Texas Instruments Corporation

Siang Tong Tan

Angelo William Pereira

Indumini W Ranmuthu

Craig Matthew Brannon

Gangqiang Zhang

Wei Fu

Kae Ann Wong

Mikko Topi Loikkanen

Karan Singh Bhatia

Luis Ariel Malave-Perez

Mitsuyori Saito

An apparatus includes a resistor having a resistor terminal. The apparatus includes a capacitor coupled to the resistor terminal. The apparatus includes a transistor having a current terminal and a gate. The gate is coupled to the resistor terminal and coupled to the capacitor. The apparatus includes a comparator having a comparator input and a comparator output. The comparator input is coupled to the current terminal. The apparatus includes a latch having a latch input coupled to the comparator output.

Methods and apparatus to improve detection of capacitors implemented for regulators

A system includes a power supply source and a power control circuit coupled to the power supply source, in which the power control circuit includes a pass field-effect transistor (FET). The system also includes a short-to-ground protection circuit coupled to an output of the pass FET. The short-to-ground protection circuit includes a sense circuit configured to detect when a magnitude and a change rate of a voltage drop at the output of the pass FET is greater than respective thresholds. The short-to-ground protection circuit also includes a control node at the output of the sense circuit. The sense circuit is configured to induce a control current at the control node in response to the magnitude and the change rate of a voltage drop at the output of the pass FET being greater than respective thresholds. The control current is used to turn off the pass FET.

High-speed short-to-ground protection circuit for pass field-effect transistor (FET)

An output voltage is compared to a reference voltage, comparison signals are generated, and control signals and mode signals are generated in response thereto. The output voltage is generated in response to the control signals. A speed of the comparing is increased in response to the mode signals indicating that the output voltage is being increased. The speed is reduced in response to the mode signals indicating that the output voltage is being reduced. For increasing the speed, a path is enabled to conduct current. While the path is enabled, at least one switched voltage is connected to vary an amount of the current conducted through the path. The switched voltage is at least one of the reference voltage and the output voltage. For reducing the speed, the path is disabled against conducting current. While the path is disabled, the switched voltage is disconnected from varying the amount.

Method and system for converting a DC voltage

A fly height controller circuit for a disk drive head having a resistive heater is disclosed. The fly height controller includes an error amplifier that controls a variable current source driving the resistive heater. The error amplifier compares a desired heater power signal with a feedback power signal that is generated by a multiplier. The multiplier receives a signal corresponding to the resistive heater current, for example as generated by a second variable current source also controlled by the error amplifier, and a signal corresponding to a voltage across the resistive heater. A first differential amplifier develops a differential voltage corresponding to the heater voltage. A second differential amplifier is biased by the resistive heater current signal, and receives the differential voltage form the first differential amplifier. A differential current generated by the second differential amplifier produces the feedback power signal as an output voltage.

Disk drive fly height control based on constant power dissipation in read/write head heaters

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Dallas, TX, United States of America

Siang Tong Tan