Converter Calibration Or Testing Patents (Class 341/120)
  • Patent number: 12255665
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a first converter, a second converter, and an adjustment circuit. The first converter is configured to sample an analog signal and convert the sampled analog signal to a first digital value based on a first clock signal. The second converter is configured to sample the analog signal and convert the sampled analog signal to a second digital value based on a second clock signal shifted a first phase from the first clock signal. The adjustment circuit is configured to adjust at least one of a gain of each of the first digital value and the second digital value and a phase of each of the first clock signal and the second clock signal based on the first digital value and the second digital value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mai Araki, Fumihiko Tachibana
  • Patent number: 12224762
    Abstract: A measurement unit is disclosed and includes a converter unit and a processing unit is configured to provide a measurement result value, based on a first input signal and a second input signal. The converter unit is configured to provide a first digital, quantized values based on the first input signal or derived from the first input signal and the second input signal. The converter unit is further configured to provide second digital, quantized values based on the second input signal. The measurement unit is configured to change the one or more control signals of the converter unit between determination of different first values or a determination of the different second values, wherein different first values and/or different second values are provided using different converter quantization step sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventor: Andreas Beermann
  • Patent number: 12224767
    Abstract: A signal processing apparatus includes a plurality of time-interleaving digital-to-analog converters each configured to sample a digital input signal at a preset sub-DAC sample frequency, and to generate an analog sub-DAC output signal. The signal processing apparatus includes analog multiplexer that samples the plurality of sub-DAC output signals at a preset multiplexer clock frequency and generates a multiplexer output signal. The signal processing apparatus further includes a local ADC that receives the multiplexer output signal and generate a digital feedback signal. The signal processing apparatus further includes a digital compensation engine that receives the digital feedback signal from the local ADC and determine one or more distortion compensation parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Artem Vitalyevich Cherenkov, Man Zhao, Mikhail Alexandrovich Linnik, Yijie Wang
  • Patent number: 12216596
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein provide for an improved termination leg unit design and method of trimming impedance thereof, which provides for improved impedance matching for process variations, along with variations in temperature and voltage. Example implementation provide for a leg unit circuit design that includes a first circuit compensating for temperature and voltage variations and a second circuit, connected in series with the first circuit, compensating for process variations. Furthermore, disclosed herein is ZQ calibration method that provides for calibrating of the impedance of each of an on-die termination, a pull-up driver, and a pull-down driver using a single calibration circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad Reza Mahmoodi, Martin Lueker-Boden
  • Patent number: 12218678
    Abstract: A method for calibrating analog-to-digital conversion includes converting, by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a first input voltage to a first digital code. The first input voltage is generated from a reference voltage used as a reference voltage by the ADC. The method includes converting, by the ADC, a second input voltage to a second digital code. The second input voltage is generated from the reference voltage used as the reference voltage by the ADC. The method also includes calculating a calibration factor based on the first digital code, the second digital code, the first input voltage, and the second input voltage, converting, by the ADC, a third voltage to a third digital code, and correcting the third digital code using the calibration factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Vishnu Ravinuthula
  • Patent number: 12212332
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a digital-to-analog conversion apparatus having signal calibration mechanism is provided. A digital-to-analog conversion circuit includes conversion circuits to generate an output analog signal and echo-canceling analog signals. An echo transmission circuit processes an echo-transmitting path to generate an echo signal. An echo calibration circuit generates an output calibration signal and echo-canceling calibration signals according to an input digital circuit through calibration circuits corresponding to the conversion circuits. A calibration parameter calculating circuit generates a plurality of offsets according to an error signal of the echo signal relative to the calibration signals and path information related to the echo calibration circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hsuan-Ting Ho, Shih-Hsiung Huang, Liang-Wei Huang
  • Patent number: 12199807
