Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Sgs-Thomson Microelectronics S.r.l.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.p.

Alma Mater Studiorum-Universitá Di Bologna

Giulio Ricotti

Sandro Rossi

Bruno Murari

Ubaldo Mastromatteo

Valeria Bottarel

Giovanni Frattini

Alberto Pagani

Giorgio Pedrazzini

Domenico Rossi

Fabio Quaglia

Luca Fontanella

Juri Giovannone

Roberto Antonio Canegallo

Marco Morelli

Fulvio Vittorio Fontana

Riccardo Depetro

Davide Ugo Ghisu

Enrico M Ravanelli

Francesco Procopio

Massimo Pozzoni

Antonio Gnudi

Eleonora Franchi Scarselli

Marco Marchesi

Antonio Ricciardo

Luca Perilli

Alessia Maria Elgani

Roberto Bardelli

Kenneth James Eldredge

Federico Giovanni Ziglioli

Donald J Fasen

Roberto Gariboldi

Aldo Vittorio Novelli

Andrea Lorenzo Vitali

Angelo Genova

Alessandro Nicolosi

Guido Gabriele Albasini

Luigi Della Torre

Michael Clinton Allyn

Matteo Albertini

Stefano Corona

Alberto Danioni

Rita Zappa

Marco Ronchi

Enrico Temporiti Milani

Aldo Romani

Andrea Mazzanti

Francesco D'Angelo

Stefano Corbani

Matteo Pizzotti

Daniele Ronchi

Marco Sautto

Paolo Bompieri

Silvia Marabelli

Francesco Renzini

Michele Dini

Marcellino Gemelli

Francesco Tampellini

Matteo D'Addato

A circuit includes a clock input node, a first signal input node configured to receive a first modulated signal switching between a first DC voltage and a second DC voltage, a bias circuit, a first output node, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and switching circuitry coupled to the first capacitor and the second capacitor. Control circuitry is configured to initially set the switching circuitry in a first configuration in response to the first modulated signal having the second DC voltage, thereby charging the first capacitor to the second DC voltage and charging the second capacitor to the first DC voltage, and subsequently set the switching circuitry in a second configuration in response to an edge detected in the clock signal, thereby producing the first threshold voltage at the first output node after charge redistribution taking place between the first and second capacitors.

Threshold voltage generator circuit and corresponding receiver device

The current technique provides an unmanned vehicle that is capable of travelling in the air, on the ground and/or in the water. The driving force of the unmanned vehicle is provided by at least one propelling module that includes a motor, a shaft and a propeller. The propelling module is coupled to a chassis. The chassis includes one or more support elements that each couples to one or more aileron member. An aileron member is configured to tilt with or about the support element to change fluid flux about the aileron member and thus change a position of the propelling force.

Multi-environment flexible vehicle

In one example, a circuit includes a first node to receive an analog signal that is an amplitude modulated radio-frequency signal for a digital signal. An output node is configured to provide an output signal indicative of rising and falling edges of an envelope of the analog signal. The rising and falling edges are indicative of rising and falling edges of the digital signal. A first current path is disposed between a power supply node and the first node. The first current path includes a first transistor coupled between the first node and a first bias source. The first bias source is coupled between the first transistor and the power supply node. The output node is coupled to a first intermediate node in the first current path between the transistor and the first bias source. A control terminal of the first transistor is coupled to the output node via a feedback network.

Detection circuit, corresponding device and method

An electronic converter has first and second input terminals, first and second output terminals, a current regulator circuit arranged between the first input terminal and an intermediate node, and input capacitor arranged between the intermediate node and the second input terminal, and an output capacitor. A control circuit block is configured to sense an input voltage, compare the regulated voltage to a reference value and generate a first signal, compare the input voltage to a lower threshold and an upper threshold and generate a second signal, switch the electronic converter between an active mode and an idle mode as a function of the first signal, and switch the electronic converter between a recharge phase and a switching phase as a function of the second signal when the electronic converter is in the active mode.

Electronic converter and method of operating an electronic converter

A MEMS device includes a fixed supporting body forming a cavity, a mobile element suspended over the cavity, and an elastic element arranged between the fixed supporting body and the mobile element. First, second, third, and fourth piezoelectric elements are mechanically coupled to the elastic element, which has a shape symmetrical with respect to a direction. The first and second piezoelectric elements are arranged symmetrically with respect to the third and fourth piezoelectric elements, respectively. The first and fourth piezoelectric elements are configured to receive a first control signal, whereas the second and third piezoelectric elements are configured to receive a second control signal, which is in phase opposition with respect to the first control signal so that the first, second, third, and fourth piezoelectric elements deform the elastic element, with consequent rotation of the mobile element about the direction.

