Texas Instruments Corporation

Robert Floyd Payne

Juan Alejandro Herbsommer

Gerd Schuppener

Marco Corsi

Baher S Haroun

Bhavesh G Bhakta

Mohammad Elbadry

Swaminathan Sankaran

Nirmal Chindhu Warke

Hassan Omar Ali

Sridhar Ramaswamy

Song Wu

Tien-Ling Hsieh

Richard Mark Prentice

Richard D Simpson

Jeffrey Matthew Kempf

Anant Shankar Kamath

Siraj Akhtar

Kumar Anurag Shrivastava

Huanzhang Huang

James Norman Hall

Douglas Edward Wente

Mark Edward Wentroble

William J Bright

Rakesh Hariharan

Suvadip Banerjee

Chung San Roger Chan

Zhiheng Cao

Jian Zhou

Woo Jin Kim

Paul Eric Landman

Brad Kramer

Kishalay Datta

William David Smith

Lin Wu

Harsh Dinesh Jhaveri

Molly Nelis Sing

Bharadwaj Parthasarathy

John Earle Miller

Rr Manikandan

Philip M Pratt

Samuel M Palermo

Scott H Noakes

Gurumurti Kailaschandra Avhad

Olga Pavlovna Pope

Lambert Jacob Helleman

Ashwin Raghunathan

Seyed Miaad Seyed Aliroteh

A calibration circuit providing a programmable voltage generator that is selectively connectable to a first capacitor plate of a capacitive structure to supply a voltage thereto. A reference voltage generator is coupled to the output of the programmable voltage generator and generates a reference voltage. A comparator receives the reference voltage and a discharging voltage from the capacitive structure during a discharge period and, based on those inputs, generates a signal that is output to a digital controller. A constant current source is selectively connectable to the capacitive structure to generate a constant current. Based on the output of the comparator, the constant current, and a count representing a time during which the discharging voltage decreases, the digital controller measures capacitance to calibrate a movable mirror of the capacitive structure. During calibration, the digital controller controls the programmable voltage generator and a second capacitor plate of the capacitive structure.

Circuits and methods to calibrate mirror displacement

A system includes a spatial light modulator (SLM) configured to project an image. The system also includes a controller coupled to the SLM. The controller is configured to receive the image and determine a brightness level of the image. The controller is also configured to enforce a brightness limit on the image responsive to the brightness level, to produce a reduced image. The controller is configured to instruct a display to display the reduced image.

Display spatial brightness control

In described examples, an integrated circuit includes an on-off keying (OOK) digital isolator, which includes a first circuitry, a multiplexer, an OOK modulator, an isolation barrier, an OOK envelope detector, and a second circuitry. The first circuitry generates and outputs a calibration signal. The multiplexer has a data signal input, and an input coupled to a first circuitry output. An OOK modulator input is coupled to a multiplexer output. An isolation barrier input is coupled to an OOK modulator output. An OOK envelope detector input is coupled to an isolation barrier output. The second circuitry includes an input coupled to an OOK envelope detector output, and an output coupled to an OOK envelope detector control input. The second circuitry detects a duty cycle distortion (DCD) of the OOK envelope detector output, and outputs a control signal to change the OOK envelope detector output's duty cycle based on the detected DCD.

Self-calibrating on-off keying based digital isolator

A digital micromirror device includes a plurality of micromirror cells on a semiconductor die. Each respective cell includes a memory circuit and an electrode selection circuit. At least some of the micromirror cells include a micromirror and each respective memory circuit controls a micromirror tilt angle. For a given memory circuit controlled to a first tilt angle, a measurement circuit measures a first value indicative of a capacitance between a first electrode and the micromirror and measures a second value indicative of a capacitance on the second electrode. For a second micromirror tilt angle, the measurement circuit measures a third value indicative of a capacitance between the first electrode and the micromirror and measures a fourth value indicative of a capacitance on the second electrode. The measurement circuit generates a signal indicative of whether the micromirror is stuck at a particular angle or missing.

Capacitive-based determination of micromirror status

A track and hold circuit includes a signal input terminal, a clock input terminal, an output terminal, a transistor, and a bootstrapping circuit with a transformer. The transistor includes a source, a drain, and a gate, where the source is coupled to the signal input terminal, and the drain is coupled to the output terminal. The transformer includes a primary winding coupled to the clock input terminal, and a secondary winding. The secondary winding is coupled between the source and the gate to control a gate-source voltage of the transistor.