    Abstract: A wireless transceiver having an in-phase quadrature-phase (IQ) calibration function includes a transmitter, a receiver, a signal generator, and a switch circuit. The switch circuit includes a first and a second switch circuits. The first switch circuit is turned on in a receiver-end calibration process, and outputs a predetermined signal from the signal generator to the transmitter. The second switch circuit is turned on in the receiver calibration process and outputs a derivative signal of the predetermined signal from the transmitter to the receiver to let the receiver performs a receiver-end IQ calibration accordingly. The first switch circuit is turned off and the second switch circuit is turned on in a transmitter-end calibration process; the second switch circuit outputs a radio-frequency signal from the transmitter to the receiver to let the receiver generates a calibration reference accordingly; and the transmitter performs a transmitter-end IQ calibration according to the calibration reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kuan-Yu Shih, Chia-Jun Chang
  • Patent number: 12199616
    Abstract: In a first correction process, a correction value T(0) is set as a median value between minimum and maximum correction values Tmin(0) and Tmax(0). A provisional adjustment value B=T(0)+Bini is input to the circuit section. A signal value output from the circuit section in accordance with the provisional adjustment value B is obtained by an A/D converter, and the magnitude relationship between the signal value and a target value is determined. When the signal value is smaller than the target value, a value that is smaller than the correction value T(0) by an error tolerance is set as a new minimum correction value Tmin(1). The median value between the minimum correction value Tmin(1) and the maximum correction value Tmax(1)=Tmax(0) is set as a next correction value T(1). In the next correction process, the provisional adjustment value B=T(1)+Bini is input to the circuit section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Sato, Yasuhiko Sato, Hideki Yamazaki, Katsuaki Morishita
  • Patent number: 12191874
    Abstract: A method for precise acquisition of a signal of a sensor, by an evaluation and control unit which has a multiplexer at whose inputs there is at least one reference voltage whose voltage value is known, a ground potential of the reference voltage, a measurement signal of the exhaust gas sensor, and a ground potential of the measurement signal. A computer is connected downstream from the multiplexer via a transmission path and via an ADC that converts a voltage between its two inputs into a digital value. The method provides that a plurality of individual measurements are carried out in which switching states of the multiplexer are modified, and digital values are subsequently acquired at the output of the ADC. The computer calculates a measurement value, corrected with regard to offset and gain, from these digital values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Fabian Baumann, Bernhard Ledermann, Claudius Bevot, Florian Mezger
  • Patent number: 12188896
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide measurement devices and methods for detecting electrical characteristics of devices under test (DUTs), such as semiconductor nanowires. Techniques described herein provide programmable measurement devices that may be implemented in a compact form factor while being able to perform reliable measurements. In some embodiments, measurement devices described herein may be programmed to modulate signals for transmitting to a DUT, and may demodulate signals from the DUTs adaptively using self-programming techniques described herein. Such self-programming may include applying a programmable phase delay to oscillator signals used during demodulation. In some embodiments, such measurement devices may be implemented on a single circuit board, in a single integrated circuit package, or even on a single solid-state semiconductor die. Techniques described herein may enable reliable, inexpensive, and small-scale fluid sample measurement devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: FemtoDx, Inc.
    Inventors: Sudhakar Pamarti, Shyamsunder Erramilli, Pritiraj Mohanty
  • Patent number: 12184290
    Abstract: Disclosed in a PAM-4 receiver using pattern-based clock and data recovery circuitry, which includes an analog front end that receives an external signal and recovers channel loss to output a refined PAM-4 signal, a comparison unit that receives the PAM-4 signal and compares the PAM-4 signal with a reference voltage to generate a recovery signal, and a recovery unit that receives the recovery signal and recovers data and a clock. The analog front end includes an equalizer that matches amplitudes of all frequency components of the external signal and an amplifier that amplifies an output signal of the equalizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Korea University Research and Business Foundation
    Inventors: Chulwoo Kim, Seung-Woo Park, Yoon-Jae Choi, Jin-Cheol Sim
  • Patent number: 12184295
    Abstract: Analogue-to-digital converter, ADC, circuitry including: successive-approximation circuitry configured in a subconversion operation to draw a charge from a first voltage reference, REF1; compensation circuitry including a compensation capacitor and configured, in a precharge operation, to connect the compensation capacitor so that the compensation capacitor stores a compensation charge, and, in the subconversion operation, to connect the compensation capacitor to the first voltage reference so that a charge is injected into the first voltage reference, REF1; and control circuitry, wherein: the successive-approximation circuitry and the compensation circuitry are configured such that one or more parameters defining at least one of said charges are controllable; and the control circuitry is configured to adjust at least one said parameter to adjust an extent to which the charge injected into the first voltage reference, REF1, by the compensation circuitry compensates for the charge drawn from the first voltage
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: SOCIONEXT INC.
