Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Ami Semiconductor Belgium Bvba

On Semiconductor

Francois Laulanet

Bernard Gentinne

Olivier Charlier

Wim Van De Maele

Geert Vandensande

Jorg Jos Daniels

Bart Decock

Sam Vermeir

Mustafa Badaroglu

Cedric Bonaldi

Illustrative integrated circuit devices are provided with built-in self test circuit designs and verification methods. One disclosed integrated circuit device includes: an analog circuit block configured to be powered by a current flow from a first power rail and an intermediate node; a current sensor configured to provide digital measurements of the current flow; a built-in self test circuit configured to set the analog circuit block in a sequence of operating modes and coupled to the current sensor to capture for each operating mode a corresponding one of the digital measurements.

Built-in self test with current measurement for analog circuit verification

In one embodiment, a method of forming an LED control circuit may include configuring the LED control circuit to receive a sense signal that is representative of a value of an LED current flow through a plurality of LED strings wherein each LED string includes a plurality of series coupled LEDs; configuring a detector circuit of the LED control circuit to detect the LED current being no greater than a first value and responsively initiate forming a first time period; and configuring the LED control circuit to inhibit forming the LED current responsively to termination of the first time period.

Method of forming a semiconductor device and structure therefor

The present invention provides a method to compensate for the sensitivity drift of a magnetic field sensor for sensing a magnetic field. The magnetic field sensor comprises at least four electrodes. The method comprises a first step where a first set of two electrodes is used to bias the sensor and a second set of two electrodes is used to sense an output signal of the magnetic field sensor, and a second step where the second set of two electrodes is used to bias the sensor and the first set of two electrodes is used to sense an output signal of the magnetic field sensor. The method is characterized in that at least one of the first or the second step is subdivided in at least a first sub-step and a second sub-step. A reference magnetic field has first magnetic field parameters, e.g. a first amplitude and/or direction, in the first sub-step and second magnetic field parameters, a second amplitude and/or direction, in the second sub-step. An output signal is sensed in the first and in the second step, and within the first or the second step an output signal is sensed in the first and the second sub-step.

Method of auto calibrating a magnetic field sensor for drift and structure therefor

The invention relates to a signaling system for use in a system for monitoring and/or controlling a stack of power cells. The stack of power cells is series connected, i.e. the negative terminal of one power cell is connected to the positive electrode of the adjacent power cell. A monitoring device is associated with each power cell to monitor characteristics of the power cell (temperature, voltage). Every monitoring device is powered by the power cell it is associated. The monitoring device monitors the status of the cell (e.g. it measures the difference of potential between the positive terminal and the negative terminal of that cell but it may also measure the temperature of the power cell, the pH of the electrolyte if the power cell Ci is a battery, etc. and communicates information on the status of the cell to other monitoring devices. The monitoring devices are daisy chained. Data cannot be exchanged between a monitoring device from one cell and a monitoring device from another cell without that the data sent by the one device transits by the other devices in the chain.

Power cell monitoring

A differential level shifter employs a variable current mirror to maintain a reference voltage at one output while the other output follows a differential input. Resistor networks allow postproduction trimming of load resistors and the current mirror, resulting in a precise and accurate output of the differential signal. An active cascode circuit enhances current mirror balance and high frequency operation.

Precision differential level shifter

A circuit for determining a direction of rotation of an electric motor, the motor having asymmetry and/or eccentricity in a profile of back electromotive force as a function of angular position of a rotor with respect to a stator, the circuit receiving a signal representing the BEMF, and use the corresponding asymmetry and/or eccentricity in the signal to derive the direction of rotation. The signal representing the back emf can be generated by a control circuit. The control circuit can have a feedback loop regulator to generate a control signal (TL or TR) to control a current drive circuit () to control an amplitude of current (i) in the windings, the feedback loop regulator being arranged to compare the amplitude of the current (i) in the windings with a reference value (i), and use the control signal to provide the signal representing the back electromotive force.

Method and apparatus for driving a DC motor

A comparator has first and second current paths, each passing from an input through a transistor, through a current source to ground, the second current path also having a reference voltage drop element coupled in series with the second input. The gates of the transistors are coupled to form a current mirror. The reference voltage drop element enables higher voltages to be input and compared to higher thresholds above an internal supply voltage level without the need for dividing resistors to reduce the input voltage. Avoiding such resistors means the power dissipation and the silicon area used can be kept lower. ESD vulnerability is reduced since the inputs are not coupled to gates of MOS transistors. Overvoltage protection across the source and gate of the second transistor can be added.

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Brussels, Belgium

Francois Laulanet