Silicon Laboratories Inc.

St-ericsson Sa

Nxp B.v.

Augusto Manuel Marques

Donald A Kerth

James P Maligeorgos

G Tyson Tuttle

Lysander Lim

Jeffrey William Scott

Richard T Behrens

Caiyi Wang

Vishnu Shankar Srinivasan

G Diwakar Vishakhadatta

Brian Douglas Green

Dylan Alexander Hester

Scott Willingham

Aslamali A Rafi

Gregory Takeo Uehara

Russell Croman

Tod Paulus

Peter Vancorenland

Ramkishore Ganti

Xiaochuan Guo

Xiachuan Guo

Brian Green

A receiver includes a memory, processing circuitry, and a memory protection unit. The processing circuitry is coupled to the memory, and has an input for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal, and an output for providing an output signal at another frequency. The processing circuitry includes one or more independently powered components adapted to write data to the memory. The memory protection unit is coupled to the memory, and monitors a power supply voltage level corresponding to each independently powered component and, if the power supply voltage level changes during a power supply transition of an independently powered component in which the power supply voltage remains sufficiently large to power the independently powered component, to prevent write operations received from a corresponding one of the one or more independently powered components from occurring at least while the power supply voltage level is changing.

Receiver, system, and memory with memory protection during power supply transitions

Image rejection factors are calibrated for a receiver circuit () during an initialization period. The image rejection factors are stored in a quasi non-volatile memory () associated with the receiver circuit (). The quasi non-volatile memory () is powered from a first source (VA) during a first receiver mode and from a second source (V) during a second receiver mode.

Quasi non-volatile memory for use in a receiver

A method and apparatus is provided for use in an integrated circuit or printed circuit board for reducing or minimizing interference. An inductance is formed using two or more inductors coupled together and configured such that current flows through the inductors in different directions, thus at least partially canceling magnetic fields. When designing a circuit, the configuration of the inductors, as well as the relative positions of portions of the circuit, can be tweaked to provide optimal interference or noise control.

Apparatus and method for reducing interference

An apparatus comprises a circuit having a power supply node and a linear regulator configured to provide a regulated voltage at the power supply node of the circuit. The apparatus further comprises a switching regulator configured to provide input power to the linear regulator from a power source such as a battery. In some implementations, the circuit is a transceiver circuit.

System with linear and switching regulator circuits

A metal mesh structure for use in an integrated circuit is described. In one embodiment, a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a first region including, for example, a device layer having one or more active semiconductor devices. The circuit also includes a second region, which may include a metalization layer including circuit wires. The circuit further includes a layer of metal mesh interposed between the first and second regions, and which may be implemented on at least a portion of another metalization layer.

Semiconductor integrated circuit including metal mesh structure

A technique includes generating an analog voltage to control a frequency for an oscillator. The analog signal is converted into a digital signal, and the frequency is controlled in response to the digital signal.

Controlling the frequency of an oscillator

A programmable reference-less oscillator provides a wide range of programmable output frequencies. The programmable reference-less oscillator is implemented on an integrated circuit that includes a free running controllable oscillator circuit such as a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), a programmable divider circuit coupled to divide an output of the controllable oscillator circuit according to a programmable divide value. A non-volatile storage stores the programmed divide value and a control word that controls the output of the controllable oscillator circuit. The control word provides a calibration capability to achieve a desired output frequency in conjunction with the programmable divider circuit. Open loop temperature compensation is achieved by adjusting the control word according to a temperature detected by a temperature sensor on the integrated circuit. Additional clock accuracy may be achieved by adjusting the control word for process as well as temperature.

Reference-less clock circuit

A wireless communication device is disclosed wherein isolation buffers couple to respective active circuits or stages of the device to convey test information regarding such active circuits to a test data line from which status information may be collected. The communication device operates in two modes, namely a normal operational mode wherein the isolation buffers effectively short spurious emissions from the active circuits to a ground, and a test mode wherein the isolation buffers may convey test information from a selected active circuit to the test data line. The isolation buffers prevent spurious emissions from escaping the active circuits to which they are coupled and prevent spurious emissions from traveling from active circuit to active circuit over the test data line throughout the wireless device.

System and method for reducing spurious emissions in a wireless communication device including a testing apparatus

A technique includes selectively coupling impedances to an oscillator to establish a first frequency of operation of the oscillator. The technique includes repeating the selective coupling in a feedback loop to cause the first frequency to be near a second frequency.

An oscillator includes a plurality of varactor cells to receive a control signal to control a frequency of the oscillator. Each of the varactor cells includes a switch that includes a first terninal to receive the control signal and a second terminal such that the switch operates to control a capacitance of the varactor cell in response to a voltage between the first and second terminals. The oscillator includes a bias circuit to provide a different bias voltage to each second terminal and an amplifier that is coupled to the varactor cells to generate an oscillating signal.

Analog varactor

A voltage regulator configured to receive a supply voltage from a voltage supply and provide a regulated voltage to digital circuitry is provided. The voltage regulator comprises first circuitry configured to inhibit high frequency energy generated by the digital circuitry from transmitting into the voltage supply, second circuitry configured to inhibit low frequency energy generated by the digital circuitry from transmitting into the voltage supply, and third circuitry configured to maintain the regulated voltage at a substantially constant value in response to a current drawn by the digital circuitry.

Voltage regulator with shunt feedback

In one embodiment, the present invention includes a capacitor array that may provide a selected capacitance to a digitally controlled crystal oscillator (DCXO). The array may include multiple sections each having at least one array portion, where each section is to receive different significant portions of a digital control value. The different sections may have different coding schemes. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Capacitor array segmentation

A semiconductor integrated circuit includes an inductor formed by a conductive loop that is fabricated on one or more metal layers. The inductor also includes a dielectric region provided adjacent to the conductive loop. The semiconductor integrated circuit may also include a pattern of electrically isolated metallic fill structures formed within the dielectric region.

Fill structures for use with a semiconductor integrated circuit inductor

Components of a radio-frequency (RF) apparatus including transceiver circuitry and frequency modification circuitry of a crystal oscillator circuit that generates a reference signal with adjustable frequency may be partitioned in a variety of ways, for example, as one or more separate integrated circuits. The frequency modification circuitry may be implemented as part of a crystal oscillator circuit that includes digitally controlled crystal oscillator ('DCXO') circuitry and a crystal. The frequency modification circuitry may include at least one variable capacitance device and may be employed to generate a reference signal with adjustable frequency. The adjustable reference signal may be provided to other components of the RF apparatus and/or the RF apparatus may be configured to provide the adjustable reference signal to baseband processor circuitry. Automatic frequency control (AFC) circuitry may be integrated with other components of RF circuitry and may generate frequency control signals for the frequency modification circuitry based on, for example, a signal received from a temperature sensor. Digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry may be integrated with other components of RF circuitry to enable all-digital frequency control communications from baseband processor circuitry to RF circuitry.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Augusto Manuel Marques