    Inventors: Sandeep Santhosh Kumar, Jayaraman Kumar, Armin Jalili Sebardan, Martin Wilson
  • Patent number: 12170874
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a digital microphone includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for receiving an analog input signal; a DC blocker component coupled to the ADC; a digital low pass filter coupled to the DC block component; and a nonlinear compensation component coupled to the digital low pass filter for providing a digital output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Dietmar Straeussnigg, Niccoló De Milleri, Hong Chen, Simon Gruenberger, Andreas Wiesbauer
  • Patent number: 12166500
    Abstract: In an example, a system includes an input channel and a voltage to delay converter (V2D) coupled to the input channel. The system also includes a first multiplexer coupled to the V2D and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the first multiplexer. The system includes a second multiplexer coupled to the input channel and an auxiliary ADC coupled to the second multiplexer. The system includes calibration circuitry coupled to an output of the auxiliary ADC, where the calibration circuitry is configured to correct a non-linearity in a signal provided by the input channel. The calibration circuitry is also configured to determine the non-linearity of the signal provided to the ADC relative to the signal provided to the auxiliary ADC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Nagarajan Viswanathan, Himanshu Varshney, Vinam Arora, Charls Babu, Srinivas Kumar Naru
  • Patent number: 12164000
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a single integrated circuit chip including main logic that operates a vehicle component such as a valve driver. Isolated from the main logic within the chip is a safety area that operates to verify proper operation of the main logic. A checker circuit within the chip outside of the safety area serves to verify proper operation of the checker circuit. The checker circuit receives signals from the safety circuit and uses combinatorial logic circuit to verify from those signals that the check circuit is operating properly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Alessandro Cannone, Enrico Ferrara, Nicola Errico, Gea Donzelli
  • Patent number: 12158497
    Abstract: An electronic circuit includes a ramp signal generator, an oscillator, a monitoring circuit and a logic controller. The ramp signal generator generates a ramp signal. The oscillator generates a clock signal. The monitoring circuit operates in an operation mode selected from a first mode of monitoring an external output voltage and a second mode of performing an analog built-in self-test (ABIST), and generates a comparator output. The logic controller controls the monitoring circuit to operate in the operation mode. When the monitoring circuit operates in the second mode, the logic controller counts the clock signal, controls the monitoring circuit to perform the ABIST based on the ramp signal, and generates an ABIST output indicating whether the monitoring circuit operates normally based on a value of the counting and the comparator output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hyunseok Nam
  • Patent number: 12160244
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling a power supply voltage for a switch driver in a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). An example DAC generally includes a plurality of DAC cells, each DAC cell comprising a current source, a first switch coupled in series with the current source at a first node, and a switch driver having an output coupled to a control input of the first switch; and calibration circuitry having a first input coupled to a first DAC cell in the plurality of DAC cells and having an output coupled to at least one of the plurality of DAC cells, the calibration circuitry being configured to sense a voltage of the first node in the first DAC cell and to control the power supply voltage for the switch driver in the at least one of the plurality of DAC cells, based on the sensed voltage of the first node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Xiahan Zhou, Haibo Fei
  • Patent number: 12149257
    Abstract: A data sensing circuit includes one or more drive sense circuits operably coupled to a plurality of data sources. The one or more drive sense circuits produces a plurality of digital sense signals regarding the plurality of data sources at an oversampling rate. The data sensing circuit further includes a digital filtering circuit operably coupled to receive, in parallel, at least some of the plurality of digital sense signals and generate, in a serial manner, a plurality of affect values from the least some of the plurality of digital sense signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Grant Howard McGibney, Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand
  • Patent number: 12136930
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an analog-to-digital converter system comprising a sampler configured to sample an input signal and provide at least two output signals with a predetermined output sample rate, and an analog-to-digital converter for each one of the output signals and configured to convert the respective output signal into a digital signal with a predetermined converter sample rate, wherein the converter sample rate is higher than the output sample rate. Further, the present disclosure provides a respective method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: ROHDE & SCHWARZ GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Martin Peschke, Andrew Schaefer
  • Patent number: 12126910
