Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Stmicroelectronics International N.v.

Stmicroelectron S.r.l.

Sandro Rossi

Davide Ugo Ghisu

Giulio Ricotti

Valeria Bottarel

Antonio Ricciardo

Matteo Albertini

Andrea Gambero

Fabio Quaglia

Alessandro Nicolosi

Antonio Davide Leone

Dario Bianchi

Niccolo′ Brambilla

Giovanni Frattini

Giovanni Sicurella

Juri Giovannone

Stefano Corona

Marco Terenzi

Giovanni Cremonesi

Daniele Ronchi

Paolo Bompieri

Niccolo' Brambilla

Fulvio Ottavio Lissoni

Federico Fary

Niccolo Brambilla

Davide Hugo Ghisu

A startup circuit includes a first circuit leg coupled between an input node and an output node and a second circuit leg coupled between the input node and the output node. The first circuit generates a first current and the second circuit leg sinks current from a first node based upon the first current. A third circuit leg is coupled between the input node and the output node and sources current to a second node based upon a voltage at the first node to thereby generate a feedback voltage at the second node. The first circuit leg increases the first current based upon the feedback voltage, in turn increasing the current sunk from the first node by the second circuit leg and increasing the current sourced to the second node by the third circuit leg to thereby generate a startup current at the output node.

Leakage-based startup circuit

An integrated circuit device includes: one or more switches of a Buck converter; and a control circuit for the Buck converter, including: a comparator configured to compare a feedback voltage of the Buck converter with a compensation ramp voltage; a pulse generator configured to generate, in response to a rising edge in a comparator output signal, a pulse signal for controlling the Buck converter; a transconductance amplifier (TA) configured to generate, at an output terminal of the TA, a current proportional to a difference between a reference voltage and the feedback voltage; a capacitor coupled between an output terminal of the TA and a reference voltage node; and a ramp signal generator configured to generate the compensation ramp voltage by adding a voltage at the output terminal of the TA and a ramp voltage having a gradient proportional to a switching frequency of the Buck converter.

Closed loop stability ramp implementation for Constant On-Time buck converter

In an embodiment, a switching converter includes: a switching stage configured to receive a direct current input voltage, receive a driving signal for driving the switching stage, and provide a direct current output voltage according to the input voltage and the driving signal; a driving stage configured to provide the driving signal to the switching stage; a current sensing circuit configure to sense an output current provided by the switching stage; and a voltage generation circuit configured to generate at least one supply voltage for powering the driving stage, and adjust the at least one supply voltage according to the output current.

Adjustable drive switching converter

In an embodiment, a switching converter includes: a switching stage including first and second switching devices for receiving an input voltage and for providing an output voltage; a driving stage including first and second driving devices for driving the first and second switching devices, respectively; a current sensing arrangement for sensing an output current provided by the switching stage; a voltage generation arrangement configured to generate a supply voltage for powering the driving stage, the voltage generation arrangement being configured to adjust the supply voltage according to the sensed output current; and a charge recovery stage configured to store a first electric charge being lost from the first driving device during driving of the first switching device and to release at least partially the stored first electric charge to the second driving device during driving of the second switching device.

DC-DC switching converter with adjustable driving voltages

A DC-DC switching converter includes power switches selectively coupling an output terminal with a first voltage or with a second voltage. A driver stage is coupled with the power switches for driving the power switches. A driver control stage is coupled with the driver stage for controlling the operation of the driver stage. An output current sensing circuit is coupled with the output terminal and with the driver control stage, and is configured to sense a sign of an output current delivered by the DC-DC switching converter at the output terminal and to generate control signals for the driver control stage. The driver control stage controls the operation of the driver stage according to states of the control signals received from the output current sensing circuit, for selectively delaying the activation of the power switches depending on the sensed sign of the output current.

Driver circuit for switching converters

A driver circuit for driving, for example, ultrasonic transducers in medical equipment, such as ultrasound scanning equipment. The driver circuit includes first inputs receptive of a pulsed signal, second inputs receptive of an analog signal, an output for applying a pulsed drive signal or an analog drive signal to a load. A pair of output transistors of complementary polarities are positioned with their current paths in series between opposing supply lines with a connection point intermediate between the transistors of the pair of transistors. The connection point between output transistors is coupled to the output of the circuit. The control terminals of the output transistors, which are coupled together, may be coupled to the first inputs with the driver functioning as a pulser, or else coupled to the second inputs with the driver functioning as a linear driver.

