National Semiconductor Corporation

Texas Instruments Corporation

Mehmet Aslan

Richard Dean Henderson

Dan D'Aquino

Chungwai Benedict Ng

Qing Feng Ren

Gururaj Ghorpade

Theertham Srinivas

John W Branch

Vallamkonda Madhuri

Priyanka Khasnis

Dvj Ravi Kumar

Danny D'Aquino

Benjamin Stassen Cook

David Michael Boisvert

Hideya Oshima

Sumer Can

Eric Scheuerlein

D V J Ravi Kumar

Kunhong Qu

Eric Tam

Michael Wong

Chung Wai Ng

K Krishna Mahesh

Chung Wai Benedict Ng

An integrated circuit (IC) with an impedance sensor fabricated on a surface of the substrate is disclosed. The impedance sensor includes a bottom conductive plate formed on the substrate. A sensing membrane is formed on the bottom conductive plate. A top conductive plate is formed on the sensing membrane, in which the top conductive plate is a fusion of conductive nanoparticles having a random three dimensional porosity that is permeable to a reagent.

Sensing capacitor with a permeable electrode

A rail-to-rail buffer receiving a differential input signal and generating a differential output signal includes first and second amplifier circuits configured in a pseudo differential buffer structure and first and second comparators coupled to compare the respective part of the differential input signal and a first voltage and to generate select signals. Each of the first and second amplifier circuits includes first and second complementary differential input stages and the first and second comparators generate respective select signals to turn on only one of the first or the second differential input stage in each amplifier circuit depending on a value of the respective part of the differential input signal. In operation, the first and second complementary differential input stages of each amplifier circuit not being turned on at the same time.

Low noise, high CMRR and PSRR input buffer

An apparatus and method for canceling variations in the beta for a bipolar junction transistor so that the diode equation can be employed to accurately measure the temperature of the transistor based at least in part on a ratio of two target collector currents and two measurements of the base-emitter voltage of the transistor. If the determined collector current of the transistor is relatively equivalent to one of the first and second target collector currents, the transistor's base-emitter voltage is measured and stored. An analog feedback circuit can be employed to change the determined collector current to be relatively equivalent to the first and second target collector currents. The analog feedback circuit can include an optional sample and hold component to further reduce power consumption and reduce noise. A digital circuit can be employed to change the determined collector current to be relatively equivalent to the first and second target collector currents. Additionally, the transistor can be remotely located in another integrated circuit.

Beta variation cancellation in temperature sensors

Calibrating a white level in an image scanning device. A target white level is accessed. A high white level is determined for pixel data output by an amplifier. A gain adjustment to the amplifier is determined to correct a portion of an error between the target white level and the high white level. The gain adjustment is applied to the amplifier.

Method and device for white level calibration

A three-terminal, dual-diode system is compatible with both fully differential remote and single-ended remote temperature measurement systems. Fully differential remote temperature sensor systems offer better noise immunity and can perform faster conversions with less sensitivity to series resistance than single-ended systems. The two diode system can be used with either fully differential or single-ended temperature measurement systems, which can be used when upgrading from a single-ended architecture to a fully differential architecture, and which can provide backwards compatibility to single-ended architectures for users of fully differential architectures. The simultaneous forwards and backwards compatibilities reduces development risk associated with switching from a proven architecture (e.g., single-ended) to a newer, less-proven, architecture (e.g., fully differential).

Three-terminal dual-diode system for fully differential remote temperature sensors

A method for calibrating an analog-to-digital converter includes sampling an analog input signal and generating input samples, reversing the polarity of at least one input sample, averaging the digital output codes associated with a first pair of input samples where the first pair of input samples has opposite polarities, and generating an offset correction value being the average of the digital output codes associated with the first pair of input samples. In another embodiment, a method for calibrating an ADC includes sampling the analog input signal and generating input samples, introducing an incremental value to modify the magnitude of at least one input sample, computing an actual gain value using the digital output codes associated with a first input sample and a second input sample having the modified magnitude, and generating a gain correction value being the ratio of an ideal gain of the ADC to the actual gain.