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes an image sensor including a plurality of unit pixels, each unit pixel including two or more individual pixels, and at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to acquire a first image frame from the image sensor, determine a photographing environment of the electronic device, based on the first image frame, and, in response to the photographing environment corresponding to a first photographing environment, control the image sensor to acquire analog data through the individual pixels, and provide first digital data digitally converted from the analog data with first sensitivity, and second digital data digitally converted from the analog data with second sensitivity which is higher than the first sensitivity, and acquire a second image frame which follows the first image frame, based on the first digital data and the second digital data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dongsoo Kim, Inah Moon, Jaehyoung Park, Shuichi Shimokawa, Kawang Kang, Yunjeong Kim, Jonghoon Won, Yeotak Youn
  • Patent number: 12125307
    Abstract: A capacitive biometric skin contact sensor configured to resolve the contours of skin in contact with the sensor, wherein the sensor comprises: a contact sensing area comprising an array of sensor pixels, wherein each sensor pixel comprises a thin film transistor and a capacitive sensing electrode connected to the thin film transistor; a plurality of gate drive channels, wherein each gate drive channel is arranged to provide a gate drive signal to one or more of the sensor pixels; a plurality of read-out channels, wherein each read-out channel is arranged to receive a read-out current from one or more of the sensor pixels, each read-out current being indicative of a proximity to a respective capacitive sensing electrode of a conductive object to be sensed; a current multiplexer connected to a plurality of the read-out channels to receive read-out currents therefrom; and an analog to digital converter configured to provide a digital signal based on said read-out currents; wherein the sensor is configured to co
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: TOUCH BIOMETRIX LIMITED
    Inventors: Henricus Derckx, Michael Cowin, Wilhelmus Van Lier, Toru Sakai
  • Patent number: 12126171
    Abstract: Described is an apparatus to concurrently measure multiple input voltages at a high sampling data rate, such as at least two mega-samples per second. The apparatus may include a plurality of voltage data acquisition components that concurrently sample different input voltages and produce respective voltage data samples. Each of the plurality of voltage data acquisition components may be directly coupled to a field programmable gate array that receives the voltage data samples, packetizes those voltage data samples, and provide the packetized voltage data samples to a system on chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Nayana Teja Chiluvuri, Chang Hwa Rob Yang, Xunwei Yu, Kenneth Lawrence Staton, Cameron Dean Whitehouse, Matthew L. Chaboud, Sajesh Kumar Saran, Pushkaraksha Gejji, Krzysztof Marcin Walczak
  • Patent number: 12123788
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the field of biometric parameter measurement, and in particular, to a temperature measurement circuit, a temperature measurement method, a temperature and light intensity measurement circuit, a temperature and light intensity measurement method, a chip, a module, and an electronic device. A temperature signal is obtained based on an output voltage of a differential amplifier circuit when a non-inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit is unload, an output voltage of the differential amplifier circuit when the non-inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit is connected to a calibration resistor, and the output voltage of the differential amplifier circuit when the non-inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit is connected to a thermistor, which improves the accuracy of the temperature measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Inventors: Chuanlin Li, Fulin Li, Haixiang Wang
  • Patent number: 12126474
    Abstract: A receiver includes an interface configured to receive a data signal based on an n-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-n) in which n is an integer equal to or greater than 4. The interface may include an analog-digital converting circuit configured to adjust a reference voltage, for distinguishing second bit data from the data signal in a second section, based on first bit data converted from the data signal in a first section and the first bit data converted from the data signal in the second section, the second section being after the first section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Inventors: Jaekwon Kim, Junghoon Chun
  • Patent number: 12126364
    Abstract: A delta-sigma modulation apparatus performs delta-sigma modulation on a first signal as an input signal and outputs a second signal, outputs, using the second signal and a third signal generated through a transmission process of the second signal, a fourth signal that is an approximated value of a signal which is generated through at least part of the transmission process, and performs the delta-sigma modulation on the first signal using the fourth signal and outputs the second signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki Tanio, Naoto Ishii, Kazushi Muraoka
  • Patent number: 12119835
