Abstract: An apparatus for a low energy accelerator processor architecture is disclosed. An example arrangement is an integrated circuit that includes a system bus having a data width N, where N is a positive integer; a central processor unit is coupled to the system bus and configured to execute instructions retrieved from a memory; a low energy accelerator processor is configured to execute instruction words received on the system bus and has a plurality of execution units including a load store unit, a load coefficient unit, a multiply unit, and a butterfly/adder ALU unit, wherein each of the execution units is configured to perform operations responsive to retrieved instruction words; and a non-orthogonal data register file comprising a set of data registers coupled to the plurality of execution units, wherein the registers coupled to selected ones of the plurality of execution units. Additional methods and apparatus are disclosed.

Abstract: A direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) receiver includes an antenna, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) estimation logic, and preamble detection logic. The antenna is configured to receive a DSSS signal. The SNR estimation logic is configured to estimate SNR of the received DSSS signal. The preamble detection logic is configured to, in response to the SNR estimate exceeding a SNR threshold value, detect a preamble sequence in the DSSS signal based on an absolute value of a sequence of correlation values. The sequence of correlation values is a complex quantity.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a low energy accelerator processor architecture with short parallel instruction word. An integrated circuit includes a system bus having a data width N, where N is a positive integer; a central processor unit coupled to the system bus and configured to execute instructions retrieved from a memory coupled to the system bus; and a low energy accelerator processor coupled to the system bus and configured to execute instruction words retrieved from a low energy accelerator code memory, the low energy accelerator processor having a plurality of execution units including a load store unit, a load coefficient unit, a multiply unit, and a butterfly/adder ALU unit, each of the execution units configured to perform operations responsive to op-codes decoded from the retrieved instruction words, wherein the width of the instruction words is equal to the data width N. Additional methods and apparatus are disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a low energy accelerator processor architecture with short parallel instruction word. An integrated circuit includes a system bus having a data width N, where N is a positive integer; a central processor unit coupled to the system bus and configured to execute instructions retrieved from a memory coupled to the system bus; and a low energy accelerator processor coupled to the system bus and configured to execute instruction words retrieved from a low energy accelerator code memory, the low energy accelerator processor having a plurality of execution units including a load store unit, a load coefficient unit, a multiply unit, and a butterfly/adder ALU unit, each of the execution units configured to perform operations responsive to op-codes decoded from the retrieved instruction words, wherein the width of the instruction words is equal to the data width N. Additional methods and apparatus are disclosed.

Abstract: A direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) receiver includes an antenna, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) estimation logic, and preamble detection logic. The antenna is configured to receive a DSSS signal. The SNR estimation logic is configured to estimate SNR of the received DSSS signal. The preamble detection logic is configured to, in response to the SNR estimate exceeding a SNR threshold value, detect a preamble sequence in the DSSS signal based on an absolute value of a sequence of correlation values. The sequence of correlation values is a complex quantity.

Abstract: Instructions for 32-bit arithmetic support using 16-bit multiply and 32-bit addition without a barrel shifter. Illustrative instructions include operations that include receiving a first 32-bit operand, receiving a second 32-bit operand, shifting the second 32-bit operand right 16 or 15 bits to obtain a shifted second 32-bit operand, and adding the shifted second 32-bit operand and the first 32-bit operand to generate a 32-bit sum.

Abstract: Described examples include integrated circuits such as microcontrollers with a low energy accelerator processor circuit or other application specific integrated processor circuit including a load store circuit operative to perform load and store operations associated with at least one register and a low gate count shift circuit to selectively shift the data of the register by only an integer number bits less than the register data width without using a barrel shifter for low power operation to support vector operations for FFT or filtering functions.

Abstract: A packet between a first node and a second node, the packet comprising a data payload and a portion of information preceding the data payload. The comprises: (i) first, identifying a quality of a channel between the first node and the second node; (ii) second, in response to the quality of the channel, selecting a manner of communication of the information preceding the data payload; (iii) third, encoding the selected manner of communication in the portion of information preceding data payload; and (iv) fourth, transmitting the packet from the first node to the second node.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a low energy accelerator processor architecture with short parallel instruction word. An integrated circuit includes a system bus having a data width N, where N is a positive integer; a central processor unit coupled to the system bus and configured to execute instructions retrieved from a memory coupled to the system bus; and a low energy accelerator processor coupled to the system bus and configured to execute instruction words retrieved from a low energy accelerator code memory, the low energy accelerator processor having a plurality of execution units including a load store unit, a load coefficient unit, a multiply unit, and a butterfly/adder ALU unit, each of the execution units configured to perform operations responsive to op-codes decoded from the retrieved instruction words, wherein the width of the instruction words is equal to the data width N. Additional methods and apparatus are disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatus for a low energy accelerator processor architecture. An example arrangement is an integrated circuit that includes a system bus having a data width N, where N is a positive integer; a central processor unit coupled to the system bus and configured to execute instructions retrieved from a memory ; a low energy accelerator processor configured to execute instruction words coupled to the system bus and having a plurality of execution units including a load store unit, a load coefficient unit, a multiply unit, and a butterfly/adder ALU unit, each of the execution units configured to perform operations responsive to retrieved instruction words; and a non-orthogonal data register file comprising a set of data registers coupled to the plurality of execution units, the registers coupled to selected ones of the plurality of execution units. Additional methods and apparatus are disclosed.

