CONFIGURABLE SERIAL INTERFACE
Granted: April 10, 2014
Application Number:
20140101349
Method and system for configuring a serial interface. The system includes one or more input nodes each coupled to a corresponding serial bus. One or more output nodes are coupled to a respective serial bus, each output node having a respective driver. A voltage detection circuit determines the voltage at a configuration node. Mode of serial bus operation is based on the voltage level detected at the configuration node. In at least one mode of serial bus operation, the configuration node…
AUTO RESONANT DRIVER FOR WIRELESS POWER TRANSMITTER SENSING REQUIRED TRANSMIT POWER FOR OPTIMUM EFFICIENCY
Granted: April 10, 2014
Application Number:
20140097791
An auto-resonant driver for a transmitter inductor drives the inductor at an optimal frequency for maximum efficiency. The transmitter inductor is magnetically coupled, but not physically coupled, to a receiver inductor, and the current generated by the receiver inductor is used to power a load. The system may be used, for example, to remotely charge a battery (as part of the load) or provide power to motors or circuits. A feedback circuit is used to generate the resonant driving…
MONITORING CELLS IN ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM
Granted: March 6, 2014
Application Number:
20140062407
A system for monitoring an energy storage system composed of multiple cells connected in series has a chain of monitors including at least first and second monitors. The first monitor is configured for monitoring at least a first cell in the energy storage system to produce first monitored data. The second monitor is configured for monitoring at least a second cell in the energy storage system to produce second monitored data. The first monitor is further configured for transferring the…
Current Mode Voltage Regulator With Auto-Compensation
Granted: January 2, 2014
Application Number:
20140002043
A method for automatically compensating a voltage regulator initially disconnects the error amplifier and compensation network from the feedback loop. A DC bias voltage is applied to the feedback loop to cause the regulator's output voltage to be at 90% of its nominal value. An AC perturbation signal is then added to the DC bias voltage to cause the output voltage to have a ripple at a frequency of the AC signal. The gain of the feedback loop and the phase difference between the AC…
High Side Current Sense Amplifier
Granted: October 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130271216
A single stage current sense amplifier is described that generates a differential output that is proportional to a current through a sense resistor. The voltage across the sense resistor is Vsense. The current sense amplifier includes a differential transconductance amplifier having high impedance input terminals. An on-chip RC filter filters transients in the Vsense signal. A feedback circuit for each leg of the amplifier causes a pair of input transistors to conduct a fixed constant…
COMMON MODE INPUT CONTROL FOR SWITCHED CAPACITOR AMPLIFIER IN PIPELINE ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER
Granted: October 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130257538
A common mode bias circuit may include a weak common mode bias generator and a common mode bias capacitance. During a first state of the common mode bias circuit, the weak common mode bias generator may be coupled to the common mode bias capacitance and may impart to them a predefined common mode signal level. During a second state of the common mode bias circuit, the common mode bias capacitance may be coupled to differential inputs of an amplifier in a manner that establishes an input…
Isolated Flyback Converter with Sleep Mode for Light Load Operation
Granted: September 12, 2013
Application Number:
20130235620
A flyback converter uses primary side sensing to sense the output voltage for regulation feedback. A comparator on the primary side detects whether the output voltage has exceeded a predetermined regulated voltage by a first threshold to detect an over-voltage condition, resulting from a current generated by the converter exceeding the load current. Triggering of the comparator causes the converter to enter a non-switching sleep mode, whereby the output voltage droops over a period of…
Isolated Flyback Converter With Efficient Light Load Operation
Granted: August 1, 2013
Application Number:
20130194836
A flyback converter uses primary side sensing to sense the output voltage for regulation feedback. Such sensing requires a predetermined minimum duty cycle even with very light load currents. Therefore, such a minimum duty cycle may create an over-voltage condition. In the flyback phase, after a minimum duty cycle of the power switch at light load currents, a synchronous rectifier turns off approximately when the current through the secondary winding falls to zero to create a…
Second Order Intermodulation Canceller
Granted: June 13, 2013
Application Number:
20130149981
A technique for cancelling out target IM2 components in a wireless receiver's mixer output is disclosed. A differential RF signal and a differential local oscillator (LO) signal are mixed by a mixer to demodulate the RF signal. A first common node signal is generated between a first resistor and a second resistor coupled across the mixer's differential output terminals. A second common node signal is generated between a third resistor and a fourth resistor coupled across the differential…
Anemometer Detecting Thermal Time Constant of Sensor
Granted: May 16, 2013
Application Number:
20130124112
An anemometer and method for analyzing fluid flow is described. In one embodiment, a transistor sensor is heated by applying power to cause its base-emitter junction to rise from an ambient first temperature to a second temperature. The power is removed, and the Vbe is measured at intervals as the junction cools. The Vbe equates to a temperature of the junction. The temperature exponentially decreases, and the time constant of the decay corresponds to the fluid flow velocity. A best fit…
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RANDONMIZING COMPONENT MISMATCH IN AN ADC