Track and hold circuits with transformer coupled bootstrap switch

A multi-phase clock circuit includes a first delay circuit, a second delay circuit, a third delay circuit, a first clock mixer circuit, and a second clock mixer circuit. The first, second, and third delay circuits are coupled in series. The first clock mixer circuit includes a first input and a second input. The first input is coupled to an output of the first delay circuit. The second input is coupled to an output of the second delay circuit. The second clock mixer circuit also includes a first input and a second input. The first input of the second clock mixer circuit is coupled to an output of the second delay circuit. The second input of the second clock mixer circuit is coupled to an output of the third delay circuit.

Multi-phase clock generation circuit

A duty cycle correction circuit includes a charge pump and a controller. The charge pump includes a current source, a first output, and a second output. The charge pump routes current from the current source to the first output during a positive portion of a clock, and routes current from the current source to the second output during a negative portion of the clock. The controller compares charge accumulated from the first output to charge accumulated from the second output over a plurality of clock cycles to determine which of the positive portion of the clock and the negative portion of the clock is longer. The controller also generates a digital value that indicates an amount of adjustment to apply to a duty cycle of the clock based on which of the positive portion of the clock and the negative portion of the clock is longer.

Digital clock duty cycle correction

Transmitter circuitry transmits: a first voltage as the return-to-zero signal that is higher than a first positive threshold, the first voltage being decodable to a first order of data bits; a second voltage as a return-to-zero signal that is between a second positive threshold and the first positive threshold, the second voltage being decodable to a second order of the data bits, and the second positive threshold being lower than the first positive threshold; a third voltage as the return-to-zero signal that is between a first negative threshold and a second negative threshold, the third voltage being decodable to a third order of the data bits, and the second negative threshold being higher than the first negative threshold; and a fourth voltage as the return-to-zero signal that is lower than the first negative threshold, the fourth voltage being decodable to a fourth order of the data bits. Clock circuitry transitions a clock signal for the return-to-zero signal crossing the second positive threshold, and for the return-to-zero signal crossing the second negative threshold.

Embedded clock in a communication system

A digital system has a dielectric core waveguide that is formed within a multilayer substrate. The dielectric waveguide has a longitudinal dielectric core member formed in the core layer having two adjacent longitudinal sides each separated from the core layer by a corresponding slot portion formed in the core layer The dielectric core member has the first dielectric constant value. A cladding surrounds the dielectric core member formed by a top layer and the bottom layer infilling the slot portions of the core layer. The cladding has a dielectric constant value that is lower than the first dielectric constant value.

Dielectric waveguide having a core and cladding formed in a flexible multi-layer substrate

A dielectric waveguide (DWG) may be used to identify a composition of a material that is in contact with the DWG. A radio frequency (RF) signal is transmitted into a dielectric waveguide located in contact with the material. The RF signal is received after it passes through the DWG. An insertion loss of the DWG is determined. The presence of the material may be inferred when the insertion loss exceeds a threshold value. The composition of the material may be inferred based on a correlation with the insertion loss. Alternatively, a volume of the material may be inferred based on a correlation with the insertion loss.

Material detection and analysis using a dielectric waveguide

A digital receiver for decoding input data having three states includes a first input coupled to a first data line, a second input coupled to a second data line, a third input coupled to a third data line, and a fourth input coupled to a fourth data line. A first decoder is coupled to a first output, wherein the first decoder is for outputting first data signals in response to the sign of input data on the first data line minus input data on the second line. A second decoder is coupled to a second output, wherein the second decoder is for outputting second data signals in response to the sign of input data on the third data line minus input data on the fourth data line.

Embedded clock in digital communication system

Digital clock-duty-cycle correction

An apparatus is provided. There is a circuit assembly with a package substrate and an integrated circuit (IC). The package substrate has a microstrip line, and the IC is secured to the package substrate and is electrically coupled to the microstrip line. A circuit board is also secured to the package substrate. A dielectric waveguide is secured to the circuit board. The dielectric waveguide has a dielectric core that extends into a transition region located between the dielectric waveguide and the microstrip line, and the microstrip line is configured to form a communication link with the dielectric waveguide.

Dielectric waveguide core between ground planes secured in a channel

A method for transmitting a plurality of data bits and a clock signal on a return to zero (RZ) signal includes: transmitting a first voltage that is greater than a first threshold, the first voltage being decodable to first order of data bits; transmitting a second voltage that is between a second threshold and the first threshold, the second voltage being decodable to a second order of data bits; transmitting a third voltage that is between a third threshold and a fourth threshold, the third voltage being decodable to a third order of data bits; transmitting a fourth voltage that is greater in magnitude than the fourth threshold, the fourth voltage being decodable to a fourth order of data bits; and transitioning the clock signal in response to the RZ signal being between the second threshold and the third threshold.

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Lucas, TX, United States of America

Robert Floyd Payne