Abstract: A sensor includes detection circuitry and control circuitry coupled to the detection circuitry. The detection circuitry generates a detection signal indicative of a detected physical quantity. The control circuitry, in operation receives the detection signal and a frequency-indication signal, and generates a trigger signal based on the frequency-indication signal and a set of local reference signals. The sensor generates a digital output signal and a locking signal based on the trigger signal and the detection signal. The generating the digital output signal includes outputting a sample of the digital output signal based on the trigger signal. The locking signal is temporally aligned with the digital output signal.

Abstract: A sensor includes detection circuitry and control circuitry coupled to the detection circuitry. The detection circuitry generates a detection signal indicative of a detected physical quantity. The control circuitry, in operation receives the detection signal and a frequency-indication signal, and generates a trigger signal based on the frequency-indication signal and a set of local reference signals. The sensor generates a digital output signal and a locking signal based on the trigger signal and the detection signal. The generating the digital output signal includes outputting a sample of the digital output signal based on the trigger signal. The locking signal is temporally aligned with the digital output signal.

Abstract: A pointing electronic device is provided with: an inertial measurement module, to generate motion input data, indicative of motion of the pointing electronic device, at an input data rate; a pointing determination unit, to implement a pointing algorithm at a processing data rate based on the motion input data, to generate screen-frame displacement data corresponding to 3D-space movements of the pointing electronic device, the processing data rate being higher than the input data rate. The pointing electronic device is further provided with a rate upscaling unit, interposed between the inertial measurement module and the pointing determination unit, to implement a data-rate upscaling of the motion input data, in order to generate upscaled motion input data to be processed by the pointing determination unit at a data rate matching the processing data rate, via a predictive data reconstruction of missing samples based on the actual motion input data.

Abstract: An embodiment inertial measurement system includes: at least one motion sensor to output motion data with an output data rate (ODR) period; and a control unit coupled to the motion sensor to control operation thereof based on a power mode switching, according to which each ODR period includes: a first phase, in which the motion sensor is controlled in a condition of low power consumption; and a subsequent measurement phase, in which the motion sensor is controlled to perform measurements for generation of measurement data. The control unit adaptively adjusts the duration of the ODR period based on at least one check related to the measurement data generated during the measurement phase.

Abstract: A sensor includes detection circuitry and control circuitry coupled to the detection circuitry. The detection circuitry generates a detection signal indicative of a detected physical quantity. The control circuitry, in operation receives the detection signal and a frequency-indication signal, and generates a trigger signal based on the frequency-indication signal and a set of local reference signals. The sensor generates a digital output signal and a locking signal based on the trigger signal and the detection signal. The generating the digital output signal includes outputting a sample of the digital output signal based on the trigger signal. The locking signal is temporally aligned with the digital output signal.

Abstract: An interface electronic circuit couplable to a first transducer that generates a first analog signal indicative of a first quantity and to a microcontroller unit, the interface electronic circuit including: a first conversion stage, which generates a first digital signal as a function of the first analog signal; a DSP stage, which includes at least one DSP unit and generates a processed signal as a function of the first digital signal; an advanced-processing stage, which detects, by execution of a processing of the processed signal, the occurrence of an target condition regarding the first quantity; and a number of registers, which store values of configuration parameters. The advanced-processing stage writes at least one subset of the registers, after detecting the occurrence of the target condition, so as to vary the values of the configuration parameters stored in the subset of registers.

Abstract: A pointing electronic device is provided with: an inertial measurement module, to generate motion input data, indicative of motion of the pointing electronic device, at an input data rate; a pointing determination unit, to implement a pointing algorithm at a processing data rate based on the motion input data, to generate screen-frame displacement data corresponding to 3D-space movements of the pointing electronic device, the processing data rate being higher than the input data rate. The pointing electronic device is further provided with a rate upscaling unit, interposed between the inertial measurement module and the pointing determination unit, to implement a data-rate upscaling of the motion input data, in order to generate upscaled motion input data to be processed by the pointing determination unit at a data rate matching the processing data rate, via a predictive data reconstruction of missing samples based on the actual motion input data.

