Stmicroelectronics International N.v.

Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Rajesh Narwal

Venkata Narayanan Srinivasan

Srinivas Dhulipalla

Pravesh Kumar Saini

Mayankkumar Hareshbhai Niranjani

Shashwat

Kavindu Shekhar Benjwal

Mauro Giacomini

Rik Paul

Shantanu Goel

An example power management unit utilizing an example circuit to disable a voltage regulator is provided. The example circuit includes a voltage selection circuit and a power-down switching device. The voltage selection circuit configured to receive a first voltage source and a second voltage source to output a selected voltage based on the higher of the two input voltages. The voltage selection circuit utilizes a first transistor electrically connected in parallel with a second transistor between the first voltage source and the second voltage source to generate the selected voltage. The second transistor gate voltage at the second transistor gate is generated based at least in part on a voltage at the first transistor drain. The selected voltage is generated based on a voltage at the second transistor drain. The power-down switching device is configured to generate a voltage for a voltage regulator based on the selected voltage.

Supply sequence independent high-voltage tolerant regulator disable circuit

A supply voltage detector of an integrated circuit is able to detect the state of a supply voltage upon startup with both high-speed and low overall power consumption. The supply voltage detector includes a comparator that generates an output voltage based on the current state of the supply voltage. The comparator includes a startup current booster that generates a supplemental current for the comparator while the supply voltage is ramping up. The start of current booster stops generating the supplemental current when the supply voltage reaches the expected steady-state value or a selected fraction or portion of the expected steady-state value.

Integrated circuit with supply voltage detector

The present disclosure is directed to a fully analog voltage regulator circuit with reference modulation. The voltage regulator circuit includes a low-dropout regulator, a voltage-to-current convert, a resistor-capacitor filter circuit, and an operational amplifier voltage buffer. The voltage regulator circuit minimizes dropout voltage of the circuit by comparing the output voltage of the voltage regulator to a reference voltage and adjusting the output voltage of the op amp voltage buffer, accordingly. The voltage regulator circuit includes two operational amplifiers, wherein the negative input of a first of the two operational amplifiers is coupled to the negative input of a second of the two operational amplifiers through the resistor-capacitor filter circuit.

Analog voltage regulator with reference modulation

Circuits and methods for testing voltage monitor circuits are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes setting voltage monitor circuits to test mode; setting, a monitor reference in each voltage monitor circuit, to a respective targeted threshold voltage using a corresponding trim code; ramping, a voltage provided to a subset of voltage monitor circuits, from a first voltage to a second voltage using a test voltage supply, voltages between the first voltage and the second voltage corresponding with targeted threshold voltages of the subset of voltage monitor circuits; determining, for each voltage monitor circuit in the subset of voltage monitor circuits, a voltage value of the test voltage supply resulting in a change in a logic state at an output of a corresponding voltage monitor circuit.

System and method for parallel testing of electronic device

An active compensation circuit for compensating the stability of a regulator is provided. The active compensation circuit presents an equivalent capacitance and an equivalent resistance and compensates stability of system using the equivalent capacitance and the equivalent resistance. The regulator includes a power transistor that receives a driving signal and channelize the required current to the Ips driven by this block. The regulator's stability is compensated using the active compensation circuit to provide an accurate output voltage without significantly compromising the accuracy (load regulation) and area of the system.

Active compensation circuit for a semiconductor regulator

Circuits and methods for testing voltage monitor circuits are provided. In an embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) includes power management unit (PMU), a set-reset (S-R) latch circuit, a multiplexer, and an AND gate circuit. A voltage monitor circuit of the PMU generates an output signal based on a difference between a received reference voltage and a received sense voltage from a functional supply. A power on reset (PoR) generator of the PMU generates a PoR signal based on a power up condition of the PMU. The S-R latch circuit generates an enable signal based on the output signal of the comparator circuit and the PoR signal. The multiplexer passes-through the output signal of the comparator circuit during a functional condition of the PMU. The AND gate circuit generates an enable signal based on an output of the multiplexer and an output of the S-R latch circuit.