    Abstract: A system includes a first circuit configured to provide a digitally pre-distorted input signal, a digital-to-analog converter including a number of unit elements, a digital input, and a digital output. Each unit element is configured to receive a reference voltage and to be controllable by a control signal provided in response to the digitally pre-distorted input signal. The digital-to-analog converter provides an analog output. The first circuit is configured to reduce distortion due to signal dependent changes to the reference voltage. The signal dependent changes can be due at least in part to current through the supply network that supplies the reference voltage. The digital to analog converter can be a voltage mode converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte. Limited
    Inventors: Ahmed Elkholy, Jun Cao, Adesh Garg
  • Patent number: 12107597
    Abstract: A successive approximation register analog to digital converter includes a charge injection digital to analog converter (DAC) circuit, a comparator circuit, and a control logic circuitry. The charge injection DAC circuit includes capacitors that sample input signals to generate first and second signals and charge injection circuits that selectively adjust the first or the second signals according to enable signals and decision signals. The comparator circuit compares the first and second signals to generate the decision signals. The control logic circuitry controls a circuit of the charge injection circuits to adjust the first and the second signals during an initial phase, in order to adjust a switching sequence of the circuit according to the decision signals corresponding to the initial phase, and generates the enable signals according to the decision signals and the adjusted switching sequence during a conversion phase to generate a digital output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shih-Hsiung Huang, Wei-Cian Hong, Sheng-Yen Shih
  • Patent number: 12095483
    Abstract: Embodiments of sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuits and a microphone circuit are disclosed. In an embodiment, a sigma-delta ADC circuit includes a pair of operational transconductance amplifiers (OTAs), a filter connected to the pair of OTAs, a quantizer connected to the filter, a differential digital-to-analog converter (DAC) connected to the quantizer, and a bias compensation circuit configured to measure a biasing condition of a first OTA of the pair of OTAs and to apply the biasing condition of the first OTA to a second OTA of the pair of OTAs to reduce Total Harmonic Distortion Plus Noise (THD+N) in the sigma-delta ADC circuit. An output of a microphone and a differential output of the differential DAC are inputted into input terminals of the pair of OTAs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Dave Sebastiaan Kroekenstoel, Muhammad Kamran, Harry Neuteboom, Costantino Ligouras, Sergio Andrés Rueda Gómez
  • Patent number: 12088316
    Abstract: A successive-approximation analog-to-digital converter includes a sampling circuit for sampling an analog input signal to acquire a sampled voltage, and a regenerative comparator for comparing the sampled voltage with a succession of reference voltages to generate, for each reference voltage, a decision bit indicating the comparison result. The converter also includes a digital-to-analog converter which is adapted to generate the succession of reference voltages, in dependence on successive comparison results in the comparator, to progressively approximate the sampled voltage. The regenerative comparator comprises an integration circuit for generating output signals defining the decision bits, and a plurality of regeneration circuits for receiving these output signals. The regeneration circuits are operable, in response to respective control signals, to store respective decision bits defined by successive output signals from the integration circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Abdullah Serdar Yonar, Pier Andrea Francese, Marcel A. Kossel
  • Patent number: 12080308
    Abstract: This disclosure falls into the field of audio coding, in particular it is related to the field of providing a framework for providing loudness consistency among differing audio output signals. In particular, the disclosure relates to methods, computer program products and apparatus for encoding and decoding of audio data bitstreams in order to attain a desired loudness level of an output audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignees: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Jeroen Koppens, Scott Gregory Norcross
  • Patent number: 12074607
    Abstract: A circuit includes a nonlinear analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to provide a first digital output based on an analog input signal. The circuit also includes a linearization circuit having a lookup table (LUT) memory configured to store initial calibration data. The linearization circuit is coupled to the nonlinear ADC and is configured to: determine updated calibration data based on the initial calibration data; replace the initial calibration data in the LUT memory with the updated calibration data; and provide a second digital output at a linearization circuit output of the linearization circuit based on the first digital output and the updated calibration data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Narasimhan Rajagopal, Nithin Gopinath, Viswanathan Nagarajan, Neeraj Shrivastava, Visvesvaraya A. Pentakota, Harshit Moondra, Abhinav Chandra
  • Patent number: 12068753
