A remotely controlled electronic general switch in DC power electrical supply system(s), ensuring switching and control of current and supply voltage, has an electronic module. The module has a controller or processor connected (i) to the switching and measurement circuit, the controller and measurement circuit optionally being linked bidirectionally, the controller being configured such that, when it receives a voltage and current measurement of the measurement circuit, it is respectively able to verify whether the input voltage lies in a predetermined interval and to instruct current interruption by the switching circuit for a certain duration, as a function of the measured current value, and (ii) to the communication interface, the communication interface connected to the communication bus and controller optionally being linked bidirectionally, such that the controller can be programmed remotely. An addressing bus, connected to the controller, enables selection, from several systems, a particular supply system linked to the general switch.

A current replication circuit includes a bias circuit and a first transistor sized, relative to a second transistor to be sensed, according to a first scaling factor, the first transistor having an on-resistance associated therewith. The current replication circuit further includes at least one transconductance amplifier having first and second signal paths. The first signal path is connected with the bias circuit in a closed loop configuration such that a quiescent bias point of the transconductance amplifier is controlled as a function of the on-resistance of the first transistor. The second signal path is connected with the second transistor in an open loop configuration and is adapted to convert a sensed input voltage to a corresponding current output signal as a function of the quiescent bias point of the transconductance amplifier, the current output signal being proportional to a current flowing through the second transistor.

An IC is provided. The IC includes a power grid including M.sub.x layer interconnects extending in a first direction on an M.sub.x layer and M.sub.x+1 layer interconnects extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction on an M.sub.x+1 layer, where x>5. In addition, the IC includes a plurality of power switches. Further, the IC includes at least one sensing element located between the M.sub.x layer and the M.sub.x+1 layer and configured to measure a voltage drop to devices powered by the plurality of power switches. The one or more of the plurality of power switches may be located below the power grid. The power switches of the plurality of power switches may be adjacent in the first direction and in the second direction to each sensing element of the at least one sensing element.

A circuit includes an input terminal, a first transistor, a second transistor, a comparator, a voltage reference circuit, and a control circuit. The first transistor includes a first terminal coupled to the input terminal. The second transistor includes a first terminal coupled to the input terminal. The comparator includes a first terminal coupled to the input terminal. The voltage reference circuit is coupled to a second terminal of the comparator. The control circuit includes an input, a first output, and a second output. The input is coupled to an output of the comparator. The first output is coupled to a second terminal of the first transistor. The second output is coupled to a second terminal of the second transistor.

An electronic circuit includes a native N-channel Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (NMOS) transistor and a P-channel Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (PMOS) transistor. The gates of the native NMOS transistor and the PMOS transistor and the source of the native NMOS transistor are grounded. The drains of the native NMOS transistor and the PMOS transistors are connected to one another and to an output port, and the source of the PMOS transistor is connected to an input voltage.

An integrated electronic detector operates to detecting a variation in potential on an input terminal. The detector includes a MOS transistor having a drain forming an output. Variation in drain current is representative of the variation in potential. A bipolar transistor has a base forming the input terminal and a collector electrically connected to the gate of the MOS transistor. The detector has a first configuration in which the bipolar transistor is conducting and the MOS transistor is turned off. The detector has a second configuration in which the bipolar transistor is turned off and the MOS transistor is in a sub-threshold operation. Transition of the detector from the first configuration to the second configuration occurs in response to the variation in potential.

A voltage detector to detect the voltage level of a switched power supply associated with a power gated region of an integrated circuit. The voltage detection circuit, which can be described as a modified Schmitt trigger circuit, comprises PMOS and NMOS transistors, and an added stack of NMOS transistors to set the output to a value of 1 in response to detection of an input voltage at the input greater than an operational voltage of the switched power supply, for example approximately 80% VDD and above. A pull-down circuit actively pulls the circuit output low before the circuit input drops below the low input threshold. Optional additional NMOS transistors provide the capability to adjust the threshold. The voltage detector circuit can be calibrated and used to detect whether or not the switched power supply associated with a power gated design has reached its operational voltage level.

A device includes a first transistor coupled to an input voltage source and to an output voltage node and an amplifier comprising a first input, a second input, and an output. The device also includes a second transistor coupled to the input voltage source and the first input of the amplifier and a third transistor coupled to the second transistor and a ground node. The third transistor includes a control terminal coupled to the output of the amplifier. The device also includes a first voltage-controlled voltage source coupled to a control terminal of the first transistor and a control terminal of the second transistor and a second voltage-controlled voltage source coupled to the first transistor and the second input of the amplifier.

A system includes a power regulator coupled between a coil and a battery, wherein the power regulator is configured as a linear regulator when power is provided from the coil to the battery, and a current sense apparatus having two inputs coupled to an input and an output of the power regulator, respectively, wherein the current sense apparatus is configured to sense a bidirectional current flowing through the power regulator.

A cell protection system includes a charge control MOSFET, a charge current detection MOSFET, a discharge control MOSFET, a discharge current detection MOSFET, a charge current detection resistance, a discharge current detection resistance and a control circuit. The charge current detection MOSFET has a drain and a gate common with the charge control MOSFET. The discharge control MOSFET has a drain common with the charge control MOSFET. The discharge current MOSFET has a drain and a gate common with discharge control MOSFET. The charge current detection resistances and the discharge current detection resistance are provided in correspondence to the charge current detection MOSFET and the discharge current detection MOSFET, respectively. The control circuit generates a gate control signal for the charge control MOSFET and the charge current detection MOSFET by using the charge current detection resistance and generates a gate control signal for the charge control MOSFET and the discharge current detection MOSFET by using the discharge current detection resistance.