Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Sgs-thomson Microelectronics S.r.l.

Consorzio Per La Ricerca Sulla Microelettronica Nel Mezzogiorno

Co.ri.m.me. Consorzio Per La Ricerca Sulla Microelettronica Nel

Melchiorre Bruccoleri

Marco Pio Demicheli

Gaetano Cosentino

Valerio Pisati

Giacomino Bollati

Daniele Ottini

Giuseppe Patti

Roberto Alini

Salvatore Portaluri

Paolo Cusinato

Davide Demicheli

Marco DeMicheli

Luca Celant

Maurizio Zuffada

Marco De Micheli

Francesco Radice

Andrea Baschirotto

Antonio Fincato

Gianfranco Vai

Angelo Dati

Alessandro Savo

Salvatore Mario Rotolo

Luca Rigazio

Maurizio Malfa

Paola Demartini

David Demicheli

A system for detecting objects, for driver assistance equipment in motor vehicles for example, includes a transmitter for transmitting towards an object an optical signal having a signal energy. The optical signal transmitted includes at least one encoded pulse sequence with the signal energy distributed over the pulse sequence. A receiver receives an echo signal resulting from reflection of the optical signal at the object with the time delay of the echo signal is indicative of the distance to the object.

Method of detecting objects, corresponding system and apparatus

A transimpedance amplifier includes a first and a second power supply terminal for receiving a positive constant supply voltage, wherein the second power supply terminal represents a ground, and an input terminal adapted to be connected to a current source. The transimpedance amplifier further comprises a transistor comprising a control terminal and two further terminals, wherein the input terminal is connected to the control terminal of the first transistor. An inductor is connected between the first of the two further terminals of the transistor and the first power supply terminal, and a bias network is connected between the second of the two further terminals of the transistor and ground. Specifically, the transimpedance amplifier is configured such that the resistance between said first of said two further terminals of said first transistor and said first power supply terminal is small enough, such that said transimpedance amplifier operates as a differentiator.

Transimpedance amplifier, and related integrated circuit and optical receiver

The invention relates to a circuit device for realizing a non-linear reactive elements scale network, wherein the non-linear elements of the network are pairs of inductive and capacitive components cascade connected between a pair of input terminals and a pair of output terminals. Advantageously in the invention, each component of the network is formed by cascade connecting a first and a second transconductance integrator with each other.

Circuit device for realizing a non-linear reactive elements scale network

The amplifier circuit includes at least one amplification branch having an input transistor, an output transistor, having a source terminal connected to the input terminal and a drain terminal connected to a first output terminal, and a gain raising stage, having an input and an output connected to the source terminal and, respectively, to a gate terminal of the output transistor. The amplifier circuit includes, moreover, a compensation capacitor connected between the gate terminal and the drain terminal of the output transistor.

Class AB operational amplifier having high gain and low settling time

A circuit device for restoring the symmetry of an analog signal originated by the reading of data from magnetic supports, including at least one differential cell multiplier whose cell includes a pair of input MOS transistors having respective conduction terminals linked together at a circuit node. Advantageously, provided in parallel with each of the cell input transistors, are a plurality of transistors individually connectable to and disconnectable from each of the input transistors by corresponding switches.

Circuit device for restoring the symmetry of an analog signal originated by the reading of data from magnetic supports

A full-wave rectifier for monitoring the amplitude of a differential analog signal includes a differential Track&Hold stage controlled by a first differential logic timing signal tracking the differential analog input signal during a tracking phase that corresponds to a high logic stage of the first differential timing signal. This produces a differential output signal that is a replica of the input signal and the signal is stored during a successive storing phase that corresponds to a low logic state of the first differential timing signal. A first differential output amplifier includes inputs coupled to the output of the Track&Hold stage. A differential bistable circuit, controlled by a second differential logic timing signal, includes inputs coupled to the differential outputs of the first amplifier and produces a third differential logic control signal. A second multiplexed amplifier, controlled by the third differential control signal, includes inputs coupled to the output of the Track&Hold stage and produces a differential analog signal having an amplitude function corresponding to the amplitude of the differential input signal. A timing circuit receives at an input a differential logic synchronizing signal and generates the first differential timing signal of the Track&Hold stage and the second differential timing signal of the bistable circuit.

High frequency track and hold full-wave rectifier

A read and analog-to-digital data conversion channel includes an input circuit receiving an input data stream, and a time interleaved analog-to-digital converter connected to the input circuit. The time interleaved analog-to-digital converter includes a pair of analog-to-digital converters functioning in parallel and at half the clock frequency. A signal path through the time interleaved analog-to-digital converter is subdivided into two parallel paths through the pair of analog-to-digital converters. There is a first path for even bits and a second path for odd bits. A digital post-processing circuit is connected to the two parallel paths of the time interleaved analog-to-digital converter, and has an output providing a reconstructed data stream. At least one adjusting digital-to-analog converter is connected between the digital post-processing circuit and the input circuit for control thereof. The conversion channel further includes an offset circuit for compensating an offset in the pair of analog-to-digital converters in the time interleaved analog-to-digital converter. The offset circuit is controlled by the digital post-processing circuit, and includes first and second distinct offset compensating circuits independently controlled by the digital post-processing circuit.