Abstract: A sensor includes an accelerometer, which, in operation, generates accelerometer data, and digital signal processing circuitry. The digital signal processing circuitry, in operation, generates, based on the generated accelerometer data, a value indicative of a cosine of an angle between an acceleration vector associated with current accelerometer data and a reference acceleration vector, compares the generated value indicative of the cosine of the angle between the vector associated with current accelerometer data and the reference acceleration vector with one or more thresholds and generates a tilt signal based on the comparison of the generated value indicative of the cosine of the angle between the vector associated with current accelerometer data and the reference acceleration vector with the one or more thresholds. The tilt signal may be used as an interrupt signal to an application processor.

Abstract: An embodiment inertial measurement system includes: at least one motion sensor to output motion data with an output data rate (ODR) period; and a control unit coupled to the motion sensor to control operation thereof based on a power mode switching, according to which each ODR period includes: a first phase, in which the motion sensor is controlled in a condition of low power consumption; and a subsequent measurement phase, in which the motion sensor is controlled to perform measurements for generation of measurement data. The control unit adaptively adjusts the duration of the ODR period based on at least one check related to the measurement data generated during the measurement phase.

Abstract: A sensor includes an accelerometer, which, in operation, generates accelerometer data, and digital signal processing circuitry. The digital signal processing circuitry, in operation, generates, based on the generated accelerometer data, a value indicative of a cosine of an angle between an acceleration vector associated with current accelerometer data and a reference acceleration vector, compares the generated value indicative of the cosine of the angle between the vector associated with current accelerometer data and the reference acceleration vector with one or more thresholds and generates a tilt signal based on the comparison of the generated value indicative of the cosine of the angle between the vector associated with current accelerometer data and the reference acceleration vector with the one or more thresholds. The tilt signal may be used as an interrupt signal to an application processor.

Abstract: A signal interface has a compression unit and a data memory. The compression unit is configured to input an input datum from signal data generated by at least one sensor and further configured to identify the presence or absence of at least one repetition condition in the input datum. If the presence of the at least one repetition condition of the input datum is identified, the compression unit encodes the input datum in a compressed way to generate a compressed datum and saves the compressed datum in the data memory. If the presence of the at least one repetition condition of the input datum is not identified, the compression unit saves the uncompressed input datum in the data memory.

Abstract: A plurality of sensors provide respective output data rates, with a first sensor that has a highest output data rate, while one or more other sensors have output data rates that are submultiples of the aforesaid highest output data rate. The data signals coming from the sensors are stored in a memory, e.g., a FIFO memory, by storing the data signals of the first sensor at the aforesaid highest output data rate, accompanying storage of the data signals coming from said first sensor with storage of the data signals coming from the sensors as supplied by said other sensors at the aforesaid submultiple output data rates, so that the data signals are stored in the memory according to a repeated pattern that is common to the various sensors.

Abstract: A signal interface has a compression unit and a data memory. The compression unit is configured to input an input datum from signal data generated by at least one sensor and further configured to identify the presence or absence of at least one repetition condition in the input datum. If the presence of the at least one repetition condition of the input datum is identified, the compression unit encodes the input datum in a compressed way to generate a compressed datum and saves the compressed datum in the data memory. If the presence of the at least one repetition condition of the input datum is not identified, the compression unit saves the uncompressed input datum in the data memory.

Abstract: A plurality of sensors provide respective output data rates, with a first sensor that has a highest output data rate, while one or more other sensors have output data rates that are submultiples of the aforesaid highest output data rate. The data signals coming from the sensors are stored in a memory, e.g., a FIFO memory, by storing the data signals of the first sensor at the aforesaid highest output data rate, accompanying storage of the data signals coming from said first sensor with storage of the data signals coming from the sensors as supplied by said other sensors at the aforesaid submultiple output data rates, so that the data signals are stored in the memory according to a repeated pattern that is common to the various sensors.