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a signal gain tuning circuit having adaptive mechanism. An amplifier receives an analog signal to generate a tuned analog signal to an ADC circuit to further generate a digital signal. A gain control capacitor array and the amplifier together determine a gain of the tuned analog signal. The control circuit receives an actual level of the digital signal to determine an offset of the digital signal and an estimated level to generate a tuning control signal. Each of coarse-tuning capacitors of a coarse-tuning capacitor array corresponds to a first tuning amount relative to a maximal gain. Each of fine-tuning capacitors of a fine-tuning capacitor array corresponds to a second tuning amount relative to the maximal gain. A tuning capacitor enabling combination of the coarse-tuning and fine-tuning capacitor arrays are determined according to the tuning control signal to tune the gain and decrease the offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yun-Tse Chen, Hsuan-Ting Ho, Liang-Wei Huang, Tzung-Hua Tsai
  • Patent number: 12063050
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter comprising a plurality of sampling cells. At least one of the plurality of sampling cells comprises a capacitive element coupled to a cell output of the at least one of the plurality of sampling cells, wherein a cell output signal is provided at the cell output. The at least one of the plurality of sampling cells further comprises a first cell input for receiving an input signal to be digitized, and a second cell input for receiving a calibration signal. Additionally, the at least one of the plurality of sampling cells comprises a first switch circuit capable of selectively coupling the first cell input to the capacitive element based on a clock signal, and a second switch circuit capable of selectively coupling the second cell input to the capacitive element, wherein a size of the second switch circuit is smaller than a size of the first switch circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Albert Molina, Kameran Azadet, Martin Clara, Matteo Camponeschi, Christian Lindholm
  • Patent number: 12057854
    Abstract: An example apparatus includes: nonlinearity function selection circuitry with an output, the nonlinearity function selection circuitry to select a type of a nonlinearity function, the nonlinearity function to model nonlinearity portions of data output from an analog-to-digital converter, nonlinearity function term generation circuitry with a first input coupled to the output, the nonlinearity function term generation circuitry to generate one or more nonlinearity function terms of the nonlinearity function based on the type of the nonlinearity function and the data, and coefficient determination circuitry with a second input coupled to the output, the coefficient determination circuitry to determine one or more nonlinearity function coefficients based on the one or more nonlinearity function terms, the nonlinearity portions of the data to be compensated based on the one or more nonlinearity function coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Pankaj Gupta, Ajai Paulose, Sreenath Narayanan Potty, Divyansh Jain, Jaiganesh Balakrishnan, Jawaharlal Tangudu, Aswath VS, Girish Nadiger, Ankur Jain
  • Patent number: 12052047
    Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include a quadratic phase generator for outputting a perfectly interpolated constant amplitude zero autocorrelation (CAZAC) sequence for a transmit path. The quadratic phase generator may include a numerically controlled oscillator, a switch controlled based on a value output from the numerically controlled oscillator, a first integrator stage, and a second integrator stage connected in series with the first integrator stage. The numerically controlled oscillator may receive as inputs a chirp count and a word length. The switch may be configured to switchably feed one of two input values that are a function of the chirp count and the word length to the first integrator stage. The quadratic phase generator may output full-bandwidth chirps or reduced-bandwidth chirps. Bandwidth reduction can be achieved by scaling the two input values of the switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Menkhoff, Andreas Boehme, Bernhard Sogl, Jochen Schrattenecker, Joonhoi Hur
  • Patent number: 12034450
    Abstract: An apparatus for correcting a mismatch between a first segment and a second segment of a Digital-to-Analog Converter, DAC, is provided. The first segment generates a first contribution to an analog output signal of the DAC based on a first number of bits of a digital input word for the DAC converter, and the second segment generates a second contribution based on a second number of bits. Further, the apparatus comprises a first processing circuit for the first number of bits comprising a first filter configured to modify the first number of bits to generate first modified bits, and a second processing circuit comprising a second filter to modify the second number of bits to generate second modified bits. The apparatus additionally comprises an output configured to output a modified digital input word for the DAC, which is based on the first modified bits and the second modified bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Gruber, Ramon Sanchez, Kameran Azadet, Martin Clara
  • Patent number: 12035086
    Abstract: An electricity usage monitor may include a coupling component to attach the electricity usage monitor to an electrical circuit to monitor electricity usage of the electrical circuit, an analog-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert analog current readings captured by the electricity usage monitor into digital values, a processor operably coupled to the ADC, and a non-transitory, computer-readable medium operably coupled to the processor and comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations. The operations may include determining a standard deviation of the digital values, based on the standard deviation, adjusting a gain of the ADC, and transmitting a signal to a server comprising the digital values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Vutility, Inc.
