Stichting Imec Nederland

Christinus Antonetta Paulus Van Liempd

Stefano Stanzione

Juan Santana

Richard Van Den Hoven

Qiu Yifeng

A DC-DC converter and a method of controlling an inductor-based switching-mode DC-DC converter in a discontinuous conduction mode are disclosed. In one aspect the method includes providing a DC-DC converter having a first and second switching elements, and, in each conversion cycle, first, turning on a first switching element, while maintaining a second switching element in off state, thereby increasing the current through an inductor. The method also includes detecting when a voltage signal at one connection node of the inductor reaches a first threshold value for the first time after the start of the conversion cycle, and turning on the second switching element, while maintaining the first switching element in off state, thereby decreasing the inductor current.

Inductor-based switching mode DC-DC converter and control method thereof

Various active diode circuits are described. In one example, there is provided an active diode circuit having an active diode and a control circuit. The active diode includes an anode terminal, a cathode terminal and a control terminal. The control circuit is configured to generate a control current of the active diode on the control terminal proportional to the diode current of the active diode. The control circuit is also configured to control the diode voltage of the active diode below a predetermined threshold.

Active diode circuit

A method and an electronic readout circuit for measuring a capacitance of a MEMS sensor are disclosed. In one aspect, the readout circuit includes: an input stage for receiving a first signal from the sensor and for presenting a second signal; a charge amplifier stage for amplifying and integrating the second signal; and a control logic for controlling the readout circuit according to a predefined timing relation synchronized to actuation voltages applied to the sensor for generating the first signal. The readout circuit may further includes a first switching unit for applying a first reference voltage to the sensor and a second switching unit for applying the second signal to the charge amplifier stage, wherein the first and the second switching units are controlled according to the predefined timing relation such that a plurality of the second signals are accumulated.

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Schijndel, Netherlands

Christinus Antonetta Paulus Van Liempd