Ambiq Micro, Inc.

Cirrus Logic Inc.

Yanning Lu

Ivan Bogue

Scott McLean Hanson

David M Pietruszynski

Wesley Ladd Mokry

Bharath Mandyam

A buck converter is disclosed that may operate in a low power mode or a high power mode based on a power requirements of a load. In the high power mode, modifications to increase frequency response include a higher polling frequency for a comparator, a lower impedance divider in a feedback circuit, a higher biasing current for a comparator, and larger switches for providing current to a reactive step-down circuit of the buck converter. In the low power mode these modifications are reversed. The buck converter may make use of an improved strong arm comparator and a circuit for sensing presence of an inductor in the reactive step-down circuit.

Buck converter with power saving mode

A reference voltage sub-system that allows fast power up after spending extended periods in an ultra-low power standby mode. The reference voltage sub-system includes a reference voltage buffer, a reference voltage keeper, an active calibration facility for selectively adjusting the reference voltage keeper output to match the reference voltage buffer output, and a selection means for selecting between the reference voltage buffer output and the reference voltage keeper output.

Reference voltage sub-system allowing fast power up from extended periods of ultra-low power standby mode

An adaptive voltage converter adapted to compensate for the exponential sensitivities of sub-threshold and near-threshold circuits. The converter can change its power/performance characteristics between different energy modes. The converter may comprise two or more voltage converters/regulators. A multiplexing circuit selects between the outputs of the several converters/regulators depending on the state of a control signal generated by a control facility. The converter is specially adapted to change the output of each converter/regulator based on a number of variables, including, for example, process corner, temperature and input voltage.

Adaptive voltage converter

An interface for interfacing an optical pickup is associated with processing circuitry . A plurality of inputs receive data retrieved from an optical disk by the pickup and are each coupled to a corresponding one of the inputs and independently activated and deactivated to selectively pass the data to the processing circuitry.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Yanning Lu