    Inventors: Micheal M. Austin, Kody Shook Brown
  • Patent number: 12034573
    Abstract: A transmitter includes a shift register, a lookup table, and a digital to analog converter. The shift register is configured to receive an input signal and to output delayed copies of the input signal. The lookup table is configured to store compensation values estimated based on the input signal and the delayed copies of the input signal. The digital to analog converter is configured to output a transmit signal based on the input signal and the compensation values. The compensation values are designed to mitigate distortion of the transmit signal from conversion of the input signal to a digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: MARVELL ASIA PTE LTD
    Inventors: Dragos Cartina, Ankit Bhargav, Jamal Riani, Wen-Sin Liew, Yu Liao, Changfeng Loi
  • Patent number: 12028089
    Abstract: A hybrid digital-to-analog converter (DAC) driver circuit includes a current-mode DAC driver, a voltage-mode DAC driver, and a combination circuit. The current-mode DAC driver may be configured to receive a first set of bits of a digital input signal and to generate a first analog signal. The voltage-mode DAC driver may be configured to receive a second set of bits of the digital input signal and to generate a second analog signal. The combination circuit may be configured to combine the first analog signal and the second analog signal and to generate an analog output signal. The DAC driver circuit may be terminated by adjusting resistor values of the voltage-mode DAC driver. The current-mode DAC driver and the voltage-mode DAC driver are differential drivers, and may be configured to operate with a single clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: JARIET TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ark-Chew Wong, Richard Dennis Alexander
  • Patent number: 11979166
    Abstract: A method of weight calibration in a DAC (25) is disclosed. The DAC (25) comprises an input port (100) for receiving a sequence of digital input words (x[n]), each representing a digital input sample, and a digital control circuit (110) configured to encode each digital input word (x[n]) into a control word (z[n]) representing the same digital input sample. Each bit (Zi) in the control word (z[n]) has a corresponding bit weight (wi) and is in the following considered to adopt values in {?1, 1}. Furthermore, the DAC (25) comprises a set (120) of analog weights, each associated with a unique one of the bits (Zi) in the control word (z[n]), and summation circuitry (130) configured to generate an analog sample corresponding to the digital input sample by summing the bits in the control word (Zi) weighted by the respective associated analog weights. The DAC (25) also has an output (140) for outputting the analog sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventor: Henrik Fredriksson
  • Patent number: 11977181
    Abstract: An apparatus, such as a radar system that conducts beamforming operations, includes a plurality of analog-to-digital-converters (ADCs) and an error correction system coupled to the ADCs. Based upon an assessment of a plurality of errors associated with the ADCs by the error correction system, the error correction system programs sampling operations for the ADCs. The error correction system includes an error correction unit that identifies the plurality of errors associated with a plurality of sub-ADCs of the ADCs, a selection unit coupled to the error correction unit that sorts the errors associated with the plurality of sub-ADCs, and a programming unit coupled to the selection unit that reconfigures the sorted errors to generate a sequence of sampling operations for the plurality of sub-ADCs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Pavlos Athanasiadis, Konstantinos Doris, Marios Neofytou, Georgi Ivanov Radulov
  • Patent number: 11967968
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of digital-to-analog converter (DAC) channels. Each DAC channel includes a current control circuit which receives a start limit signal or an end limit signal. The current control circuit reduces an output current limit of the channel responsive to the start limit signal and increases the output current limit responsive to the end limit signal. Each channel includes a current sensor circuit adapted to measure the output current of the channel and provide a channel over-current alert signal if the output current rises above a high current limit. The system includes a controller which asserts the start limit signal if the number of channels exceeding the high current limit is greater than a maximum allowable number and asserts the end limit signal if the number of channels exceeding the high current limit is less than the maximum allowable number minus a hysteresis value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Paul Thomas Frost, Aditya Vighnesh Ramakanth Bommireddipalli, Hugo Cheung, Abdullah Yilmaz, Ruben Antonio Vasquez
  • Patent number: 11949426
    Abstract: Aspects relate to analog-to-digital conversion of an analog signal. The resolution (number of bits) and/or the quantization levels of the analog-to-digital conversion may be configurable. A device may configure its analog-to-digital conversion parameters. For example, a first device may reduce the number of bits for its analog-to-digital converter to reduce power consumption. In this case, the first device may transmit an indication of selected analog-to-digital conversion parameters to a second device that will transmit to the first device. In this way, the second device may take appropriate action, if needed. A device may request another device to use certain analog-to-digital conversion parameters. For example, a first device may determine that a second device should use a larger number of bits for its analog-to-digital conversion process to improve the quality of the communication between the first and second devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Idan Michael Horn, Shay Landis, Assaf Touboul, Amit Bar-Or Tillinger
  • Patent number: 11942957