Abstract: A communication device includes a modulating component, a transmitting component and a controlling component. The modulating component generates a first modulated packet and a second modulated packet. The first modulated packet is based on a first modulation scheme and the second modulated packet is based on a second modulation scheme. The first modulation scheme has a first amount of energy associated therewith, and the second modulation scheme has a second amount of energy associated therewith. The first amount of energy is less than the second amount of energy. The transmitting component generates a transmit packet based on one of the first modulated packet and the second modulated packet. The controlling component generates a control signal to instruct the modulating component to generate the first modulated packet when the transmit packet will be less than a predetermined threshold. The threshold is based on the first amount of energy.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for frequency offset estimation and correction prior to preamble detection of DSSS signals. An integrated circuit is disclosed including a receiver circuit having an input coupled to receive a DSSS signal, the receiver circuit configured to sample the DSSS signal and to output a sequence of digital samples; carrier frequency offset estimation logic configured to perform a carrier frequency offset estimation on the digital samples; carrier frequency correction logic configured to correct the carrier frequency of the sequence of digital samples using the carrier frequency offset estimation and to output a sequence of corrected digital samples; offset quadrature phase shift keying (O-QPSK) demodulation logic configured to perform demodulation on the corrected digital samples and further configured to output symbols corresponding to the corrected digital samples; and preamble identification configured to identify and detect a preamble sequence in the symbols.

Abstract: A communication device includes a modulating component, a transmitting component and a controlling component. The modulating component generates a first modulated packet and a second modulated packet. The first modulated packet is based on a first modulation scheme and the second modulated packet is based on a second modulation scheme. The first modulation scheme has a first amount of energy associated therewith, and the second modulation scheme has a second amount of energy associated therewith. The first amount of energy is less than the second amount of energy. The transmitting component generates a transmit packet based on one of the first modulated packet and the second modulated packet. The controlling component generates a control signal to instruct the modulating component to generate the first modulated packet When the transmit packet will be less than a predetermined threshold. The threshold is based on the first amount of energy.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for frequency offset estimation and correction prior to preamble detection of DSSS signals. An integrated circuit is disclosed including a receiver circuit having an input coupled to receive a DSSS signal, the receiver circuit configured to sample the DSSS signal and to output a sequence of digital samples; carrier frequency offset estimation logic configured to perform a carrier frequency offset estimation on the digital samples; carrier frequency correction logic configured to correct the carrier frequency of the sequence of digital samples using the carrier frequency offset estimation and to output a sequence of corrected digital samples; offset quadrature phase shift keying (O-QPSK) demodulation logic configured to perform demodulation on the corrected digital samples and further configured to output symbols corresponding to the corrected digital samples; and preamble identification configured to identify and detect a preamble sequence in the symbols.

Abstract: A cascaded integrator-comb filter (CIC) that includes a differentiator, a rate changer, an integrator, and a multiplier. The differentiator is configured to differentiate an input signal to produce a differentiated input signal. The rate changer is coupled to the differentiator and is configured to interpolate the differentiated input signal based on an interpolation rate to produce an upsample signal. The integrator is coupled to the rate changer and is configured to integrate the upsample signal to produce an output signal. The multiplier is coupled to the differentiator, rate changer, and integrator and is configured to increase the output signal amplitude based on the interpolation rate.

Abstract: An electronic circuit (300) includes a signal processing circuit (310) including first and second signal processing blocks (310.1, 310.3) coupled in cascade, a memory circuit (320) coupled to and adjustable between the first and second signal processing blocks (310.1, 310.3), the memory circuit (320) having memory spaces, the memory circuit (320) configurable to establish a trade-off of the memory spaces between the first and second signal processing blocks (310.1, 310.3), and a configuring circuit (330) operable to configure the trade-off of the memory spaces of the memory circuit (320).

Abstract: A system and method are provided that are operable for network communications that promote network devices to receive a transmit request, transmit a first part of a frame by a physical layer without a second part of the frame from a medium access control layer, and request the second part of the frame by the physical layer from the medium access control layer. These systems and methods also allow, in some embodiments, for the transmitting of the second part of the frame by the physical layer with data from the medium access control layer.

Abstract: A system is provided that includes a first device and a second device. The second device is configured to communicate wirelessly with the first device. The first and second devices selectively reduce an operational range for communications before sharing a secret, the secret related to data encryption.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) includes self-calibrating programmable digital logic circuitry. The IC includes at least one programmable digital logic cell, wherein the first programmable digital logic cell provides (i) a plurality of different accessible circuit configurations or (ii) a voltage level controller. A self-calibration system is provided that includes at least one reference device, a measurement device for measuring at least one electrical performance parameter that can affect a processing speed of the first programmable digital logic cell or at least one parameter that can affect the electrical performance parameter using the reference device to obtain calibration data. A processing device maps the calibration data or a parameter derived therefrom to generate a control signal that is operable to select from the plurality of different accessible circuit configurations or a voltage level output to change the processing speed of the programmable digital logic cell.

Abstract: A Viterbi decoder includes a branch metric unit, an add-compare select unit coupled to the branch metric unit, and a trace-back unit coupled to the add-compare select unit. The branch metric unit includes a branch metric computation unit coupled to a thresholder unit. The branch metric computation unit is configured to compute a branch metric. The thresholder unit is configured to compare the branch metric with a threshold value. If the branch metric is greater than the threshold value, the thresholder unit is configured to forward the threshold value to the add-compare select and not forward the branch metric to the add-compare select unit. Implementing such a branch metric ceiling allows for a predictable reduction in the significant bits of calculations in the Viterbi decoder, which allows for reduction of complexity via elimination of gates and storage elements.