Fyre Storm, Inc.

Vlsi Technology, Inc.

Exar Corporation

3Dfx Interactive, Inc.

Nvidia U.S. Investment Company

John Carl Thomas

Kent Kernahan

Elias Lozano

Craig N Lambert

A voltage signal is monitored in comparison to another voltage signal by a differential amplifier. When the first voltage signal value drops below the second voltage signal value an output signal is boosted in response. The output signal returns to a previous state without boost.

Low power method of responsively initiating fast response to a detected change of condition

A synchronous control system includes a logic controller (e.g., microprocessor) which can be put into low power standby or sleep mode by shutting off its clock. A quick-start oscillator (QSO) remains shut off to conserve power when not needed, but awakens rapidly and supplies clock signals to the logic controller for quickly awakening the controller so the latter can to respond to exigent circumstances. One such circumstance can be the drop of a vital supply voltage below a predefined threshold. A low power comparator (LPTC) detects the drop and starts up the QSO which in turn awakens the controller. The controller determines what the reason for the awakening is, quickly responds to the exigent circumstance and then turns the QSO off to thereby conserve power and put itself (QSO) back to sleep. Disclosures are provided for the QSO and a first calibration subsystem used to maintain QSO output frequency within a desired range. Disclosures are provided for the LPTC and a second calibration subsystem used to set its trigger threshold. Disclosure of a novel DAC within the LPTC is also provided.

Low power method of monitoring and of responsively initiating higher powered intelligent response to detected change of condition

A control system and method for simultaneously regulating the operation of a plurality of different types of switching power converters. The system utilizes in regulating the power converters sampled data and nonlinear feedback control loops.

Power converter circuitry and method

A circuit controls the pulse width of an output signal from a voltage controlled oscillator. The voltage controlled oscillator includes a ring oscillator comprising a plurality of series-connected inverters. In one embodiment a selector selects at least one output signal from an inverter in the plurality of series-connected inverters. An output circuit receives the selected output signal and a reference signal to provide a final output signal having a time duration proportional to the number of inverters between the inverters providing the reference signal and the output signal to the selection circuit.

Circuit for controlling the time duration of a signal

A system is disclosed for controlling a plurality of pulse-width-modulated switching power converters. The system includes a sample and hold circuit which is configured to receive information at time-separated intervals. The information the sample and hold circuit receives includes information which is indicative of the performance of the power converters. In some embodiments, the sample and hold circuit takes samples of data from each of the switching power converters and provides information to an analog to digital conversion circuit coupled to the sample and hold circuit. In one embodiment, the plurality of pulse-width-modulated switching power are configured to independently provide power to unrelated loads.

Sample and hold system for controlling a plurality of pulse-width-modulated switching power converters

Disclosed is a method of producing a switching power converter which is implemented by providing a ring oscillator made up of a plurality of series-connected inverters. A feedback loop from the output of the last inverter in the series to an input lead of the first inverter in the series is provided. A selection circuit is provided which has a plurality of inputs and one or more outputs. An output of each of the inverters is connected to an associated input of the selection circuit. An exclusive OR gate is provided which has first and second inputs. The selection circuit is configured to selectively provide to the first input of the exclusive OR gate an output signal from an inverter in the string of series connected inverters, and further the selection circuit is configured to provide to the second input of the exclusive OR gate an output signal from an output lead of another inverter in the string of inverters.

Switching power converter method

A plurality of pulse-width-modulated switching power converters are controlled in a system which includes a programmable control circuit which provides control information to cause generation of pulse-width-modulated signals as appropriate to correct an operation of a switching power converter. The programmable control circuit receives digital information which identifies the topology of each of the switching power converters being controlled. The programmable control circuit also receives digital information which identifies associated target performance for the switching power converters under its control. The programmable control circuit also receives information which is indicative of the performance of the power converters and compares the performance of the power converters with respect to the target performance of the power converters. If a difference between the performance and the target performance is identified, the programmable control circuit generates the control information is needed to correct the operation of the switching power converters.

