Abstract: A phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit, sense amplifier circuit, and method of operating a sense amplifier circuit are disclosed. The sense amplifier circuit comprises first and second operational amplifiers, each operational amplifier respectively comprising a non-inverting input terminal, an inverting input terminal, and an output stage comprising a current gating circuit having two current gating input terminals, the output stage coupled with an output terminal, the output terminal providing a feedback signal to the inverting input terminal. The input voltage signal is received across the non-inverting input terminals of the first and second operational amplifiers, and is received across the two current gating input terminals of each of the first and second operational amplifiers, wherein the sense amplifier circuit generates a sense voltage signal across the output terminals of the first and second operational amplifiers.

Abstract: A phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit, sense amplifier circuit, and method of operating a sense amplifier circuit are disclosed. The sense amplifier circuit comprises first and second operational amplifiers, each operational amplifier respectively comprising a non-inverting input terminal, an inverting input terminal, and an output stage comprising a current gating circuit having two current gating input terminals, the output stage coupled with an output terminal, the output terminal providing a feedback signal to the inverting input terminal. The input voltage signal is received across the non-inverting input terminals of the first and second operational amplifiers, and is received across the two current gating input terminals of each of the first and second operational amplifiers, wherein the sense amplifier circuit generates a sense voltage signal across the output terminals of the first and second operational amplifiers.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for performing duplicate document analyses to identify texturally identical or similar documents, which may be electronic documents stored within an electronic discovery platform. A process is described which includes representing each of the documents, including a target document, as a relatively large n-tuple vector and also as a relatively small m-tuple vector, performing a series of calculations on the set of m-tuple vectors to identify a set of documents which are candidate near-duplicates to the target document, and then filtering the candidate set of near-duplicate documents based upon the distance of their n-tuple vectors from the n-tuple vector of the target document.

Abstract: An apparatus for mass spectrometry includes a laser ablation sampler comprising a laser ablation chamber and a laser which produces a laser beam. The laser irradiates and ablates a material from a sample placed within the laser ablation chamber so as to generate an ablated sample material. A transfer tube system comprising transfer tubes connect the laser ablation sample with, and provides a parallel and simultaneous transport of the ablated sample material to, each of a soft and a hard ionization source. The soft and hard ionization sources interact with the ablated sample material to respectively generate ion populations having a mass-to-charge ratio distribution. These respective mass-to-charge ratio distributions are respectively transmitted to a molecular mass spectrometer and to an elemental mass spectrometer which provide information on the mass-to-charge ratio distribution. The mass-to-charge ratio distributions are used to characterize a composition of the ablated sample material.

Abstract: A method for operating a charge pump that supplies switching current for a plurality of transistors includes a capacitor generating a pumped voltage. A comparator generates a pump control signal for turning on and off charging of the pump capacitor based on a difference between a comparison voltage and a reference voltage. A direct voltage sensor receives a feedback signal reflecting the pumped voltage and generates the comparison voltage in response to the feedback signal. The sensor includes a sensor resistor, a current source configured to drive a sensor current through the sensor resistor, and a differential op-amp that drives the sensor current to cause the voltage drop across the sensor resistor to remain constant as the pumped voltage experiences the voltage drop. The charge pump may include two similar direct voltage sensor controlling positive and negative pumped voltages.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a direct voltage sensor and a charge pump system for a computer system. A charge pump that supplies switching current for a plurality of transistors includes a capacitor generating a pumped voltage. A comparator generates a pump control signal for turning on and off charging of the pump capacitor based on a difference between a comparison voltage and a reference voltage. A direct voltage sensor receives a feedback signal reflecting the pumped voltage and generates the comparison voltage in response to the feedback signal. The sensor includes a sensor resistor, a current source configured to drive a sensor current through the sensor resistor, and a differential op-amp that drives the sensor current to cause the voltage drop across the sensor resistor to remain constant as the pumped voltage experiences the voltage drop. The charge pump may include two similar direct voltage sensor controlling positive and negative pumped voltages.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for performing duplicate document analyses to identify texturally identical or similar documents, which may be electronic documents stored within an electronic discovery platform. A process is described which includes representing each of the documents, including a target document, as a relatively large n-tuple vector and also as a relatively small m-tuple vector, performing a series of calculations on the set of m-tuple vectors to identify a set of documents which are candidate near-duplicates to the target document, and then filtering the candidate set of near-duplicate documents based upon the distance of their n-tuple vectors from the n-tuple vector of the target document.