System and method for testing voltage monitors

A circuit includes analog input nodes and switches selectively coupling each of the analog input nodes to a capacitive node. Each of the switches is controlled by a respective bit of a channel selection word. Level shifting circuits are respectively coupled in parallel with the switches. A sampling capacitor is coupled between an output node and ground, the output node being coupled to the capacitive node. An analog to digital converter operates to digitize voltages at the output node.

Circuitry for low input charge analog to digital conversion

An analog-to-digital converter includes a sampling capacitor connected to a multiplexer output, discharge circuitry discharging the sampling capacitor during a first period beginning at a start of a sampling cycle, and level shifting circuitry charging the sampling capacitor to a voltage at a first analog input node modified by a mismatch voltage resulting from mismatch in threshold voltages between a first transistor connected to the first analog input node and a second transistor connected to the output node, during a second period beginning at expiration of the first period. A first switch connects the first analog input node to the output node to charge the sampling capacitor to the voltage at the first analog input node, at expiration of the second period, and disconnects the first analog input node from the output node at an end of the sampling cycle of the analog-to-digital converter.

An RC oscillator generates a periodic trigger signal, and a clock generator generates clock edges in response. A stuck-at-fault detection circuit detects a stuck-at-logic state of the periodic trigger signal and causes the RC oscillator to reset and causes a change in logic state of the periodic trigger signal. The RC oscillator includes first and second comparison circuits, a logic circuit receiving output from the first and second comparison circuits and generating the periodic trigger signal, and a clock generation circuit generating a clock signal therefrom. The stuck-at-fault detection circuit includes a capacitive node, charge circuitry charging the capacitive node based upon the periodic trigger signal, discharge circuitry discharging the capacitive node based upon the periodic trigger signal, and triggering circuitry asserting a reset signal to cause the RC oscillator to reset when the charge on the capacitive node indicates a stuck-at-logic state of the periodic trigger signal.

RC oscillator watchdog circuit

A circuit includes an input terminal and a regulated supply line for supplying an electronic device with an electrostatic discharge protection and driver circuit for the electronic device. The supply line is coupled to the input terminal via the circuitry, so that current injected into the input terminal may produce a voltage increase on the regulated supply line. A comparator sensitive to the voltage at the input terminal and the voltage on the supply line is provided. A current sink coupled with the supply line and being activatable to sink current from the supply line is also provided. The comparator is configured for activating the current sink as a result of the voltage at the input terminal exceeding the voltage on the supply line of a certain intervention threshold.

Electronic device protection circuit, corresponding device and method

A voltage regulator provides an output voltage, the voltage regulator configured to receive one of a plurality of different regulator reference voltages and a controller configured to provide a selection signal, the selection signal being used to control which of the regulator reference voltages the voltage regulator receives.

Voltage regulators

An embodiment of an arrangement includes a voltage regulator configured to provide an output voltage, said voltage regulator configured to receive one of a plurality of different regulator reference voltages and a controller configured to provide a selection signal, said selection signal being used to control which of said regulator reference voltages said voltage regulator receives.

A system switches between application of a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage to a load. The second supply voltage is a regulated voltage that is generated from the first supply voltage, or is alternatively generated from a reference voltage, such as bandgap. When the load is supplied from the first supply voltage, the regulated voltage is also generated from the first supply voltage. At or after switching the load to the second supply voltage, the regulated voltage is generated instead from the reference voltage. The load is a clock circuit, such as an oscillator. The controlled switching of the supply voltage for the load in the manner described addresses concerns over introducing errors in the output clock signal when the clock circuit's supply voltage is changed.

System and method for switching between a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage of a load

A circuit has an input configured to receive a periodic signal having a first value. First circuitry is provided to generate a pulse when said periodic signal has a rising edge and a pulse when said periodic signal has a falling edge. Second circuitry is configured to receive said pulses and responsive thereto to provide an output signal, said output signal having a same duty cycle as said input signal and having a second value.

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Greater Noida, India

Rajesh Narwal