Repeaters with fast transitions from low-power standby to low-frequency signal transmission
Granted: September 24, 2019
Patent Number:
10425124
Repeaters are described that operate to rapidly transition from low-power standby states to a low frequency signal transmission state. Bandwidth for high-frequency signal transmission is preserved.
Referenceless clock and data recovery circuits
Granted: July 17, 2018
Patent Number:
10027332
Referenceless clock and data recovery circuits are described that operate to align the clock/data strobe with each data eye to achieve a low bit error rate. The appropriate frequency and phase to be used is determined by an edge counter based frequency error detector and a phase error detector.
Crosstalk reduction in multiplexers
Granted: September 12, 2017
Patent Number:
9762287
Multiplexers are described in which differential signals on the signal paths associated with unselected differential inputs are converted to common mode signals to reduce crosstalk between unselected signal paths and the multiplexer's active signal path.
Hybrid repeater for supporting backward compatibility
Granted: January 24, 2017
Patent Number:
9552322
Hybrid repeaters are described that are capable of transmitting data in accordance with different versions of a serial data protocol are described. The appropriate circuitry to be used to transmit incoming serial data is determined by monitoring sideband communication (e.g., a link training handshake) between the transmitter and the receiver.
Overvoltage protection analog switch
Granted: October 4, 2016
Patent Number:
9461465
An apparatus relates generally to an analog switch. In such apparatus, the analog switch has a transistor. A first node of the transistor is coupled to an input node of the analog switch. A second node of the transistor is coupled to an output node of the analog switch. An overvoltage protection circuit is coupled to provide a control voltage to a gate node of the transistor. The overvoltage protection circuit is used to at least substantially reduce an overvoltage state caused by an…
Trace canceller with equalizer adjusted for trace length driving variable-gain amplifier with automatic gain control loop
Granted: February 16, 2016
Patent Number:
9264102
Distortions of both amplitude and phase along a transmission line are compensated for by a trace canceller inserted between a transmitter and a receiver. The trace canceller has an equalizer that compensates for a trace length between the transmitter and the trace canceller. A variable gain amplifier between the equalizer and an output buffer has its gain controlled by an automatic gain control circuit that compares low-frequency swings of the input and output of the trace canceller. The…
In-situ cable unplug detector operating during normal signaling mode
Granted: February 16, 2016
Patent Number:
9261550
An in-situ unplug detector circuit detects when a cable is disconnected or unplugged. Detection does not have to wait for normal signaling to pause, such at the end of a frame or timeout. Instead, detection occurs during normal signaling. When the cable is disconnected, the transmitter no longer drives the load at the far end of the cable, and thus can drive the near end to a higher high voltage and to a lower low voltage. The increased voltage swing is detected by a detector at the near…
Trace canceller with equalizer adjusted for trace length driving variable-gain amplifier with automatic gain control loop
Granted: August 11, 2015
Patent Number:
9106464
Distortions of both amplitude and phase along a transmission line are compensated for by a trace canceller inserted between a transmitter and a receiver. The trace canceller has an equalizer that compensates for a trace length between the transmitter and the trace canceller. A variable gain amplifier between the equalizer and an output buffer has its gain controlled by an automatic gain control circuit that compares low-frequency swings of the input and output of the trace canceller. The…
Redriver with output receiver detection that mirrors detected termination on output to input
Granted: July 28, 2015
Patent Number:
9094245
A redriver chip is inserted between a transmitter chip and a receiver chip and re-drives differential signals from the transmitter chip to the receiver chip. The redriver chip has switched output termination that switches to a high value to detect far-end termination at the receiver chip, and to a low value for signaling. An output detector detects when the receiver chip has termination to ground and enables switched input termination to provide termination to ground on the lines back to…
Multi-mode charger device
Granted: May 12, 2015
Patent Number:
9030155
Multi-mode charger device for charging portable devices and methods of charging portable devices are described. In an embodiment, a multi-mode charger device has mode blocks respectively associated with modes of operation which are coupled to a switch module. The switch module is for coupling a selected one of the mode blocks to a peripheral bus and to decouple the mode blocks remaining from the peripheral bus. A first mode of the modes of operation is a pass through mode. A second mode…
Auto plug-in and plug-out VGA port detection
Granted: February 24, 2015
Patent Number:
8966128
Apparatus and method generally relating to load detection associated with an analog video port are disclosed. An embodiment of the apparatus for detection of a remote termination resistance includes a pulse detection circuit configured to generate a detection pulse within a blanking interval. A pulse insertion circuit is coupled to receive the detection pulse and is configured to insert the detection pulse onto a line, where the line is an analog color signal line.
