Buffer system having reduced threshold current
Granted: August 4, 2015
Patent Number:
9100004
A buffer system is provided that reduces threshold current using a current source to provide power to one or more stages of the buffer system. The buffer system may also include delay management techniques that balances all of, or part of, a delay that may be imparted to an input signal by the current source. In addition, hysteresis techniques may be used to provide enhanced noise management of the input signal.
Apparatus related to an inductive switching test
Granted: August 4, 2015
Patent Number:
9097759
In one general aspect, an apparatus can include an energy storage device configured to store energy during an unclamped inductive switching test of a target device, and a switch device configured to shunt at least a portion of energy away from the target device in response to the target device changing from a breakdown state to a failure state.
Multi-die MEMS package
Granted: July 28, 2015
Patent Number:
9095072
This document refers to multi-die micromechanical system (MEMS) packages. In an example, a multi-die MEMS package can include a controller integrated circuit (IC) configured to couple to a circuit board, a MEMS IC mounted to a first side of the controller IC, a through silicon via extending through the controller IC between the first side and a second side of the controller IC, the second side opposite the first side, and wherein the MEMS IC is coupled to the through silicon via.
Micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) driver
Granted: July 28, 2015
Patent Number:
9094027
In an example, a driver for a micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) device can include a first input configured to receive a first command signal including an oscillatory command signal, a second input configured to receive a second command signal including a bias command signal, and an amplifier configured to receive a high voltage supply, to provide, to the MEMS device, a closed-loop output signal responsive to both the first command signal and the second command signal in a first…
Level switching circuit and method for controlling rail-to-rail enabling signal
Granted: July 28, 2015
Patent Number:
9094019
This document discusses, among other things, methods for controlling a Rail-to-Rail enabling signal, including providing a first signal of an input signal of a control circuit to a level switching circuit, performing, by the level switching circuit, enabling control according to a high level and a low level of the first signal, and outputting, by the level switching circuit, a disabling signal in case of a failure of a power supply coupled to the level switching circuit. The document…
Subsonic test signal generation technique
Granted: July 14, 2015
Patent Number:
9083322
An apparatus includes a capacitor, a current generating circuit communicatively coupled to the capacitor, and a current pulse timing circuit communicatively coupled to the current source circuit. The current timing pulse circuit is configured to time durations of a first plurality of current pulses from the current generating circuit for charging the capacitor and a second plurality of current pulses for discharging the capacitor, and step the durations of the current pulses between a…
Synchronous rectifier control techniques for a resonant converter
Granted: July 14, 2015
Patent Number:
9083247
A resonant converter system includes a first stage having inverter circuitry and resonant tank circuitry configured to generate an AC signal from a DC input signal, a transformer configured to transform the AC signal, and a second stage. The second stage features synchronous rectifier (SR) circuitry including a plurality of SR switches each having a body diode and SR control circuitry. SR control circuitry is configured to generate gate control signals to control the conduction state of…
Adaptive startup control for boost converter
Granted: July 14, 2015
Patent Number:
9081398
This document discusses apparatus and methods for a boost converter start-up circuit. In an example, a start-up circuit can include a linear current generator configured to couple a supply terminal of the voltage converter to an output terminal of the voltage converter. The linear current generator can include a modified current mirror and a feedback circuit configured to provide a first representative of an output voltage of the output terminal to an input of each of a first and a…
Clamp circuit and method for clamping voltage
Granted: July 7, 2015
Patent Number:
9077324
The disclosure provides a clamp circuit and a method for clamping voltage. The clamp circuit includes: a first switch control unit, connected with the high-potential terminal of the first stage output of a comparator and configured to clamp the voltage of the high-potential terminal to VGate1 when the voltage of the high-potential terminal is lower than a first pre-set value V1, and a second switch control unit, connected to the low-potential terminal of the first stage output of the…
Data-on-supply repeater
Granted: July 7, 2015
Patent Number:
9077557
This application discusses methods and apparatus for a data-on-supply repeater. In an example, a repeater can include a repeater circuit configured to receive a power signal at an input and to provide a representation of a received analog data signal at an output, a direction detector configured to receive the power signal from a first bus conductor of a plurality of bus conductors, to identify the first buss conductor of the plurality of bus conductors as a transmitting conductor, and…
Enhanced on-time generator
