Nxp B.v.

St-ericsson Sa

Ajay Kapoor

Jose De Jesus Pineda De Gyvez

Hamed Fatemi

Kristof Blutman

Jose Pineda De Gyvez

Juan Diego Echeverri Escobar

Maurice Stassen

Ralf Malzahn

Vibhu Sharma

Nur Engin

Sebastien Antonius Josephus Fabrie

Steven Mark Thoen

Peter Thueringer

Arnoud Pieter Van Der Wel

Jurgen Geerlings

Harish Kundur Subramaniyan

Rinze Ida Mechtildis Peter Meijer

Jozef Reinerus Maria Bergervoet

Gerard Villar Piqué

Maarten Vertregt

Ghiath Al-Kadi

Kristóf László Blutman

Kristóf Blutman

Arnoud Van Der Wel

An electronic device including a power source providing a source voltage, a capacitor, a primary regulator circuit, an always-on load that is active during a low power mode, and a recycle control circuit. The primary regulator circuit receives the source voltage and has an output that maintains a charge on the capacitor during an active mode. The primary regulator circuit does not contribute to a charge on the capacitor during the low power mode. The recycle control circuit includes a select circuit and a select control circuit. The select circuit selects, based on a control signal, between the voltage of the capacitor and at least one supply voltage including or otherwise developed using the source voltage to provide power to the always-on load during the low power mode. The select control circuit provides the control signal to control power provided to the always-on load during the low power mode.

Recycling capacitance energy from active mode to low power mode

Self-regulating body-biasing techniques for Process, Voltage, and Temperature (PVT) fluctuation compensation in Fully-Depleted Silicon-on-Insulator (FDSOI) semiconductors are disclosed. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, an electronic device may include a logic cell having a plurality of FDSOI transistors manufactured thereon; and at least one current source coupled to a body terminal of each transistor in a subset of the FDSOI transistors, wherein the current source is configured to output a high-impedance current.

Self-regulating body-biasing techniques for process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) fluctuation compensation in fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) semiconductors

An electronic device includes a digital circuit, a power delivery subsystem configured to provide a supply voltage and a body-biasing voltage to the digital circuit, and a controller a controller coupled to the power delivery subsystem. The controller is configured to determine a process parameter for the electronic device, determine a current temperature parameter for the electronic device, concurrently determine a first coarse-grain level for the supply voltage and a second coarse-grain level for the body-biasing voltage based on the process parameter, the current temperature parameter, and a frequency of a clock signal to be supplied to the digital circuit, and to determine a fine-grain level for the supply voltage.

Closed-loop adaptive voltage, body-biasing and frequency scaling

A memory system is disclosed, comprising a primary memory module, a secondary memory module, and a controller. The controller is configured to identify addresses in the primary memory module requiring correction, and is further configured to receive a memory access request identifying an address in the primary memory module. The controller is configured to determine whether the address is identified as requiring correction and, if it is not, to direct the memory access request to the primary memory module. If the address is identified as requiring correction, the controller is configured to direct the memory access request to the secondary memory module.

Memory system

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, an IC device is disclosed. In the embodiment, the IC device includes an array of bit cells of static random-access memory (SRAM), a multi-level digitization module configured to generate a value in a range of values from a bit cell in the array of bit cells, the range of values including more than two discrete values, an output buffer configured to store the generated values, and an error correction code (ECC) decoder configured to output error corrected values based on the stored values.

Integrated circuit device and method for reading data from an SRAM memory

A level shifter circuit is described herein for shifting a signal from a first voltage domain to a second voltage domain. The level shifter circuit includes two current paths between a supply terminal of the first voltage domain and a supply terminal of the second voltage domain. The first and second current paths each include a differential transistor that receives a signal from a pulse generator in a first voltage domain. The pulse generator provides pulses to the differential transistors based on an input signal to be translated to the second voltage domain. The level shifter includes a latch circuit in the second voltage domain that includes two inputs where each input is biased at a node of one of the current paths. Each current path includes a bias transistor whose control terminal receives a compensated biasing voltage for biasing the bias transistor. The compensated biasing voltage is compensated to account for drive strength variation of at least one transistor in each current path.

Level shifter circuit with transistor drive strength variation compensation

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, an integrated circuit (IC) device is disclosed. In the embodiment, the IC device includes an SRAM module, wrapper logic coupled to the SRAM module, a context source, and an ECC profile controller coupled to the context source and to the wrapper logic, the ECC profile controller configured to select an ECC profile in response to context information received from the context source for use by the wrapper logic.