Intermediary signal conditioning device with interruptible detection mode
Granted: August 12, 2014
Patent Number:
8804792
Disclosed are embodiments for an intermediary signal conditioning device with an input adaptable detection mode. In one embodiment, an intermediary signal conditioning device has a control module, an input module, and an output module. The input module and the control module are for receiving an input signal. The control module is configured to interrupt the output module within a duration of time to allow at least a minimum pulse length of the input signal to be output as an output…
In-situ cable unplug detector operating during normal signaling mode
Granted: July 22, 2014
Patent Number:
8786291
An in-situ unplug detector circuit detects when a cable is disconnected or unplugged. Detection does not have to wait for normal signaling to pause, such at the end of a frame or timeout. Instead, detection occurs during normal signaling. When the cable is disconnected, the transmitter no longer drives the load at the far end of the cable, and thus can drive the near end to a higher high voltage and to a lower low voltage. The increased voltage swing is detected by a detector at the near…
Signal conditioning by combining precursor, main, and post cursor signals without a clock signal
Granted: June 17, 2014
Patent Number:
8755474
Embodiments of an apparatus for signal conditioning, a serial data interface, and a method for a programmable delay filter are disclosed. In an embodiment of an apparatus for signal conditioning, a wave shaping circuit has a precursor signal, a post cursor signal, and a main signal combined to provide an output signal. The precursor signal, the post cursor signal, and the main signal are provided for combination independently of a clock signal. The main signal is delayed relative to the…
Differential voltage-mode buffer with current injection
Granted: June 10, 2014
Patent Number:
8749285
Differential buffers are described that combine aspects of voltage-mode buffers with current injection to achieve the tunability associated with current-mode buffers as well as the low current and low power associated with voltage-mode buffers.
Trace canceller with equalizer adjusted for trace length driving variable-gain amplifier with automatic gain control loop
Granted: March 18, 2014
Patent Number:
8675714
Distortions of both amplitude and phase along a transmission line are compensated for by a trace canceller inserted between a transmitter and a receiver. The trace canceller has an equalizer that compensates for a trace length between the transmitter and the trace canceller. A variable gain amplifier between the equalizer and an output buffer has its gain controlled by an automatic gain control circuit that compares low-frequency swings of the input and output of the trace canceller. The…
Redriver with output receiver detection that mirrors detected termination on output to input
Granted: December 17, 2013
Patent Number:
8610463
A redriver chip is inserted between a transmitter chip and a receiver chip and re-drives differential signals from the transmitter chip to the receiver chip. The redriver chip has switched output termination that switches to a high value to detect far-end termination at the receiver chip, and to a low value for signaling. An output detector detects when the receiver chip has termination to ground and enables switched input termination to provide termination to ground on the lines back to…
Voltage conversion
Granted: March 19, 2013
Patent Number:
8400183
An embodiment of a method for powering a low-power device using a power supply designed for a high-power device is described. In such an embodiment, an input voltage is provided to a voltage converter at a first voltage level. The input voltage is periodically electrically coupled to and decoupled from the voltage converter during operation of the low-power device. An output voltage is output from the voltage converter at a second voltage level to power the low-power device. The output…
Re-driver with pre-emphasis injected through a transformer and tuned by an L-C tank
Granted: January 29, 2013
Patent Number:
8362813
A re-driver circuit has pre-driver, intermediate, and output stages. Pre-emphasis on the output is generated by the intermediate stage and injected into an output stage. The intermediate stage is a frequency-tuned amplifier that has an inductive-capacitive L-C tank circuit that is tuned to a desired frequency of the output. The intermediate stage does not directly drive the output stage. Instead, an on-chip coupling transformer couples the L-C tank circuit to the output stage. The…
Multi-mode charger device
Granted: August 7, 2012
Patent Number:
8237414
Multi-mode charger device for charging portable devices and methods of charging portable devices are described. In an embodiment, a multi-mode charger device has mode blocks respectively associated with modes of operation which are coupled to a switch module. The switch module is for coupling a selected one of the mode blocks to a peripheral bus and to decouple the mode blocks remaining from the peripheral bus. A first mode of the modes of operation is a pass through mode. A second mode…
