Motorola Corporation

Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Fredrick Zlotnick

Daryl Roberts

Sydney J Reid, Jr

A buffer circuit ( ) receives a selection signal (S ), which selects either a first or second threshold voltage for receiving an input signal (S ) at a logic gate ( ). A switch ( ) and a level-shifter ( ) are used in combination to set a voltage at a node ( ). The first input signal is coupled to the switch. The logic gate is coupled to the node, and the voltage level at the node sets the threshold voltage of the logic gate of the buffer circuit.

Buffer circuit with programmable switching thresholds

A field programmable gate array (FPGA) configuration circuit reads configuration data from a memory (12) and converts the parallel data to a serial data stream through a shift register (16) clocked by a clock signal. A first FPGA (18) controls the serial data stream by providing the clock signal when enabled by a start signal. Once the configuration data has been completely loaded into the first FPGA, the first FPGA outputs a done signal to a second FPGA (20) to enable it's clock to control the serial data stream into the second FPGA. The clock from the first FPGA is disabled. Each FPGA passes control to the next FPGA in a daisy chain arrangement by enabling the clock source from the next FPGA while disabling the clock source from previous FPGA as each finishes loading its configuration data.

Circuit and method of configuring a field programmable gate array

A volume control circuit useful for remotely controlling volume through a CATV remote control unit uses a sound carrier demodulator to obtain an intercarrier sound signal. The intercarrier sound signal is further demodulated to obtain a detected audio signal whose amplitude can then be easily controlled by an amplifier. The gain of the amplifier can then be controlled from the remote unit. The detected audio is then remodulated with the RF video carrier. The remodulated audio is then summed with the video signal to provide an RF output signal having amplitude controlled audio.

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Scottsdale, AZ, United States of America

Fredrick Zlotnick