Driver circuit, corresponding ultrasound apparatus and method

A circuit for an ultrasonic channel has a first and a second terminal between which extend a resistive and diode signal paths including a pair of diodes with opposing polarities, for example in anti-parallel. Switching circuitry is coupled with the resistive and diode signal paths and is switchable between first and second states. In the first state, the first and the second terminals are coupled with one another via the resistive signal path. In the second state, the first and the second terminals are coupled with one another via the diode signal path. The switching circuitry includes first and second transistor discharge circuits coupled between first and second drive lines and current paths of these transistors, and coupled to control terminals of these transistors. The control terminals are coupled to the first or second drive line and are non-conductive and conductive in first and second operating states, respectively.

Electronic circuit, corresponding ultrasound apparatus and method

An operational amplifier including an input stage coupled to an input terminal, an output stage coupled to an output terminal, and a gain node between the input stage and the output stage. A bias current source is couplable to the input stage to supply a bias current thereto and a current mirror circuit mirrors the bias current toward the gain node and the output stage. A switch circuit includes a switch activatable to bring the gain node to a pre-bias voltage and a switch coupled to the output stage and switchable between a first state and a second state in which the output stage is active and non-active, respectively&#x2014;. A further switch circuit is coupled to the output terminal and switchable between a first state and a second state in which the output stage is coupled to the output terminal and to a reference level, respectively.

Operational amplifier, corresponding circuit, apparatus and method

A transmission channel transmits high-voltage pulses in a transmission phase and receives echoes of the high-voltage pulses in a receiving phase. The transmission channel includes a buffer with anti-memory circuitry to couple drain conduction terminals of buffer transistors of a high-side of a buffer of the transmission channel to a low-side reference voltage of a low-side of the buffer and couple drain conduction terminals of buffer transistors of the low-side of the buffer to a high-side reference voltage of the high-side of the buffer during the clamping phase.

Transmission channel for ultrasound applications

A device voltage shifter includes a first voltage reference node, a second voltage reference node, an output node and a clamp node. A first high-voltage switching transistor of the voltage shifter has a first conduction terminal coupled to the first voltage reference node and a second conduction terminal coupled to the clamp node. A second high-voltage switching transistor of the voltage shifter has a first conduction terminal coupled to the clamp node and a second conduction terminal coupled to the second voltage reference node. A third high-voltage switching transistor of the voltage shifter has a first conduction terminal coupled to the first voltage reference node, a control terminal coupled to the clamp node, and a second conduction terminal coupled to the output node. A voltage regulator of the voltage shifter is coupled between the output node and the clamp node.

Transmit/receive channel for ultrasound applications

Switching circuitry includes first and second transistors in series between two terminals and including a common control node with a capacitance between the common control node and an intermediate point. A control circuit includes first and second circuits configured to charge and discharge the capacitance as a function of first and second control signals. The control circuit includes a third circuit having a plurality of diodes and a switch that operates when the voltage at the capacitance is greater than a threshold two diodes in cascade between the intermediate point and the common control node to enable current flow from the intermediate point to the common control node. When the voltage at the capacitance is smaller than the given threshold two diodes are connected in series between the common control node and the intermediate point to enable current flow from the common control node to the intermediate point.

Switching circuitry, related method and integrated circuit

A gate driver circuit for a half bridge or full bridge output driver stage having a high side branch connected to one or more high side transistors and a low side branch connected to one or more low side transistors. A high side gate driver and a low side gate driver receive input signals at a low voltage level and output signals at a high voltage level as gate driving signals for the high side transistors and low side transistors. Each of the high side and the low side branches of the gate driver includes a set-reset latch having a signal output that is fed as a gate signal to the corresponding transistor of the half bridge or full bridge driver. A differential capacitive level shifter circuit receives the input signals at a low voltage level and outputs high voltage signals to drive the set and reset inputs of the set-reset latch.

Gate driver circuit for a half bridge or full bridge output driver stage and corresponding method for driving a half bridge or full bridge output driver stage

A transmission channel transmits high-voltage pulses and receives echos of the high-voltage pulses. The transmission channel includes a current generator circuit, which generates current-integrator drive currents. The control circuitry generates one or more control signals to control generation of current-integrator drive currents by the current generator circuit during transducer-driving periods. A current integrator integrates current-integrator drive currents generated by current generator circuit to generate transducer drive signals.

A switching circuit for transmission channel for ultrasound applications is electrically coupled between a connection terminal and a low voltage output terminal. The switching circuit includes a receiving switch, a high voltage clamp circuit electrically coupled between the connection terminal and a central node, and a low voltage clamping switch electrically coupled between said central node and a reference voltage. The receiving switch is a low voltage switch and is electrically coupled between the central node and the low voltage output terminal. The clamping switch and the receiving switch are controlled in a complementary way with respect to each other. A transmission channel for ultrasound applications includes the switching circuit.

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Pavia, Italy

Sandro Rossi