Abstract: An apparatus for mass spectrometry includes a laser ablation sampler comprising a laser ablation chamber and a laser which produces a laser beam. The laser irradiates and ablates a material from a sample placed within the laser ablation chamber so as to generate an ablated sample material. A transfer tube system comprising transfer tubes connect the laser ablation sample with, and provides a parallel and simultaneous transport of the ablated sample material to, each of a soft and a hard ionization source. The soft and hard ionization sources interact with the ablated sample material to respectively generate ion populations having a mass-to-charge ratio distribution. These respective mass-to-charge ratio distributions are respectively transmitted to a molecular mass spectrometer and to an elemental mass spectrometer which provide information on the mass-to-charge ratio distribution. The mass-to-charge ratio distributions are used to characterize a composition of the ablated sample material.

Abstract: In an embodiment, the present invention provides an apparatus for mass spectrometry which includes a laser ablation sampler comprising a laser ablation chamber and a laser. The laser ablation chamber is configured so that the laser can irradiate and ablate a material from a sample to generate an ablated sample material. An atmospheric pressure ionization source generates an ion population. The atmospheric pressure ionization source is operatively connected to the laser ablation chamber via a transfer line so that an ablated sample material is transportable thereto. A mass spectrometer is operatively connected to the laser ablation chamber and to the atmospheric pressure ionization source. The ablated sample material interacts with the atmospheric pressure ionization source to generate an ion population having a mass-to-charge ratio distribution. The ion population is transmitted to the mass spectrometer, which provides information on a mass-to-charge ratio distribution of the ion population.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for performing duplicate document analyses to identify texturally identical or similar documents, which may be electronic documents stored within an electronic discovery platform. A process is described which includes representing each of the documents, including a target document, as a relatively large n-tuple vector and also as a relatively small m-tuple vector, performing a series of one-dimensional searches on the set of m-tuple vectors to identify a set of documents which are near-duplicates to the target document, and then filtering the near set of near duplicate documents based upon the distance of their n-tuple vectors from that of the target document.

Abstract: A method for operating a charge pump that supplies switching current for a plurality of transistors includes a capacitor generating a pumped voltage. A comparator generates a pump control signal for turning on and off charging of the pump capacitor based on a difference between a comparison voltage and a reference voltage. A direct voltage sensor receives a feedback signal reflecting the pumped voltage and generates the comparison voltage in response to the feedback signal. The sensor includes a sensor resistor, a current source configured to drive a sensor current through the sensor resistor, and a differential op-amp that drives the sensor current to cause the voltage drop across the sensor resistor to remain constant as the pumped voltage experiences the voltage drop. The charge pump may include two similar direct voltage sensor controlling positive and negative pumped voltages.

Abstract: A system and method to regulate voltage on a chip are described. The system includes a central controller to output a digital code based on a voltage measurement from a sense point on a power grid of the chip. The system also includes a plurality of micro-regulators, each of the plurality of micro-regulators outputting a respective voltage to the power grid based on the digital code.

