A digital controller for controlling an average-current-mode voltage regulator with an output connected to a load. The controller comprises a digital voltage-sampling window Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), based on Delay-Lines (DLs) and configured to obtain a sample of a voltage error signal being the difference between the reference voltage and the output voltage, and to convert the voltage error signal from analog to digital representation; a digital current-sampling window ADC, based on DLs and configured to obtain a sample of the output current and to convert the current output from analog to digital representation; a digital compensator for voltage regulation, receiving as input the digital voltage error signal, configured to generate a current reference signal based thereupon; a digital compensator for current regulation, receiving as input the current error signal and the current reference signal, configured to generate a duty-ratio command signal based thereupon; and a digital hybrid High Resolution (HR) Digital Pulse Width Modulator (HR-DPWM) receiving as input the duty-ratio command signal and generating a pulse-width-modulated signal that is fed to the gates of the converter's transistors, to thereby control the current and voltage supplied to the load.

An analog-to-digital converter includes a sampling capacitor connected to a multiplexer output, discharge circuitry discharging the sampling capacitor during a first period beginning at a start of a sampling cycle, and level shifting circuitry charging the sampling capacitor to a voltage at a first analog input node modified by a mismatch voltage resulting from mismatch in threshold voltages between a first transistor connected to the first analog input node and a second transistor connected to the output node, during a second period beginning at expiration of the first period. A first switch connects the first analog input node to the output node to charge the sampling capacitor to the voltage at the first analog input node, at expiration of the second period, and disconnects the first analog input node from the output node at an end of the sampling cycle of the analog-to-digital converter.

A power loss protection integrated circuit includes a storage capacitor terminal (STR), an autonomous capacitor health check circuit, and a capacitor fault terminal (CF). The capacitor health check circuit autonomously performs periodic capacitor check operations. In a check operation, current is sinked from the STR terminal for a predetermined time and in a predetermined way. If during this time the voltage on the STR terminal STR drops below a predetermined voltage, then a digital signal CF is asserted onto the CF terminal. Immediately following each capacitor check, a charging voltage is driven onto the STR terminal to recharge the external capacitors coupled to the STR terminal. In one example, the integrated circuit further includes a current switch circuit (eFuse) and a buck/boost controller. The capacitor health check circuit is only enabled during normal mode operation of the integrated circuit, and the check circuit disables boost operation during capacitor checks.

There provided an AD converter that includes an analog processing part configured to select one of the measurement target voltages and a plurality of reference voltages for each channel, to output an analog voltage signal; a first selection part configured to select one of a plurality of analog voltage signals; a first AD conversion part configured to perform AD conversion on the analog voltage signal to generate a first original digital signal; a second selection part configured to select one of the plurality of analog voltage signals; a second AD conversion part configured to perform AD conversion on the analog voltage signal to generate a second original digital signal; a digital processing part configured to receive the first original digital signal and the second original digital signal; and a controller configured to control contents selected in the analog processing part, the first selection part, and the second selection part.

An analog-to-digital conversion device includes: a switch connected to input units through signal lines to receive external voltages selecting and outputting one external voltage; an S/H circuit holding a voltage corresponding to an output of the switch; a converter performing AD conversion based on the voltage; and a controller determining the external voltage selected by the switch and performing a disconnection determination whether a disconnection occurs in the signal line. In the disconnection determination, the controller controls the switch to select a reference voltage different from the external voltage before controlling the switch to select the external voltage to be determined, and performs the disconnection determination based on a voltage difference between the reference voltage and the external voltage after controlling the switch to select the external voltage.

Multipliers are fundamental building blocks in signal processing, including in emerging applications such as machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) that predominantly utilize digital-mode multipliers. Generally, digital multipliers can operate at high speed with high precision, and synchronously. As the precision and speed of digital multipliers increase, generally the dynamic power consumption and chip size of digital implementations increases substantially that makes solutions unsuitable for some ML and AI segments, including in portable, mobile, or near edge and near sensor applications. The present invention discloses embodiments of multipliers that arrange data-converters to perform the multiplication function, operating in mixed-mode (both digital and analog), and capable of low power consumptions and asynchronous operations, which makes them suitable for low power ML and AI applications.

A circuit includes a first external terminal, a first lower resolution analog-to-digital converter (LRADC) coupled to the external terminal and configured to perform a first conversion of an analog signal received at the external terminal to a digital value, and a higher resolution analog-to-digital converter (HRADC). The HRADC is configured to selectively receive the analog signal from the first external terminal based on the digital value. When the digital value outputted by the first LRADC indicates a change in value of the received analog signal, the HRADC is provided with the analog signal and performs a second conversion of the analog signal to a second digital value. The first LRADC has a lower conversion resolution as compared to the HRADC.

An integrated self-test mechanism for monitoring an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a reference voltage (V.sub.ref) source associated with the ADC, a low-dropout regulator (LDO), or a power supply is provided. In one example, an ADC that is associated with an integrated circuit (IC) can monitor its own V.sub.ref, the voltage (V.sub.LBO) of an LDO associated with the IC, or the voltage (AVDD) provided to an electrical coupling mechanism in the IC that is coupled to a power supply associated with the IC. The ADC can generate a digital output code based, at least in part, on the V.sub.ref and one or more of the V.sub.LBO and the AVDD. The digital output code can be used to determine whether one or more of the ADC, the V.sub.ref source, the LDO, and the power supply is malfunctioning or nonoperational.

There provided an AD converter that includes an analog processing part configured to select one of the measurement target voltages and a plurality of reference voltages for each channel, to output an analog voltage signal; a first selection part configured to select one of a plurality of analog voltage signals; a first AD conversion part configured to perform AD conversion on the analog voltage signal to generate a first original digital signal; a second selection part configured to select one of the plurality of analog voltage signals; a second AD conversion part configured to perform AD conversion on the analog voltage signal to generate a second original digital signal; a digital processing part configured to receive the first original digital signal and the second original digital signal; and a controller configured to control contents selected in the analog processing part, the first selection part, and the second selection part.

An A/D converter includes an A/D conversion circuit for converting an analog output signal into a digital signal, and a control circuit for controlling the A/D conversion circuit. The control circuit acquires a digital signal of a first bit indicating which level regions the voltage level of the analog output signal corresponds to in accordance with a first conversion operation by the A/D conversion circuit, sets a reference voltage corresponding to the level region based on the first bit, amplifies the difference voltage between the analog output signal and the reference voltage to correspond to the A/D conversion input range of the A/D conversion circuit, outputs an amplified analog signal, acquires a digital signal of a second bit indicating the voltage level of the amplified analog signal in accordance with a second conversion operation by the A/D conversion circuit, and synthesizes the first bit and the second bit.