MEMS device with piezoelectric actuation, a projective MEMS system including the MEMS device and related driving method

A programmable-gain amplifier includes: two complementary cross-coupled transistor pairs mutually coupled with each transistor in one pair having a current flow path cascaded with a current flow path of a respective one of the transistors in the other pair. First and second coupling points are formed between the pairs; with first and second sampling capacitors coupled thereto. First and second input stages have input terminals to input signals for sampling by the first and second sampling capacitors. Switching means couple the first and second input stages to the sampling capacitors so the input signals are sampled as sampled signals on the sampling capacitors. The switching means energizes the complementary cross-coupled transistor pairs so the signals sampled on the sampling capacitors undergo negative resistance regeneration growing exponentially over time to thereby provide an exponential amplifier gain.

Programmable-gain amplifier, corresponding device and method

A package for a device to be inserted into a solid structure may include a building material that includes particles of one of micrometric and sub-micrometric dimensions. The device may include an integrated detection module having at least one integrated sensor and the package arranged to coat at least one portion of the device including the integrated detection module. A method aspect includes a method of manufacturing the device. A system aspect is for monitoring parameters in a solid structure that includes the device.

Package, made of building material, for a parameter monitoring device, within a solid structure, and relative device

A magnetic field sensor formed by a Hall cell having a first, second, third and fourth conduction nodes electrically coupled together by resistive paths. Flowing between the first and second conduction nodes is a control current. In the presence of a magnetic field, a difference of potential due to the Hall effect is generated between the third and fourth conduction nodes. An operational amplifier has an inverting input terminal coupled to the fourth conduction node, a non-inverting input terminal biased at the voltage at the third conduction node, and an output terminal coupled in feedback mode to the inverting input by a feedback resistor. The current generated in feedback through the feedback resistor generates a voltage indicating unbalancing, due to the Hall effect, between the third and fourth conductive nodes, and consequently indicates the intensity of the magnetic field that acts upon the Hall cell.

Hall-effect-based magnetic field sensor having an improved output bandwidth

An inertial sensor having a body with an excitation coil and a first sensing coil extending along a first axis. A suspended mass includes a magnetic-field concentrator, in a position corresponding to the excitation coil, and configured for displacing by inertia in a plane along the first axis. A supply and sensing circuit is electrically coupled to the excitation coil and to the first sensing coil, and is configured for generating a time-variable flow of electric current that flows in the excitation coil so as to generate a magnetic field that interacts with the magnetic-field concentrator to induce a voltage/current in the sensing coil. The integrated circuit is configured for measuring a value of the voltage/current induced in the first sensing coil so as to detect a quantity associated to the displacement of the suspended mass along the first axis.

Magnetic inertial sensor and method for operating the same

An energy-harvesting system includes a transducer to convert environmental energy into a harvesting electrical signal. A storage element stores electrical energy derived from conversion of the harvested environmental energy. A harvesting interface supplies an electrical charging signal to the storage element. The harvesting interface is selectively connected to the storage element in response to a control signal. The control signal causes the connection when the harvesting electrical signal exceeds a threshold. Conversely, the control signal causes the disconnection when the harvesting electrical signal is less than the threshold.

Energy harvesting system with selectively activatable harvesting interface, and method of energy harvesting

A sensor for pressure measurement may include a fabric support, an electrically conductive structure including tracks on the fabric support having resistance variations in response to deformations thereof, and a processor coupled to the electrically conductive structure and configured to sense resistance values of respective tracks of the electrically conductive structure and to provide a signal representative of a pressure difference across opposite faces of the fabric support.

Sensor for pressure measurements

A differentiator generates a time derivative signal from a time-variable signal. A transconductance amplifier generates a biasing control signal as a function of the time derivative signal. A supply network functions to supply the differentiator and transconductance amplifier. The supply network is driven by the biasing control signal output from the transconductance amplifier. With this configuration, speed of operation of the differentiator and transconductance amplifier vary with the supply provided by the supply network, and the supply is modulated as a function of the received time-variable signal.

Circuit and method for adjusting the electric power supply of an energy-scavenging system

An electromechanical memory element includes a fixed body and a deformable element attached to the fixed body. An actuator causes a deformation of the deformable element from a first position (associated with a first logic state) to a second position (associated with a second logic state) where a mobile element makes contact with a fixed element. A programming circuit then causes a weld to be formed between the mobile element and the fixed element. The memory element is thus capable of associating the first and second positions with two different logic states. The weld may be selectively dissolved to return the deformable element back to the first position.

Electromechanical integrated memory element and electronic memory comprising the same

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Broni, Italy

Giulio Ricotti