Abstract: A DC-DC voltage down-converter for an electronic device supplied by a battery and having a bus interface for the interconnection with another electronic device capable of supplying electric power is provided. The DC-DC voltage down-converter includes a terminal coupled to a voltage supply line of the bus interface and operable to receive a input current from the another electronic device. The DC-DC voltage down-converter further includes an electric energy storage element coupled between the battery and the terminal, the electric energy storage element being operable to storage/release electric energy and a drive circuit arranged to control the storage/release of the electric energy storage element, so as to cause an electric power generated by the input current supplied by the another electronic device through the voltage supply line to re-charge the battery.

Abstract: A power management unit for a battery-operated electronic device having a bus interface for the interconnection with another electronic device, the power management unit including an electric energy storage element coupled between a battery of the battery-operated electronic device and a voltage supply line of the bus interface, the electric energy storage element being operable to charge/discharge electric energy; a drive circuitry arranged to control a charge/discharge of the electric energy storage element. The drive circuitry is operable to cause an electric power supplied by the other electronic device through the voltage supply line to re-charge the battery; or, in case the other electronic device does not supply electric power, cause the battery supply electric power to the other electronic device through the voltage supply line. The power management unit is particularly adapted for battery-operated, mobile USB OTG devices.

Abstract: A voltage regulator having an input terminal for receiving an input voltage and an output terminal for providing a regulated voltage, the voltage regulator including: a differential amplifier configured for receiving a reference voltage and a feedback signal being a function of the regulated voltage, and for providing a regulation signal according to a comparison between the reference voltage and the feedback signal, a regulation transistor having a control terminal for receiving the regulation signal, a first terminal for receiving the first voltage and a second terminal coupled with the output terminal of the voltage regulator, wherein a voltage-controlled circuit coupled to the output terminal, responsive to a voltage difference between the first voltage and the regulation voltage and adapted to sink from the output terminal a current depending on said voltage difference between the supply voltage and the regulation voltage, said current being related to a leakage current of the regulation transistor.

Abstract: A circuit apparatus with LED diodes includes a plurality of circuit branches in which each circuit branch comprises at least one LED diode. The apparatus comprises a device for the supply of said plurality of circuit branches and each circuit branch is connected singularly to the supply device. The supply device comprises a controller suitable for commanding the supply of each circuit branch of the plurality of circuit branches independently from the other circuit branches of the plurality.

Abstract: A device includes at least two circuit branches, each of said at least two circuit branches comprising at least one LED diode. The device comprises a supply circuit that provides an electric supply of said at least two circuit branches and includes a variable resistance. The device comprises a controller coupled to said at least two circuit branches and suitable for varying said resistance in reply to a variation of the current that flows in one of said at least two circuit branches to vary the electric supply of said at least two circuit branches.

Abstract: A circuit is provided for controlling a battery-charger device with a closed-loop architecture. The circuit includes sensing means for sensing an operative quantity of the device, control means, and driving means. The control means alternately controls the sensing means to track the operative quantity during a tracking phase and to hold the operative quantity during a holding phase. The driving means provides a regulation signal that regulates the operative quantity based on a comparison between the operative quantity sensed by the sensing means and a reference value. The control means causes the driving means to hold the regulation signal during at least part of each of the holding phases. Also provided is a method of controlling a battery-charger device with a closed-loop architecture.

Abstract: A switch-type regulator with a soft-start function having an output terminal supplying an output voltage, and including an error amplifier, having a first input receiving a constant reference voltage, a second input receiving a feedback voltage dependent on the output voltage, and supplying a compensation terminal with an error voltage correlated to the difference between the reference voltage and the feedback voltage. The error amplifier includes a differential amplifier. The regulator also includes a compensation network connected to the compensation terminal. A soft-start function is obtained exploiting the compensation network.

Abstract: A control circuit for controlling current of batteries at the end of the charging phase, especially for lithium batteries, including an input/output circuit, placed between a battery charger and a battery, and an output stage, including two transistors, wherein the resistance of one of the two transistors is modulated to increase the value of the total resistance and to cause a lower turning off current of said output stage.

Abstract: Static current consumption in a low-side output drive stage is eliminated by employing a switch in series with a current generator that is employed for controlling the discharge process of the driving node (gate) of the output power transistor and by controlling the switch with the voltage that is present on the driving node of the out put power transistor.

Abstract: An integrated circuit voltage ramp generator is presented. The circuit includes at least one operational amplifier having a non-inverting input terminal connected to a voltage reference, and having an output terminal coupled in a feedback relationship to an output terminal of the generator circuit. The ramp voltage generator further includes a first storage capacitance connected between the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier and a ground reference, which is loaded by means of a second pumping capacitance connected in parallel to the first capacitance. The pumping and voltage generation is and controlled by a series of passgates coupled to clock signals.

Abstract: An electronic level shifter device having very low power consumption includes a first voltage reference from a power supply and a second voltage reference from a ground. The shifter device includes a circuit portion with a differential cell having an output terminal and at least a first and a second input terminal. On the output terminal is a level translated signal with respect to a signal present on one of said input terminals. The device further comprises an additional circuit portion connected to a node of the differential cell and comprising at least a pull-down component inserted between said node and the second voltage reference. The pull-down component can be a MOS transistor having its conduction terminals connected between said node and the second voltage reference and its gate terminal connected to the first voltage reference of power supply by means of a series of transistors.

Abstract: A linear type of voltage regulator, having at least one input terminal adapted to receive a supply voltage and one output terminal adapted to deliver a regulated output voltage, includes a power transistor and a driver circuit for the transistor. The driver circuit includes an operational amplifier having an input differential stage biased by a bias current which varies proportionally with the variations of the regulated output voltage at the output terminal of the regulator.

Abstract: A battery-charging electronic device comprises a current generator adapted to supply a charging current to a battery and a controlled current edge switch having a circuit for controlling the switching edges of current being flowed through a power transistor. The switching edge control circuit comprises a controlled edge variable voltage generator for generating a controlled edge voltage signal, a voltage/current converter for converting the voltage signal to a controlled edge current signal, and a driver circuit for the power transistor being input the controlled edge current signal to mirror, onto the power transistor, an output current which is proportional to the controlled edge current signal.

Abstract: A linear type of voltage regulator, having an input terminal adapted to receive a supply voltage thereon, and an output terminal adapted to deliver a regulated output voltage, includes a power transistor and a driving circuit therefor. The driving circuit includes an operational amplifier having a differential input stage biased by a bias current which varies proportionally with the output current of the regulator.

Abstract: A sense and protection circuit against short circuits for digital outputs, comprising a logic gating circuit of the exclusive OR type (EX1) which has a first input terminal connected to a signal input node (IN) and an output terminal which is connected to an input terminal of a signal level shifter output stage (B). A second logic gating circuit of the exclusive OR type (EX2) has a first input terminal connected to the input node (IN) and a second input terminal connected, through an inverting circuit (IN1), to an output terminal (OUT) of the output stage (B). A second input terminal of the first logic gate circuit is coupled to an output terminal of the second logic gate circuit through a comparator circuit (SCH1) and a delay circuit means (C,R,D).

Abstract: The turn-off delay time of a low-side driver (output power transistor), may be independently reduced and eventually made identical to the turn-on delay time by employing an auxiliary current generator that may be controlled by the same switching signal that controls a current generator employed for discharging the control node of the low-side driver, in order to provide an augmented discharging current during a first phase (only) of a turn-off process. The contribution to the capacitance discharge current provided by said third current generator is automatically interrupted by means responsive to the voltage present on the driving node of the low-side driver, when it approaches saturation.