Technologies are provided for time-to-digital conversion without reliance on a clocking signal. The technologies include a clockless TDC apparatus that can map continuous pulse-widths to binary bits represented via an iterative chaotic map (e.g., tent map, Bernoulli shift map, or similar). The clockless TDC apparatus can convert separated pulses to a single asynchronous digital pulse that turns on when a sensor detects a first pulse and turns off when the sensor detects a second pulse. The asynchronous digital pulse can be iteratively stretched and folded in time according to the chaotic map. The clockless TDC can generate a binary sequence that represents symbolic dynamics of the chaotic map. The process can be implemented by using an iterative time delay component until a precision of the binary output is either satisfied or overwhelmed by noise or other structural fluctuations of the TDC apparatus.

An image sensor includes image sensor cells generating an image signal in response to one or more control signals, and a first driver generating a first control signal. The first driver includes a first positive supply terminal connected to a first power supply node. The image sensor also includes a voltage generator generating a first voltage at the first power supply node, where the voltage generator includes charge pump cells to receive clock signals and to source charge to the first power supply node, a delay line including delay line elements generating clock signals, where a first charge pump cell receives a first clock signal generated by a first delay line element, where a second charge pump cell receives a second clock signal generated by a second delay line element, and where a delay between the first clock signal and the second clock signal is determined by the delay line.

Reduced-power dynamic data circuits with wide-band energy recovery are described herein. In one embodiment, a circuit system comprises at least one sub-circuit in which at least one of the sub-circuits includes a capacitive output node that is driven between low and high states in a random manner for a time period and an inductive circuit path coupled to the capacitive output node. The inductive circuit path includes a transistor switch and an inductor connected in series to discharge and recharge the output node to a bias supply. A pulse generator circuit generates a pulse width that corresponds to a timing for driving the output node.

Reduced-power dynamic data circuits with wide-band energy recovery are described herein. In one embodiment, a circuit system comprises at least one sub-circuit in which at least one of the sub-circuits includes a capacitive output node that is driven between low and high states in a random manner for a time period and an inductive circuit path coupled to the capacitive output node. The inductive circuit path includes a transistor switch and an inductor connected in series to discharge and recharge the output node to a bias supply. A pulse generator circuit generates a pulse width that corresponds to a timing for driving the output node.

In an embodiment, a system includes a slave circuit configured to receive an external clock signal from a master circuit, the slave circuit comprising first and second peripherals configured to receive respective clock signals obtained from the external clock signal, wherein the master circuit is configured to send to the slave circuit the external clock signal according to two different timing modes, wherein the slave circuit comprises a logic circuit configured to provide a locking signal to the first peripheral circuit when the logic circuit detects a given operating mode of the slave circuit, wherein the master circuit is configured to send the external clock signal according to a first timing mode before receipt of the locking signal, and wherein the master circuit is configured, following upon receipt of the locking signal, to send the external clock signal according to a second timing mode different from the first timing mode.

A signal transmission circuit is connected to a positive electrode of a direct current power supply line, the signal transmission circuit includes a modulation circuit and/or a demodulation circuit, the modulation circuit includes a modulation chip, the modulation chip is used to receive an input signal, generate a modulation signal according to the input signal, and output the modulation signal through the positive electrode of the power supply line; the demodulation circuit includes a direct current isolation unit and a demodulation unit, the direct current isolation unit is connected to the demodulation unit and the positive electrode of the power supply line respectively, the direct current isolation unit is used to isolate a direct current signal of the positive electrode of the power supply line, and output the modulation signal; the demodulation unit is used to demodulate and output the modulation signal.

A microelectronic circuit comprises a plurality of logic units and register circuits arranged into a plurality of processing paths. At least one monitor circuit (404) is associated with a first register circuit (301), said monitor circuit (404) being configured to produce a timing event observation signal as a response to a change in a digital value at an input (D) of the first register circuit (301) that took place later than an allowable time limit defined by a triggering signal (CP) to said first register circuit (301). A first processing path goes through a first logic unit (501) to said first register circuit (301) and is a delay critical processing path due to an amount of delay that it is likely to generate. The microelectronic circuit comprises a controllable data event injection point (503) for controllably generating a change of a digital value propagating to said first logic unit (501) irrespective of what other data is processed on said first processing path. Said microelectronic circuit is configured to freeze a first digital value stored in said first register circuit (301) for a time during which the change generated through said controllable data event injection point (503) propagates to said first register circuit.

Methods and apparatus for time-to-digital conversion. An example apparatus includes a first input; a second input; a delay line coupled to the first input and comprising a plurality of first delay elements coupled in series, each of the plurality of first delay elements having a first delay time; a second delay element having an input coupled to the second input and having the first delay time; a third delay element having an input coupled to the second input and having a second delay time, the second delay time being smaller than the first delay time; a first set of arbiters having first inputs coupled to the delay line and having second inputs coupled to an output of the second delay element; and a second set of arbiters having first inputs coupled to the delay line and having second inputs coupled to an output of the third delay element.

A repeater circuit includes at least a first input, and output, and a repeater. The first input for receiving a single-ended data signal from an embedded universal serial bus (eUSB) host. The output provides a differential data signal in a differential universal serial bus (USB) format. The repeater is coupled between the first input and output for converting the single-ended data signal to a differential data signal, the repeater includes an adaptive delay element operable for both sides of the differential data signal to delay one, but not both, of a rising edge and a falling edge of the differential data signal in order to meet a crossover specification for the USB format.

In accordance with an embodiment, a timing sequence generation circuit includes: a ring oscillator having a plurality of clock signal outputs configured to provide clock signals delayed in time with respect to one another; a first shift register comprising a flip-flop having a clock input coupled to a clock signal input of the first shift register and an output coupled to an output of the first shift register; and a first circuit configured to: select a clock signal from among the clock signals; and deliver the selected clock signal to the clock signal input of the first shift register