Granted: May 9, 2013
Application Number:
20130113639
Circuits and methods for converting a signal from analog to digital. A random number generator provides a random number to a memory. The memory is preconfigured to include codes of predetermined digital to analog (DAC) configurations that provide the maximum amount of DAC gradient suppression. At least one Flash reference generation DAC (FRGD) has an input coupled to the memory unit and an output providing a reference voltage level for its respective Flash comparator. The Flash…
SWITCHING OF CONDUCTOR PAIR IN POWER OVER ETHERNET SYSTEM
Granted: May 9, 2013
Application Number:
20130113275
Technique for providing power to a powered device (PD) over a cable having first and second sets of twisted pairs, such as signal pairs and spare pairs. Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) circuitry is coupled via a first switch to the second set, e.g. to the spare pairs. A switch control circuit turns the first switch off to enable the PSE circuitry to perform a prescribed operation in connection with the PD over only the first set, e.g. over the signal pairs, and turns the first switch on…
FEEDBACK CONTROL OF A DC/DC POWER CONVERTER
Granted: February 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130049715
A current mode power conversion system and method operates in cycles. Each cycle includes an on time and an off time. The system includes an inductor connected to store energy during the on time of each cycle and use the energy during the off time of each cycle. The system provides a stable output voltage and a maximum-limited output current to a load during constant load conditions. The system comprises a feedback control linearly operable so as to control the output voltage across the…
POWER COMBINING IN POWER OVER ETHERNET SYSTEMS
Granted: February 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130049469
A technique for combining power to a single load from multiple power supplies using power over Ethernet (PoE) is disclosed. Each power supply is coupled to associated power sourcing equipment (PSE) providing PoE, and each PSE has a current limit. The power supplies supply approximately the same voltage, but the output voltages are typically not exactly equal. All the power supplies are connected via diodes to a common load terminal. The power supply outputting the highest voltage first…
COMMON MODE INPUT CONTROL FOR SWITCH CAPACITOR AMPLIFIER IN PIPELINE ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER
Granted: February 21, 2013
Application Number:
20130043950
A common mode bias circuit may include a weak common mode bias generator and a common mode bias capacitance. During a first state of the common mode bias circuit, the weak common mode bias generator may be coupled to the common mode bias capacitance and may impart to them a predefined common mode signal level. During a second state of the common mode bias circuit, the common mode bias capacitance may be coupled to differential inputs of an amplifier in a manner that establishes an input…
I2C ISOLATED, BIDIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WITH ISOLATED DOMAIN CURRENT SOURCE PULL-UPS
Granted: February 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130036247
This disclosure describes a circuit implementation providing the functions necessary to implement an isolated I2C bidirectional port. The technique implements a current source as a pull up device on at least one side of the isolation system. The circuit manages and communicates bidirectional data across an isolation barrier. A method of communicating bidirectional signals and an I2C acknowledge (ACK) or clock stretching through an isolation channel is disclosed.
Switching Power Supply Having Separate AC And DC Current Sensing Paths
Granted: January 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130015830
In a current mode controlled switching power supply, current through the inductor is sensed to determine when to turn off or on the switching transistors. The inductor current has a higher frequency AC component and a lower frequency DC component. The AC current feedback path, sensing the ramping ripple current, is separate from the DC current path, sensing the lower frequency average current. Separating the current sensing paths allows the signal to noise ratio of the AC sense signal to…
Balancing Temperatures in A Multi-Phase DC/DC Converter
Granted: November 29, 2012
Application Number:
20120299560
In one embodiment, a temperature compensation circuit is used in a peak current control multi-phased DC/DC converter. Each phase has a duty cycle needed to generate a regulated output voltage of the converter. The temperature for each phase in the converter is sensed to generate corresponding first signals for all the phases. The first signals are averaged to generate a second signal corresponding to the average temperature of all the phases. For each phase, a third signal is generated…
Current Steering Circuit with Feedback
Granted: November 1, 2012
Application Number:
20120274496
A differential current steering (CS) circuit uses feedback from the differential output nodes A and B to cause current steering devices (e.g., MOSFETs) to effectively exhibit an infinite output impedance when conducting. Therefore, the signal on the output nodes A or B does not significantly change the voltage at the common node, This is particularly useful when the differential output nodes are connected to differential output buses in a digital-to-analog converter. The circuit…
SWITCHED CAPACITANCE VOLTAGE DIFFERENTIAL SENSING CIRCUIT WITH NEAR INFINITE INPUT IMPEDANCE
Granted: November 1, 2012
Application Number:
20120274360
A circuit may sense the differential voltage across two nodes that each have a non-zero common mode voltage. The circuit may have a positive input impedance that is imposed across the nodes. An impedance compensation circuit may generate a compensation current that is delivered to the nodes that substantially cancels the loading effect of the positive input impedance. The impedance compensation circuit may generate a negative input impedance that is imposed across the two nodes that is…
