Stmicroelectronics Gmbh

Stmicroelectronics N.v.

Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Wen Lin

Fabio Pasolini

Aaron Wade Wilson

Michele Tronconi

Nicolas C Assouad

David L Dyer

Russell B Josephson

Wayne Aaron Thorsted

William R Raasch

William Raasch

In an integrated free-fall detection device for a portable apparatus an acceleration sensor generates acceleration signals correlated to the components of the acceleration of the portable apparatus along three detection axes. A dedicated purely hardware circuit connected to the acceleration sensor generates a free-fall detection signal in a continuous way and in real-time. The free-fall detection signal has a first logic value in the event that the acceleration signals are simultaneously lower than a respective acceleration threshold, and is sent to a processor unit of the portable apparatus as an interrupt signal to activate appropriate actions of protection for the portable apparatus. Preferably, the acceleration sensor and the dedicated purely hardware circuit are integrated in a single chip and the acceleration sensor is made as a MEMS.

Free-fall detection device and free-fall protection system for a portable electronic apparatus

A hardware command queue for mass storage systems having a memory device. A plurality of entries are defined in the memory device, at least some of which are active entries. At least some of the active entries correspond to pending access commands and at least one entry is a head entry corresponding to an in-flight access command.

Reordering hardware for mass storage command queue

A hardware command queue for mass storage systems having a memory device. A plurality of entries are defined in the memory device, at least some of which are active entries. At least some of the active entries correspond to pending access commands and at least one entry is a head entry corresponding to an in-flight access command. A physical target location is stored in each active entry and a computed servo distance value is stored in each active entry. A link list including pointers defining an execution sequence is stored with the command queue.

A method of testing a processor controlled chip having embedded circuitry devoid of a direct connection external to said chip. Tracing circuitry embedded on the chip is programmed to detect the presence of specified information on a bus system embedded on the chip and devoid of a direct connection external to the chip. An address comparator detects the presence of the specified information on the bus system and opens gating circuitry in response to the detection. The specified information is extended through the gating circuitry and written in a buffer memory. The specified information can be read out of the buffer memory and extended to a user terminal external to the chip.

Hardware tracing/logging for highly integrated embedded controller device

A system for halting operation of a hard disk controller when a write operation occurs during a servo positioning error condition including a memory cell for retaining an indication of whether a write operation occurred during the previous servo sector. A memory cell, such as a flip flop, is set on any occurrence of a write operation. With the reading of a next servo field, the output of the first flip flop is latched to a second flip flop. During a present servo sector, a servo positioning error signal is logically AND'ed with a write gate active signal where the write gate active signal is enabled if write gate is active in the present servo sector or write gate was active in the previous servo sector (as indicated by the output from the second flip flop.

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Longmont, CO, United States of America

Wen Lin