Abstract: Circuitry for processing a response from an electrochemical cell to a stimulus, the circuitry comprising: sense circuitry configured to measure the response of the electrochemical cell to the stimulus; and processing circuitry configured to: sample the measured response to obtain a plurality of samples; and output the plurality of samples, wherein the processing circuitry is operable in: a continuous sampling mode in which the processing circuitry is configured to periodically sample the measured response at a fixed sampling rate; a discontinuous sampling mode in which the processing circuitry is configured to periodically sample the measured response during macro periods separated by macro intervals during which sampling of the measured response is disabled.

Abstract: An electronic device, comprising one or more input devices, for receiving biometric input from a user and generating one or more biometric input signals; an applications processor; a mixer configurable by the applications processor to provide a first signal path between one or more of the input devices and the applications processor; and a biometric authentication module coupled to the one or more input devices via a second signal path that does not include the mixer, for performing authentication of at least one of the one or more biometric input signals.

Abstract: This application relates to methods and apparatus for detecting the presence of an accessory device connected to a host device via suitable connector. The apparatus includes a test signal generator and impedance measuring block. The apparatus is operable in an accessory connection discovery mode wherein the test signal generator applies a test signal to a first contact of the connector while a second contact of is connected to a reference node. The impedance measuring determines an impedance measure between said first and second contacts and the apparatus determines whether an accessory is connected based on said measure of impedance. The test signal generator may also have functionality including a microphone bias generator and the impedance measuring block may be a microphone detect block. The contact to which the test signal is applied may be varied while the remaining contact of the connector are connected to the reference node.

Abstract: An electronic device, comprising one or more input devices, for receiving biometric input from a user and generating one or more biometric input signals; an applications processor; a mixer configurable by the applications processor to provide a first signal path between one or more of the input devices and the applications processor; and a biometric authentication module coupled to the one or more input devices via a second signal path that does not include the mixer, for performing authentication of at least one of the one or more biometric input signals.

Abstract: This application relates to methods and apparatus for detecting the presence of an accessory device (102) connected to a host device (10) via suitable connector (104), for instance a jack socket (104) of the host device for receiving a jack plug (103) of the accessory device. The apparatus (106) includes a test signal generator (108) and an impedance measuring block (114). The apparatus is operable in an accessory connection discovery mode in which the test signal generator applies a test signal (BAS) to a first contact (105d) of the connector (104) whilst a second contact (105c) of is connected to a reference node (GND). The impedance measuring determines a measure of an impedance between said first and second contacts and the apparatus determines whether an accessory is connected based on said measure of impedance. Conveniently the test signal generator may also have additional functionality such as a microphone bias generator and the impedance measuring block may be a microphone detect block.