System for controlling a plurality of pulse-width-modulated switching power converters

A touch screen display circuit is disclosed which includes means for measuring a voltage at two separate input terminals which represent a location on a touch screen where pressure was applied. The display circuit includes means for defining a time period during which the voltage is measured and means for converting the measured voltage to a digital value. The means for measuring a voltage includes an amplifier and a capacitor which are configured as an integrator. The means for converting comprises a counter that measures an amount of time required for the capacitor to dissipate its charge. A touch screen display system having a touch screen which includes first and second sheets of conductive materials positioned in a spaced apart relationship is disclosed. The touch screen display system utilizes a means coupled to the first and second sheets for measuring a voltage at two separate input terminals, a means for defining a time period during which the voltage is measured and a means for converting the voltage to a digital value.

Touch screen display circuit and voltage measurement circuit

Cross-channel interference can be a problem in multi-channel switched power systems. A multi-channel switched power converter is provided a reference count generator that generates a reference count signal that is commonly distributed to multiple, pulse width modulating (PWM) channels of the converter. The common reference count signal counts through a sequence of successive timing values. Events in each channel are scheduled relative to the common reference count. Examples of such events include the amplification or de-application of a driving voltage pulse to an inductive means of the channel and the taking of voltage and current measurement samples. Cross channel interference is avoided or minimized by scheduling or re-scheduling events in each active channel so that they do not occur simultaneously in potentially-interfering channels, for example the taking of a current measurement sample in one channel and the turning on of an inductance-driving voltage pulse is a second channel.

Multi-channel control methods for switched power converters

Interfering effects of output ripple on measurement of output voltage and output current in a switched power converter may be obviated by taking sampled measurements at time points which are synchronized to the cause of the output ripple to drop out. Different waveform features within the switch driving signal may be used as synchronization markers for respectively determining when to take measurement samples of converter output voltage and converter current.

Ripple free measurement and control methods for switched power converters

A digital signal to pulse converter including a spectral spreader which provides an adjusted clock signal that does not cycle during selected cycles. The adjusted clock signal is written into a multi-port content addressable memory which, as a function of the current count, provides output signals that determine a beginning or an end of a pulse within a frame. The spectral spreader varies the number of selected cycles to adjust the frame rate as desired, linearly or nonlinearly.

Digital signal to pulse converter and method of digital signal to pulse conversion

A switching power converter including a ring oscillator constructed using a plurality of series connected inverters is utilized to generate a plurality of waveforms. A selection circuit, in cooperation with an exclusive OR gate, produces an output signal from the exclusive OR gate having a duty cycle which can vary from 0 to a nearly 100% duty cycle, depending upon which waveform is selected. The output signal is utilized to control a switching power converter.

Switching power converter

A pulsed width generator provides a plurality of pulse width modulated signals based upon a reference frequency generated by a phase locked loop. A comparator watches for certain number of pulses of the reference frequency to generate an output signal which is compiled to a pulse width modulation circuit which provides a pulse width modulated signal. A sequencer may be used to control the start and stop times of each phase independently.

Phase locked looped based digital pulse converter

A VCO modulator controller including a ROM memory storing a number of waveform maps, a counter coupled to the ROM memory and capable of developing a sequence of ROM addresses, a temporal bit generator responsive to a data stream to develop a next bit Nb, a current bit Cb, and a past bit Pb, control circuitry developing a digital waveform signal from selected waveform maps in the ROM memory using the Nb, Cb, and Pb bits and the sequence of ROM memory outputs, and a DAC that converts the digital waveform signal to an analog VCO control signal that encodes said data stream. A method for providing a modulated control voltage includes: (a) storing a number of waveform maps in a memory; (b) generating a number of temporal bits including a next bit Nb, a current bit Cb, and a past bit Pb from a data stream; (c) developing a series of addresses for the memory to create a sequence of digital outputs; (d) developing a digital waveform utilizing said Nb, Cb, and Pb bits and the sequence of digital outputs of the memory; and (e) converting the digital waveform signal to an analog VCO control signal that encodes the data stream.

Method and apparatus for VCO modulation in a communication system

Macrocells, e.g., Random Access Memory (&ldquo;RAM&rdquo;), are arranged in columns and disposed in a core of an integrated circuit (IC) chip. The macrocells can abut each other within the columns or can be separated from each other by standard cells which are disposed to fill gaps between the macrocells within the columns. Power/ground rails are disposed vertically along the sides of the columns. The power/ground rails run the full height of the core and couple to a power/ground ring disposed along the perimeter of the core. The power/ground rails also couple to the macrocells and the standard cells and provide power to those cells. The columns can form right angles with horizontal standard cell rows, thus enabling the standard cells to couple easily to the vertically disposed power/ground rails.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

John Carl Thomas