Time interleaved digital signal processing in a read channel with reduced noise configuration

A phase locked loop is provided that includes a phase comparator, a charge pump circuit, a loop filter, and a voltage controlled oscillator. The charge pump circuit includes two symmetric branches, feedback paths, and circuit breaking switches. Each of the symmetric branches has a constant current generator and a pulsed current generator, with one terminal of the loop filter being connected to one of the symmetric branches and the other terminal of the loop filter being connected to the other of the symmetric branches. The feedback paths control the constant current generators based on voltages at the terminals of the loop filter, and each of the circuit breaking switches couple one of the pulsed current generators and the corresponding terminal of the loop filter. The pulsed current generators supply a first current whose amplitude is proportional to an amplitude of a second current supplied by the constant current generators through the duty cycle of the first current. In a preferred embodiment, the circuit breaking switches are controlled by phase error signals from the phase comparator. A method for controlling a charge pump circuit in a phase locked loop is also provided.

Phase locked loop and associated control method

A method of equalizing a read channel of a mass magnetic memory device comprises attenuating the low frequencies of the spectrum of the analog signal originating from an electromagnetic read transducer without boosting the high frequency harmonic components of the spectrum. The low frequencies of the spectrum of the analog input signal are attenuated with a low pass filter of an order in a range from 6 to 8 and a boost is implemented by introducing two real and opposed zeroes in the transfer function of the filter without altering the group delay.

Read channel equalization with enhanced signal to noise ratio

A low pass filter with programmable equalization includes at least one biquadratic cell and a converter of the input voltage into a current, proportional to the derivative of the input voltage, that is injected on a node of the biquadratic cell to introduce two real and opposed zeros in the transfer function of the filter. The low pass filter includes two structurally similar circuits functionally connected in cascade. Each circuit includes a biquadratic cell and an input stage having two outputs injecting, through a first current output, the current to an input capacitor of the respective biquadratic cell, by a direct coupling in a first of the two circuits and in an inverted manner in the second of the two circuits. A second voltage output is coupled to an input of the respective biquadratic cell.

Analog equalization low pass filter structure

A flash analog-to-digital converter includes a bank of comparators with a differential output, generating a thermometric code, and a bank of three-input logic NOR gates. The converter has enhanced immunity to noise and reduced imprecisions by providing for a passive interface including a plurality of voltage dividers each connected between the noninverted output of a respective comparator and the inverted output of the comparator of higher order of the bank. A corresponding logic NOR gate of the bank has a first input coupled to the inverted output of the respective comparator, a second input coupled to the noninverted output of the comparator of higher order and a third input coupled to an intermediate node of the voltage divider.

Analog-to-digital flash converter for generating a thermometric digital code

A waveform track-and-hold circuit receives an analog input signal and generates an analog output signal. The waveform track-and-hold circuit includes a differential separating input stage, a differential separating output stage, first and second charge storage means, and switch means. The first and second charge storage means are coupled between the differential separating input stage and the differential separating output stage, and the switch means are controlled by a logic control signal so as to selectively isolate the first and second charge storage means from the analog input signal. Additionally, the differential separating input stage includes a push-pull input stage connected to the switch means and receiving the analog input signal. In a preferred embodiment, the analog input signal is supplied to the emitters of transistors that form the push-pull input stage, the collectors of the transistors are connected to the switch means, and the transistors are part of current mirror circuits.

Waveform track-and-hold circuit

A differential decoder has a wide output dynamic range and reduced area consumption. The decoder includes a plurality of inputs which are correlated to a plurality of output lines. The output lines are driven by respective NPN type bipolar transistors which are connected to the output lines by their emitters while the input signals are fed to their bases. The decoder also includes a plurality of additional output lines which are complementary to the output lines and another plurality of NPN type bipolar transistors which are suitable to drive the additional output lines. The additional bipolar transistors are connected to the additional output lines through their emitter terminals, and are connected to the base and collector terminals of the bipolar transistors that drive the output lines, through their base and collector terminals.

High-speed differential decoder with reduced area consumption

A timed bistable circuit is described which includes two inverters each having its input connected to the output of the other, an output of the circuit via a &ldquo;buffer&rdquo; and an input of the circuit via a controlled electronic switch. The supply terminals of the inverters are connected to the supply terminals of the circuit via another two controlled switches. A clock generator provides timing signals to control both the input switches to open or close and to control the supply switches to close or open when the input switches are open or closed respectively. To obtain a latch usable in a comparator at a high comparison frequency the offset referred to the input is reduced and made independent of the frequency by arranging two further electronic switches between the supply terminals of the inverters and the supply terminals which are controlled by a timing signal in such a way as to close with a predetermined delay with respect to the closure of the input switches and to open when input switches open.

Timed bistable circuit for high frequency applications

A method and circuit are provided for delaying a transition in a digital data stream fed to a write head of a mass storage device by a certain time interval when the transition occurs at a clock phase following the one during which a preceding transition has occurred, for pre-compensating intersymbol nonlinear interference effects suffered when reading the stored data. The method includes feeding digital data stream to be stored and a clock signal to a first circuit and outputting a pair of digital streams from the first circuit. The first stream assumes a first logic value every time a transition of the input stream occurs during a clock phase not successive to a clock phase during which a transition of the input stream has occurred. The second stream assumes the first logic value every time a transition of the input stream occurs during a clock phase following a clock phase during which a transition has taken place in the input stream. The method also includes feeding the two digital streams and the clock signal to the inputs of a second circuit and outputting the digital data stream from the second circuit directed to the write head. The transitions immediately following a preceding transition are delayed by the pre-established time interval, by sampling the two digital streams with a pair of flip-flops, each of which is respectively timed by clock signals respectively delayed by a certain different time interval.

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Melchiorre Bruccoleri