A device and a method for implementing a physically unclonable function is disclosed. In one aspect, the device includes at least one electronic structure including a dielectric. A conductive path is formed at a random position through the dielectric due to an electrical breakdown of the dielectric, or the electronic structure is adapted for generating an electrical breakdown of the dielectric such that the conductive path is formed through the dielectric at a random position. The at least one electronic structure is adapted for determining a distinct value of a set comprising at least two predetermined values. The distinct value is determined by the position of the conductive path through the dielectric.

A transceiver includes a receive path including a low noise amplifier and a first switch coupled between the low noise amplifier and ground, a first transmit path including a low power amplifier and a second switch coupled between the low power amplifier and a main signal path, and a second transmit path including a high power amplifier and a third switch coupled between the main signal path and ground. The receive path is active when the first, second, and third switches are in an open position, the first transmit path is active when the first switch is in a closed position, the second switch is in the closed position, and the third switch is in the open position, and the second transmit path is active when the first switch and the third switch are in the closed position, and the second switch is in the open position.

A switch architecture suitable for use in high frequency RF applications. A switching circuit includes a common port and one or more user ports, any of which may be selectively coupled to the common port by closing an associated path switch; non-selected, unused ports are isolated from the common port by opening an associated path switch. Between each path switch and a port are associated split shunt switches for selectively coupling an associated signal path to circuit ground. Between each path switch and a port is an associated split absorptive switch module. Each split absorptive switch module includes a split resistor coupled in parallel with a switch. The combination of the split resistor and the switch of the split absorptive switch module is placed in series with a corresponding signal path from each port to the common port.

Channel switchover power multiplexer circuits, and methods of operating the same are disclosed. An example power multiplexer a first transistor coupled to a first input, a second transistor coupled to the first transistor to couple a first voltage at the first input to an output, a third transistor coupled to a second input, a fourth transistor coupled to the third transistor to couple a second voltage at the second input to the output, a diode amplifier to provide a third voltage to a gate of the first transistor to block a reverse current, and a soft-start amplifier to provide a fourth voltage to a gate of the fourth transistor to turn on (with adjustable VOUT ramp rate) the fourth transistor with a constant ramp rate.

Methods and apparatuses have been disclosed for a high speed, low power, isolated buffer having architecture and operation that control current flow to minimize coupling and power consumption. Buffer architecture may include one or more of BiCMOS components, an input disabling circuit operated to additionally disable an input circuit when it is also disabled by a selection circuit and a buffer disabling circuit operated to disable the buffer when the input circuit is disabled by the selection circuit. Any one or more of these features may be implemented to improve isolation performance. The selection circuit, input disabling circuit and buffer disabling circuit may be operated by the same control signal.

A control device includes a first series circuit and a second series circuit. In the first series circuit, a first switch and a first resistor are connected in series to each other. In the second series circuit, a second switch and a second resistor are connected in series to each other. A current detection circuit outputs a voltage value that corresponds to a voltage value between two ends of the first resistor. When an instruction to turn on the first switch and the second switch has been given, a control unit senses any occurrence of a failure in at least one of the first switch, the second switch, the first resistor, and the second resistor, based on the voltage value output by the current detection circuit.

Systems and methods for routing communication among a plurality of devices are described. In an example, a controller can detect a communication initiated from a first device to a target device among a second device and a third device. The controller can identify the second device as the target device. The controller can, in response to identifying the second device as the target device, activate a direct communication path between the first device and the second device to allow the first device to communicate with the second device using direct communication mode. The controller can, in response to identifying the second device as the target device, activate redriver path between the first device and the third device to allow the first device to communicate with the third device using redriver mode.

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device includes at least one switching cell that uses a first switcher to switch paths for two of four radio frequency (RF) signals is used to output the two RF signals. The MRI device includes RF coils including a plurality of coils for receiving RF signals from an object to which magnetic fields are applied; an image processor for creating a magnetic resonance image based on the received RF signals; and a switching unit for switching connections between a plurality of input ports connectable to the plurality of coils and a plurality of output ports connectable to the image processor, wherein the switching unit includes at least one switching cell including four input ports, two output ports connected to two of the four input ports, and a first switcher for switching between paths extended from second and third input ports among the four input ports.

A signal-switching circuit for use in an electronic system is provided. The electronic system includes a plurality of hardware circuits. The signal-switching circuit includes a control circuit and a switch circuit. The control circuit is arranged to receive a trigger signal generated by a trigger circuit of the electronic system, and change a mode signal generated by the control circuit according to the trigger signal. The switch circuit is arranged to electrically connect transmission signals from one of the hardware circuits to a transmission interface of the electronic system according to the mode signal.

An RF signal switch circuit that allows connection of any of N radio frequency (RF) input terminals to a switch output port, either in a low loss mode, in a bypass mode, or, optionally, in a signal function mode. Embodiments of the invention allow for both a single switch in the series input path to a target circuit while still having the ability to isolate the bypass path from the target circuit. In the low loss and bypass mode, the circuit simultaneously exhibits low input insertion loss (and thus a low noise factor) and high bypass mode isolation.