Ams Ag

Texas Instruments Corporation

Len Tech Inc.

Ams International Ag

Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions, Inc.

Gonggui Xu

Haydar Bilhan

Feng Ying

Ramesh Chandrasekaran

Cecil Aswell

Lieyi Fang

Lloyd Hasley

Liming Xiu

Andreas Fitzi

Erkan Bilhan

Jason Meiners

Mario Manninger

Xiaopeng Li

Gary Lee

Yong Han

Huimin Xia

Louis Albert Iii Williams

An apparatus includes a current sensing gain stage comprising a first leg and a second leg, wherein each leg comprises a plurality of transistors connected in series, a first track stage configured to receive a first current sensing signal, wherein the first track stage comprises a first bias transistor configured to provide a first range of headroom for the first leg of the current sensing gain stage, and a second track stage configured to receive a second current sensing signal, wherein the second track stage comprises a second bias transistor configured to provide a second range of headroom for the second leg of the current sensing gain stage.

Current sensing apparatus and control method

An ESD protection apparatus includes a first clamping device and a second clamping device connected in series between a bias voltage bus and ground, and a switch coupled between an input/output pad and a common node of the first clamping device and the second clamping device, wherein the switch is configured such that before a bias voltage on the bias voltage bus has been established, a leakage current flowing through the first clamping device is reduced.

ESD protection apparatus and control method

An apparatus includes a wide range differential pair configured to operate at a low voltage level through reducing bias currents in a startup process of a power converter, and operate at a high voltage level through configuring detected voltages to bias the wide range differential pair, a reference circuit configured to regulate a current flowing through the power converter through the wide range differential pair, and a low voltage circuit configured to convert differential currents generated by the wide range differential pair into a control voltage for regulating the current flowing through the power converter.

Wide range amplifier and control method

An apparatus includes a high gain input stage configured as an integrator in a successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a clamping and filtering stage configured to clamp a voltage on a high impedance node to a predetermined level approximately equal to a diode voltage drop in a clamping mode of an SAR cycle, and a decision-making stage connected to an output of the clamping and filtering stage.

ADC apparatus and control method

An optical sensor arrangement includes a photodiode, a dummy photodiode, an analog-to-digital converter, a first switch which couples the photodiode to an input of the analog-to-digital converter, and a second switch which couples the dummy photodiode to the input of the analog-to-digital converter.

Optical sensor arrangement including a dummy photodiode with a well that surrounds a well of a photodiode

A digital-to-analog converter comprises a converter output (), a dummy output (), a first number N of current sources (-), a first switching arrangement (), a first current divider (), a second switching arrangement () and a second current divider (). The current sources (-) are coupled via the first switching arrangement () to the converter output (), the dummy output () or to an input current terminal () of the first current divider (). The output current terminals (-) of the first current divider () are coupled via the second switching arrangement () to the converter output (), the dummy output () or to an input current terminal () of the second current divider (). The output current terminals (-) of the second current divider () are coupled to the converter output () or the dummy output ().

Digital-to-analog converter and method for digital-to-analog conversion

A signal conditioning circuit for a light sensor, in particular for an ambient light sensor, comprises a first integration stage (INT) connected to a first sensor input (IN) to receive a first and second sensor signal and a second integration stage (INT) comprising a coupling input (IN) to receive from the first integration stage (INT) a first and second integrated sensor signal. A coupling stage (S, C) is connecting the first and second integration stages (INT, INT) and is designed to generate a difference signal from consecutively received integrated first and second integrated sensor signals. A sensor arrangement and a method for signal conditioning for a light sensor is also presented.

Signal conditioning circuit for a light sensor, a sensor arrangement and a method for signal conditioning for a light sensor

An optical sensor arrangement () comprises a light sensor (), a current source (), an analog-to-digital converter () and a switch () which selectively couples the light sensor () or the current source () to an input () of the analog-to-digital converter ().

Optical sensor arrangement and method for light sensing

A light sensor arrangement according to the proposed principle comprises at least one first unshielded well (D) and at least one second shielded well (D) in a substrate (P). The at least one first unshielded well (D) is being exposed to incident light (&#x3bb;) and configured to generate a first sensor signal (Ch) as a function of the incident light (&#x3bb;). The at least one second shielded well (D) in the substrate (p) being shielded from the incident light (&#x3bb;) and configured to generate a second sensor signal (Ch) as a function of the incident light (&#x3bb;). The light sensor arrangement further comprises means for temperature compensation providing the first and second sensor signals (Ch, Ch) as temperature compensated sensor signals as a function of substrate temperature. Means to determine spectral content of the incident light (&#x3bb;) are provided to determine the spectral content as a function of the temperature compensated first and second sensor signals (Ch, Ch).

Light sensor arrangement and method for temperature compensation in a light sensor arrangement

An optical sensor arrangement () comprises a photodiode () for providing a sensor current (IPD) and an analog-to-digital converter arrangement () which is coupled to the photodiode () and determines a digital value of the sensor current (IPD) in a charge balancing operation in a first phase (A) and in another conversion operation in a second phase (B).

An electric circuit of a switchable current source () comprises an input path (IP) comprising a first resistor (R) and a controllable current source (CS) to provide a changeable current (Itrim) and an output current path (OP) including a controllable output driver (MN), a second resistor (R) and an output terminal (LDR_PIN). A sensing voltage (VSENSE) is tapped at the output current path (OP) and is fed back to a regulator circuit (RC) by a feedback path (FP). The regulator circuit (RC) is connectable to the input path (IP) and the output path (OP) and provides an output signal (Vout) to control the output current driver (MN). The switchable current source () enables to provide an output current (ILDR) at the output terminal (LDR_PIN) in dependence on the first and second resistor (R, R) and the changeable current (Itrim).

Electric circuit of a switchable current source

A sensor arrangement for light sensing and temperature sensing comprises a first sensor input () for connecting a temperature sensor () and a second sensor input () for connecting a light sensor (), in particular an ambient light sensor. A sensor switch (S) electrically connects either the first or the second sensor input () to an integration input () of an integrating analog-to-digital converter (). A reference circuit () connects to the integration input () via a first switch (S). A first reference input () of the integrating analog-to-digital converter () is to be connected with a first reference potential (Vb). A counter () connects to an integration output () of the integrating analog-to-digital converter (). And a controller unit () connects to the counter () and is designed to control the first switch (S) depending on an integrated sensor signal (Vout) integrated by the integrating analog-to-digital converter ().

Sensor arrangement for light sensing and temperature sensing and method for light sensing and temperature sensing

An output buffer comprises a series connection of a first field effect transistor and a second field effect transistor, wherein the first field effect transistor is connected to a first supply potential terminal and the second field effect transistor is connected to a second supply potential terminal. An output terminal is connected to a common connection of the first transistor and the second transistor. The output buffer has a series connection of a resistive element and a capacitive element, wherein the capacitive element is connected to the output terminal, and a control circuit, to which an input signal is provided. The control circuit controls the transistors in such a way that turning off of a transistor is performed immediately, while turning on of a transistor is performed depending on the charging or discharging of the capacitive element, thus achieving a defined slew rate of the output signal at the output terminal.

Output buffer and signal processing method

Provided herein are a circuit and method for dynamically controlling operational amplifier (op-amp) offset for photodetector applications using a variable trimming circuit coupled to a test node and an op-amp.

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Plano, TX, United States of America

Gonggui Xu