    Abstract: The present disclosure enables firmware-based interleaved-ADC gain calibration and provides hardware-thresholding enhancements. An on-chip memory may store subADC samples and a microprocessor accesses these stored samples for use with the calibration algorithm. Power estimates may be performed using square of each subADC sample to estimate gain error. Thresholding may be applied to the subADC samples, such as Maximum Amplitude Thresholding, Minimum Power Thresholding, and/or using Histogram Output Memory, to determine that samples are valid and may be used for calibration or that subADC data are to be discarded and a new subADC data capture is to be started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin R. Rivas-Rivera, Tao Conrad
  • Patent number: 11942958
    Abstract: A method has been disclosed that relates to electrical variability compensation technique for configurable-output circuits. The compensation technique can be applied to a generality of circuits whose output has to vary between two electrical limits spanning the range in between them according to a specific code given as input. A switching sequence that is process gradient-direction agnostic has been disclosed which limits variability. An electric device comprising a processing gradient-direction agnostic configurable-output circuit has been also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Pierguido Garofalo
  • Patent number: 11936397
    Abstract: A composite analog-to-digital converter (ADC) has a low resolution ADC configured to receive and digitize analog data, the low resolution ADC having a low resolution and a high operating speed, one or more high resolution ADCs configured to receive and digitize the analog data, the one or more high resolution ADCs having a resolution higher than the low resolution ADC, and an operating speed lower than the high operating speed of the low resolution ADC, a sample clock generator to provide a sample clock signal to the low resolution ADC and to a clock divider, a mixer to receive the analog data and connected to the one or more high resolution ADCs, a local oscillator connected to the mixer to allow the one or more high resolution ADCs to be tuned to sample a portion of a spectrum of the first ADC. A test and measurement instrument contains a composite ADC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander Krauska
  • Patent number: 11936396
    Abstract: An AD converter with self-calibration function that does not require an instrument for calibration, and includes: a reference voltage unit that generates a reference voltage; a summation and conversion unit that has two or more unit voltages serving as units of amount of change in a summed voltage, and during conversion, sums up any one unit voltage of the two or more unit voltages until the summed voltage exceeds the reference voltage, with an input voltage being an initial value of the summed voltage; and a control unit including a calibration control section that calibrates the two or more unit voltages and an offset voltage of a comparator at a time of calibration, and a conversion control section that determines a polarity of the offset voltage of the comparator and thereafter converts the input voltage to a digital value during conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadashi Minotani, Kenichi Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 11907471
    Abstract: A drive-sense circuit coupled to a variable current load. The drive-sense circuit includes an impedance reference circuit operable to generate an impedance reference signal. The drive-sense circuit further includes a regulated voltage source circuit operable to generate a regulated voltage signal based on an analog regulation signal, where the regulated voltage signal is provided on a line to the variable current load to keep a load impedance on the line substantially matching the impedance reference signal, and where a current of the variable current load affects the regulated voltage signal. The drive-sense circuit further includes a voltage loop correction circuit operable to generate a comparison signal based on the impedance reference signal and the load impedance, where the comparison signal represents the current, and where the analog regulation signal is representative of the comparison signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11894855
    Abstract: Techniques for facilitating analog-to-digital converter calibrations are provided. In one example, a method includes, for each of a plurality of time instances, generating a first ramp signal started at the time instance relative to a respective start of a first counter signal and generating a respective comparator output signal based on the first ramp signal and a first threshold signal. The method further includes capturing a respective first value of the first ramp signal in response to a transition of the respective comparator output signal. The method further includes determining a respective second counter value of a second counter signal based on the respective first value. The method further includes determining a scaling factor based on the second counter values and the time instances. Each of the first values is associated with the same counter value of the first counter signal. Related devices and systems are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Teledyne FLIR Commercial Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian B. Simolon
  • Patent number: 11888492
    Abstract: A background offset calibration system for an analog signal comparator provides low offset without compromising tracking bandwidth. The comparator includes a preamplifier and a decision latch. A switching selectively couples outputs of an analog circuit to the inputs of the preamplifier stage. A state control logic alternatively operates the system in a first phase in which the analog circuit acquires an input signal while the comparator is calibrated, and a second phase in which a comparison is performed by the comparator. In the first phase, the switching circuit disconnects the outputs of the analog circuit from the preamplifier stage and applies a common mode reference to the inputs of the preamplifier. An offset correction circuit determines correction changes from a history of states of the decision latch across multiple sampling cycles. The offset correction circuit adjusts a threshold voltage of the decision latch by applying the correction changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: CIRRUS LOGIC, INC.
    Inventors: Jianping Wen, John L. Melanson