gates to include or exclude each element from a network, wherein the combined value of the included passive elements equals the value of the passive circuit component. The logic gates are set by outputs from a decoder to reduce the required inputs to the chip.

Abstract: A circuit for modifying a resonant frequency of a receiver for radio frequency signals. The receiver includes an inductor connected in parallel with a capacitor. The circuit includes a switch having an additional capacitor connected between two MOS transistors, the switch being connected in parallel with the receiver to add capacitance based on a control of the MOS transistors.

Abstract: The switch of this invention has two conduction terminals and basically consists of the parallel coupling, across the two conduction terminals, of a first N-channel MOS transistor and second P-channel MOS transistor. The first MOS transistor will be conducting when the signal applied to the conduction terminals has a first polarity, and the second MOS transistor will be conducting when the signal applied to the conduction terminals has a second polarity. Advantageously, if two unidirectional conduction circuit elements are respectively connected in series with the main conduction paths of the two MOS transistors, the drain/body junctions of the latter will never be conducting regardless of the way the switch is connected.

Abstract: The dynamic range of operation of a differential transconductance input stage is reduced when the amplitude of the input signal decreases, thus reducing the level of the noise that is generated by the input stage. A DC signal representative of the sensed amplitude of the input signal is employed for either reducing the value of a common, emitter-degenerating resistance or of the bias current that is forced in the two branches of the differential input stage.

Abstract: A DC--DC boost converter for directly driving a capacitive load employs four switches for cyclically commuting the connection configuration of an energy storing inductor. First and second switches are driven at a relatively high frequency and provide an impulsive charge path of the inductor by connecting one or the other end to a power supply rail. Third and fourth switches are driven in phase opposition to each other at a relatively low frequency and provide a discharge path from one and the other end of the inductor, respectively, toward an output node of the circuit to which the capacitive load is connected.

Abstract: A fully digital, current mode, PWM control is realized by employing two distinct comparators, both reading the voltage drop on a sensing resistance. The first comparator exerts an open-loop current mode control. The second comparator, establishing a second higher current threshold than the current threshold set by the first comparator, triggers a disabling circuit of the output power transistor for a preset period of time, when the current level through the output stage uncontrollably rises beyond the second threshold. This may occur because of an insufficient discharge from the load circuit inductance during off-phases of the output power transistor of the extra energy stored during switching delay periods of the first (open loop control) comparator. The frequency of the sequence of bursts may be precisely controlled to be well outside the frequency range of interest to prevent disturbances.

Abstract: A BiCMOS capacitive charge pump circuit for low supply voltage has a bipolar part, functionally reproducing a basic charge pump circuit and a CMOS part that comprises MOS transistors functionally connected in parallel with the driving switch toward ground potential of the charge transfer capacitance and in parallel with the output diode for substantially nullifying voltage drops on the respective bipolar components. A special driving circuit (T8, R2, I2), powered at the boosted output voltage (VOUT) responds to the rise of the voltage on the output node above a minimum level, as ensured by the bipolar part of the charge pump circuit, to drive said MOS transistors (M1, M2), thus allowing the output voltage to reach a level that is substantially double the supply voltage (Vs), even when the latter is exceptionally low, for reliably ensuring switching of the CMOS part of the circuit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an integrated input/output interface for low and/or high voltage range signals of the digital and/or analog type. It comprises essentially a power amplification circuit block (2) having at least one low voltage range input terminal (A) and at least one high voltage range output terminal (B), and a second amplification circuit block (3) having a high voltage range input terminal connected to said high voltage range output terminal (B) and at least one low voltage range output terminal (D). A conventional circuit block (4) prevents a high voltage range signal being input to said high voltage range terminal (B) from propagating through the first power amplification circuit block (2), so that it only affects the second amplification circuit block (3). This interface is implemented in mixed high voltage bipolar/CMOS/DMOS technology.

Abstract: A hysteresis comparator circuit working with a low voltage supply and of a type which includes a composite structure incorporating first and second differential cells respectively comprised of an npn bipolar transistor pair with common emitters, on the one side, and a pair of pnp bipolar transistor pair with common emitters, on the other, such cells being coupled together through the bases of the respective transistors. The circuit includes at least one pair of variable current sources associated with each cell and tied operatively to the voltage value present on the comparator output; in addition, a voltage divider is connected between each interconnection of the bases of the transistors forming the cells.

Abstract: A drive circuit having two electronic switches formed from N-MOS transistors is designed to alternatively connect the input of a preamplifier stage to a first or second read sensor on the read head of a magnetic tape. The drive circuit also has a third electronic switch formed from an N-MOS transistor which grounds the input of the preamplifier stage. Based on logic input signals, a control circuit switches the first and second switches, or closes the third switch and simultaneously opens the first and second switches.

Abstract: A stage of both input and output configurable for operation with low and high voltages, comprises:first (M1), second (M2) and third (M3) transistors, each having first and second terminals and a control terminal, the first and second terminals and control terminal of the first transistor (M1) being respectively connected to a first terminal of a voltage supply, the first terminal of the second transistor (M2), and a drive circuit means, the second terminal and control terminal of the second transistor (M2) being respectively connected to a circuit node (A), forming an input/output terminal of the stage (1), and to the drive circuit means, the first and second terminals and control terminal of the third transistor (M3) being respectively connected to a second terminal of the voltage supply, the circuit node (A), and the drive circuit means;at least one diode (D2) connected between the first and the second terminal of the second transistor (M2); andan input circuit (3) having a first input terminal connected to

Abstract: A circuit for measuring current in a power MOS transistor (M0) comprises second (M1) and third (M2) transistors in series of the same type and same technology as, but having a smaller surface than, the power transistor and arranged in parallel on the latter. The two series transistors have their gates connected to the gate of the power transistor. The current in transistor (M2) which is connected to the reference electrode of the power transistor is measured.

Abstract: A circuit for suppressing the noise produced by the switching of two voltage sources having a direct current offset and connected alternately to the input of an amplification stage. The circuit comprises a low-pass filter between the two voltage sources and the amplification stage, which filter is normally disabled during normal operation of the amplification stage, and is only enabled during switching of the two voltage sources, so as to enable a gradual change in the direct voltage supplied to the input of the amplification stage and due to the offset between the two sources.

Abstract: The circuit comprises a tank capacitance and a charge circuit supplied with the same voltage as the bridge and comprising an inductance and a control transistor. There is also provided a control circuit, which comprises an oscillator controlling the periodic switching of control transistor and a comparator which controls the momentary clamping of control transistor in the condition wherein the charge circuit is interrupted when the difference between the voltage across capacitance and the power supply voltage exceeds a present maximum value and the unclamping of the same transistor when such difference falls below a preset minimum value. A further comparator similarly clamps control transistor if there is an excess current in the transistor itself.

Abstract: A multipurpose integrated circuit for driving in a switching mode an externally connected load or loads permits implementation of any appropriate supply scheme of the external load or loads through six output terminals thereof and is therefore useful in a large number of applications. The integrated circuit uses six integrated power switching devices provided with respective recirculation diodes and a single externally connected sensing resistor for generating, by means of a customary PWM control loop, a control signal by which means of a logic circuit configurable by .?.programaming.!. .Iadd.programming .Iaddend.permits the generation of driving signals as a function of the control signal for all six integrated power switches in accordance with a configuration of the driving signals which conforms with the particular scheme of connection of the load or loads selected among the different bridge type and unipolar-motor type schemes which may be selected by programming.