Background calibration method for analog-to-digital converters

A method for removing component mismatch errors for a system parameter being set by a ratio of two or more physical, electrical components ('components') of the same kind on an integrated circuit including providing an array of component units having the same component value, determining the actual component values of each component unit in the array, selecting component units based on the actual component values to form pairs of component units where the pairs have approximately the same total component values, ordering the component unit pairs, assigning alternate component unit pairs to be associated with each of the two or more components, rotating at a first frequency the assignment of the component unit pairs. At each rotation, the component unit pairs to be associated with each component are shifted so that each component unit pair is associated with a different one of the two or more components in turn.

Capacitor rotation method for removing gain error in sigma-delta analog-to-digital converters

An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of matching currents to a known ratio including generating a control signal from a control circuit, which includes a value that defines a configuration. The method also includes receiving the control signal at a switching circuit, detecting whether the value of the control signal has changed, and, provided the value has changed, switching a plurality of transistors from a first configuration to a second configuration. The first configuration produces a first current in a first circuit and a second circuit, and the second configuration produces a second current in a first circuit and a second circuit. The ratio of the first current and the second current are the aforementioned known ratio.

Matching for time multiplexed transistors

An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of matching time-multiplexed resistors to a known ratio including generating a control signal from a control circuit, which includes a value that defines a configuration. The method also includes receiving the control signal at a switching circuit, detecting whether the value of the control signal has changed, and, provided the value has changed, switching a plurality of resistors from a first configuration to a second configuration. The first configuration produces a first resistance, and the second configuration produces a second resistance. The ratio of the first resistance and the second resistance are the aforementioned known ratio.

Matching for time multiplexed resistors

An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for reducing the effects of temperature coefficients of series resistance in a temperature sensing circuit having a temperature sensing element. The currents through the temperature sensing element are relatively constant over temperature. The method includes adjusting the gain of an analog to digital converter to compensate for the change in current densities in the temperature sensing element multiplied by a characterized temperature coefficient of the series resistance of a signal path of the temperature sensing circuit. The method also includes adjusting an offset of the analog to digital converter to compensate for the change in current densities in the temperature sensing element multiplied by a characterized resistance of the signal path of the temperature sensing circuit.

Eliminating the effects of the temperature coefficients of series resistance on temperature sensors

A circuit for temperature sensing provides a bias current to a PN junction, and the PN junction provides a PN junction voltage in response to the bias current. Also, a parasitic resistance may be coupled in series with the PN junction. The circuit for temperature sensing is configured to determine the temperature of the PN junction based on the PN junction voltage. Further, the circuit includes registers which store &#x3b7;trim, which is based on the difference between the non-ideality of the PN junction used from a reference PN junction; &#x394;I, which is based on the difference between a reference bias current and the bias current for the part; Rtrim, which is based the parasitic resistance; and Ntrim, which includes other offsets. The registers may be set during trimming and/or calibration to provide accurate temperature sensing for the parameters employed.

Apparatus and method for calibration of a temperature sensor

A system for adjusting parameters of a temperature sensor for settling time reduction is disclosed. The system includes an input for receiving a signal for triggering an adjustment of one or more parameters associated with one or more portions of the temperature sensor. And, an adjuster that includes a current sourcing/sinking adjuster, a feedback loop current adjuster and a feedback loop resistance adjuster coupled to the input. The adjuster adjusts one or more voltages associated with one or more portions of the temperature sensor in response to a receipt of the signal for triggering an adjustment to achieve the settling time reduction.

Systems and methods for adjusting parameters of a temperature sensor for settling time reduction

A multi-channel remote diode temperature sensor includes a variable current supply configured to provide a base or an elevated current, a bias circuit, an analog-to-digital converter having a first and second input terminals, a logic block and a switch arrangement. The switch arrangement cooperates with the logic block to electrically connect the current supply, bias circuit and analog-to-digital input terminals to first and second data pins. Pairs of anode-to-cathode connected remote diodes in electrical communication with the data pins are monitored by measuring the difference in forward voltages at the two currents. Reversal of the configuration of the switch arrangement paths permits monitoring of the other member of the anode-to-cathode remote diode.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Mehmet Aslan