Granted: June 30, 2015
Patent Number:
9069364
This document discusses, among other things, voltage converters and computed on-time voltage converters. In an example, an on-time generator for a voltage converter can include a timing capacitor configured to provide a timing voltage, a comparator configured to receive the timing voltage and a threshold voltage and to provide the timing signal using a comparison of the timing voltage and the threshold voltage, a current source configured to discharge the timing voltage of the timing…
Self test of MEMS gyroscope with ASICs integrated capacitors
Granted: June 30, 2015
Patent Number:
9069006
An apparatus includes a MEMS gyroscope sensor including a first sensing capacitor and a second sensing capacitor and an IC. The IC includes a switch circuit configured to electrically decouple the first sensing capacitor from a first input of the IC and electrically couple the second sensing capacitor to a second input of the IC, and a capacitance measurement circuit configured to measure capacitance of the second sensing capacitor of the MEMS gyroscope sensor during application of a…
MEMS multi-axis accelerometer electrode structure
Granted: June 23, 2015
Patent Number:
9062972
This document discusses, among other things, an inertial sensor including a single proof-mass formed in an x-y plane of a device layer, the single proof-mass including a single, central anchor configured to suspend the single proof-mass above a via wafer. The inertial sensor further includes first and second electrode stator frames formed in the x-y plane of the device layer on respective first and second sides of the inertial sensor, the first and second electrode stator frames…
Accessory detection circuit with improved functionality
Granted: June 16, 2015
Patent Number:
9060228
An apparatus comprises a first connector, a second connector, a detection circuit and a logic circuit. The first connector and the second connector are configured for electrical communication with first and second conducting terminals, respectively, of an audio jack plug. The detection circuit is configured to apply a first value of current to the first connector, and apply a second value of current to the second connector. The logic circuit is configured to generate an indication that…
Rail to rail comparator with wide hysteresis and memory
Granted: June 16, 2015
Patent Number:
9059692
An apparatus comprises an input to receive a voltage, a threshold voltage circuit, a comparison circuit, and an output. The threshold voltage circuit provides an adjustable first threshold voltage at a first output and an adjustable second threshold voltage at a second output. The comparison circuit determines when the input voltage is greater than the first voltage threshold, including when the first voltage threshold is adjusted substantially up to a high supply voltage rail, and…
Envelope extraction with reduced bandwidth for power modulation
Granted: June 9, 2015
Patent Number:
9054937
A system according to one embodiment includes a digital data modulator configured to generate encoded symbols; an envelope detector configured to receive the encoded symbols and to estimate transmission power information associated with the encoded symbols; a peak detector configured to receive the transmission power information, detect a peak transmission power from two or more sequential data points of the received transmission power information, and to generate a power regulation…
Level switching circuit and method for controlling rail-to-rail enabling signal
Granted: June 9, 2015
Patent Number:
9054712
This document discusses, among other things, methods for controlling a Rail-to-Rail enabling signal, including providing a first signal of an input signal of a control circuit to a level switching circuit, performing, by the level switching circuit, enabling control according to a high level and a low level of the first signal, and outputting, by the level switching circuit, a disabling signal in case of a failure of a power supply coupled to the level switching circuit. The document…
No pop switch
Granted: June 9, 2015
Patent Number:
9054692
A switch can be configured to receive a first signal at a first input and provide an output signal at an output, depending on a state of the switch. A switch state change can be delayed until an indication of a requested switch state different than a current switch state is received and the first signal reaches a threshold.
Pin selectable I2C slave addresses
Granted: May 19, 2015
Patent Number:
9037766
This document discusses, among other things, a multi-address Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) selection circuit configured to receive a number (N) of identification (ID) signals from a corresponding number (N) of ID pins of a slave I2C device and at least one of a data signal from a serial data line (SDA) of an I2C bus or a clock signal from a serial clock line (SCL) of the I2C bus, and to determine one of 4 to the power of N (4N) selectable I2C addresses using the number (N) of ID signals…
Soft-start control techniques for a switched-mode power supply
Granted: May 12, 2015
Patent Number:
9030183
A power supply system including switched-mode power supply circuitry configured to generate a DC output voltage from a DC input voltage and soft-start feedback circuitry configured to control the switched-mode power supply circuitry to generate a predefined output voltage during a soft-start period of operation. The soft-start feedback circuitry includes a controllable current source configured to generate a reference current and a reference voltage, wherein the reference current is…