Abstract: A system and method to regulate voltage on a chip are described. The system includes a central controller to output a digital code based on a voltage measurement from a sense point on a power grid of the chip. The system also includes a plurality of micro-regulators, each of the plurality of micro-regulators outputting a respective voltage to the power grid based on the digital code.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a direct voltage sensor and a charge pump system for a computer system. A charge pump that supplies switching current for a plurality of transistors includes a capacitor generating a pumped voltage. A comparator generates a pump control signal for turning on and off charging of the pump capacitor based on a difference between a comparison voltage and a reference voltage. A direct voltage sensor receives a feedback signal reflecting the pumped voltage and generates the comparison voltage in response to the feedback signal. The sensor includes a sensor resistor, a current source configured to drive a sensor current through the sensor resistor, and a differential op-amp that drives the sensor current to cause the voltage drop across the sensor resistor to remain constant as the pumped voltage experiences the voltage drop. The charge pump may include two similar direct voltage sensor controlling positive and negative pumped voltages.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an active transistor laterally adjacent to a trench capacitor formed in a semiconductor substrate, the active transistor comprising a source junction and a drain junction, wherein a barrier layer is disposed along a periphery of the trench capacitor for isolating the trench capacitor; a passive transistor laterally spaced from the active transistor, wherein at least a portion of the trench capacitor is interposed between the active and passive transistors; an interlevel dielectric disposed upon the active and passive transistors; and a first conductive contact extending through the interlevel dielectric to the drain junction of the active transistor and the at least a portion of the trench capacitor between the active and passive transistors, wherein the first conductive contact electrically connects the trench capacitor to the drain junction of the active transistor.

Abstract: Electronic devices and methods are disclosed to provide and to test a physically unclonable function (PUF) based on relative threshold voltages of one or more pairs of transistors. In a particular embodiment, an electronic device is operable to generate a response to a challenge. The electronic device includes a plurality of transistors, with each of the plurality of transistors having a threshold voltage substantially equal to an intended threshold voltage. The electronic device includes a challenge input configured to receive the challenge. The challenge input includes one or more bits that are used to individually select each of a pair of transistors of the plurality of transistors. The electronic device also includes a comparator to receive an output voltage from each of the pair of transistors and to generate a response indicating which of the pair of transistors has the higher output voltage.

Abstract: A memory device includes memory cells, each of the memory cells having corresponding bit and word lines connected thereto for accessing the memory cells, a word line circuit coupled with at least one word line, and a bit line circuit coupled with at least one bit line. The memory device further includes at least one control circuit coupled with the bit and word line circuits. The control circuit is operative to cause state information to be stored in the memory cells. At least one switching element selectively connects the memory cells, the bit and word line circuits, and the control circuit to at least one power supply as a function of at least one control signal. The control circuit generates the control signal for disconnecting at least portions of the word line and bit line circuits from the power supply while state information is retained in the memory cells.

Abstract: A successive approximation analog-to-digital converter (SA-ADC) includes a reference generator configured to output a first voltage and a second voltage; a comparator, the comparator having a positive input and a negative input thereto, the comparator being configured to receive the first voltage and the second voltage; and a comparator input toggle located between the reference generator and the comparator, wherein the comparator input toggle is configured to receive the first and second voltages from the reference generator and provide the first and second voltages to the comparator, wherein the comparator input toggle is further configured to switch between a first position, in which the first voltage is connected to the positive input, and the second voltage is connected to the negative input, and a second position, in which the second voltage is connected to the positive input, and the first voltage is connected to the negative input.

Abstract: A voltage regulator includes a regulator input connected to a reference voltage; a regulator output that outputs a regulated voltage to an electrical load; a first loop, the first loop configured to receive the reference voltage, the first loop outputting a bias voltage; a second loop, the second loop configured to receive the bias voltage as an input; and a bias voltage capacitor connected to a node between the first loop and the second loop.

Abstract: A memory device includes memory cells, each of the memory cells having corresponding bit and word lines connected thereto for accessing the memory cells, a word line circuit coupled with at least one word line, and a bit line circuit coupled with at least one bit line. The memory device further includes at least one control circuit coupled with the bit and word line circuits. The control circuit is operative to cause state information to be stored in the memory cells. At least one switching element selectively connects the memory cells, the bit and word line circuits, and the control circuit to at least one power supply as a function of at least one control signal. The control circuit generates the control signal for disconnecting at least portions of the word line and bit line circuits from the power supply while state information is retained in the memory cells.