Integrated circuit device and method for applying error correction to SRAM memory

A control system () for controlling a power consumption of an electronic device () is provided. The electronic device is adapted to communicate with a reader device via a wireless communication interface. The control system comprises a measuring unit () being adapted for measuring an actual field strength of an electromagnetic field provided by the reader device to the control system, a power delivery unit () being adapted for delivering power received via the electromagnetic field to the electronic device, and a control unit () being coupled to the measuring unit and being adapted for providing a control signal to the electronic device for controlling the consumption of the power being delivered to the electronic device, wherein the control signal is based on the actual field strength of the electromagnetic field.

Control system for controlling the power consumption of a wirelessly powered electronic device

As may be consistent with one or more embodiments, an apparatus and or method involves a switching power supply circuit and a control circuit therefor. The switching power supply circuit operates in high and low-power modes. In the high power mode, high and low power rails of a first circuit and of a second circuit are coupled to a power source circuit (e.g. a battery). In the low-power mode, the first circuit is operated in a high power domain and the second circuit is operated in a low power domain using recycled charge from the high power domain. The control circuit operates the switching circuit in the high-power mode and low-power mode (for power conservation) in response to a control signal.

Power configuration

One example discloses an apparatus for power management, including: a current sink/source sensor configured to monitor a power-supply to inter-power-domain sink/source-current and to generate a current mismatch signal if the power-supply to inter-power-domain sink/source-current exceeds a threshold range; and a current imbalance controller coupled to receive the current mismatch signal and configured to generate a set of power-domain control signals; wherein the set of power-domain control signals reduce an absolute value of the power-supply to inter-power-domain sink/source-current.

Power-domain current balance

One example discloses an apparatus for charge recycling between a first power-domain operating at a first voltage and a second power-domain operating at a second voltage, including: a first power-delivery circuit configured to supply the first voltage to the first power-domain; and a second power-delivery circuit coupled to receive power from both the first power-delivery circuit and the first power-domain; wherein the second power-delivery circuit is configured to supply the second voltage to the second power-domain.

Apparatus for charge recycling

One example discloses an apparatus for power management, including: a circuit having a first power-domain and a second power-domain; wherein the first and second power-domains include a set of operating parameter values; a circuit controller configured to incrementally sweep at least one of the operating parameter values of the first power-domain; a circuit profiler configured to derive a total power consumption profile of the circuit based on the circuit's response to the swept operating parameter value; wherein the circuit controller sets the operating parameter values for the first and second power-domains based on the total power consumption profile of the circuit.

Power-domain optimization

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to communications between respective power domains (circuitry) that may operate in a stacked arrangement in which the each domain operates over a different voltage range. A first circuit provides differential outputs that vary between first and second voltage levels, based on transitions of an input signal received from a first one of the power domains. First and second driver circuits are respectively coupled to the first and second differential outputs. A third driver circuit operates with the first and second circuits to level-shift the input signal from the first power domain to an output signal on a second power domain by driving an output circuit at the second voltage level in response to the input signal being at the first voltage level, and driving the output circuit at a third voltage level in response to the input signal being at the second voltage level.

Level shifter and approach therefor

Aspects of this disclosure are directed to level-shifting approaches with communications between respective circuits. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments characterized herein, a voltage level of communications passed between respective circuits are selectively shifted. Where the respective circuits operate under respective power domains that are shifted in voltage range relative to one another, the voltage level of the communications is shifted. This approach may, for example, facilitate power-savings for stacked circuits in which a low-level voltage of one circuit is provided as a high-level voltage for another circuit. When the respective circuits operate under a common power domain, the communications are passed directly between the respective circuits (e.g., bypassing any level-shifting, and facilitating fast communication).

Configurable power domain and method

An integrated circuit (IC) device including an SRAM module coupled to wrapper logic is disclosed. The wrapper logic includes an error correction code (ECC) encoder configured to encode input data in accordance with an ECC encoding scheme and output the encoded input data to the SRAM module, an ECC decoder configured to decode output data received from the SRAM module, output the decoded output data, and write decoding information back to the SRAM module, an error controller coupled to the ECC decoder that is configured to control the ECC decoder in accordance with the ECC encoding scheme, and a central controller coupled to the components of the wrapper logic and the SRAM module in order to control operations between the components of the wrapper logic and the SRAM module.

Growing community of inventors

Eindhoven, Netherlands

Ajay Kapoor