An imaging device includes: a first temperature detection element 16 that detects temperature on the basis of infrared rays; a second temperature detection element 17 for temperature reference; and a drive circuit 10A including a switch circuit 101 including a butterfly switch circuit, a first current source 82A, a second current source 82B, a differential circuit 83, and an analog-digital conversion circuit 84. The first temperature detection element 16 and the second temperature detection element 17 are connected to a first input end 101A and a second input end 101B of the switch circuit. A first output end 101C and the first current source 82A are connected to a first input end 83A of the differential amplifier. A second output end 101D of the switch circuit and the second current source 82B are connected to a second input end 83B of the differential amplifier. An output end 83C of the differential amplifier is connected to an input portion of the analog-digital conversion circuit 84.

A variety of methods, controllers and electric machine systems are described that facilitate pulsed control of electric machines (e.g., electric motors and generators) to improve the machine's energy conversion efficiency. Under selected operating conditions, the electric machine is intermittently driven (pulsed). The pulsed operation causes the output of the electric machine to alternate between a first output level and a second output level that is lower than the first output level. The output levels are selected such that at least one of the electric machine and a system that includes the electric machine has a higher energy conversion efficiency during the pulsed operation than the electric machine would have when operated at a third output level that would be required to drive the electric machine in a continuous manner to deliver the desired output. In some embodiments, the second output level is zero torque.

A circuit includes a transconductance stage having first and second outputs. The circuit also includes a comparator having first and second inputs. The first input is coupled to the first output, and the second input is coupled to the second output. The comparator includes first through fifth transistors and a pair of cross-coupled transistors. The pair of cross-coupled transistors is coupled to the second current terminals of the first and second transistors. The second current terminal of the third transistor is coupled to the second current terminal of the first transistor, and the first current terminals of the first, second, and third transistors are coupled together. The second current terminals of the fourth and fifth transistors are coupled together and to the control input of the third transistor.

A delta-sigma modulator includes a first amplifier having an input, a feedback control input, and an output. The input is a first input of the delta-sigma modulator. The delta-sigma modulator further includes a first integrator and a first quantizer. The first integrator has an input and an output. The output of the first amplifier is coupled to the input of the first integrator. The first quantizer has an input and an output. The output of the first quantizer is coupled to the feedback control input of the first amplifier.

Methods and devices to mitigate time varying impairments in sensors are described. The application of such methods and devices to pressure sensors facing time varying parasitic capacitances due to water droplets is detailed. Benefits of auto-zeroing technique as adopted in disclosed devices is also described.

A circuitry for an incremental delta-sigma modulator includes at least an incremental delta-sigma modulator and a sample-and-hold element, the sample-and-hold element being arranged in front of the incremental delta-sigma modulator and providing an input voltage for the incremental delta-sigma modulator in the charged state, wherein the sample-and-hold element includes a capacitor for charging the input voltage for the incremental delta-sigma modulator, wherein a first switch is arranged in front of the capacitor, and a second switch is arranged behind the capacitor, wherein the first switch is open when the second switch is closed so as to provide, at the incremental delta-sigma modulator, an input voltage decreasing in amount, in particular a decaying input voltage, or wherein the second switch is open when the first switch is closed so as to charge the capacitor of the sample-and-hold element. In addition, a method of operating a circuitry for an incremental delta-sigma modulator is proposed.

A variety of methods, controllers and electric machine systems are described for pulse control of electric machines (e.g., electric motors and generators). To improve the energy conversion efficiency of the machine, pulse control involves determining if the machine should operate in a continuous mode or pulse mode, and if the latter, defining a magnitude, duty cycle, and frequency for the pulses. One or more tables, indexing by a wide range of speeds and torque requests, is/are used to define the pulsing frequency or a pulsing frequency pattern.

An active filter and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to suppress out-of-band peaking. An active filter may include an active device configured to provide a power gain to an input signal, a feedback network configured to connect an output of the active device to an input of the active device, and an input impedance network configured to couple the input signal to the input of the active device. A combination of the feedback network and the input impedance network is configured to provide frequency response properties of the active filter such that a frequency domain signal transfer function of the active filter has a constant in numerator.

A variety of methods, controllers and electric machine systems are described for pulse control of electric machines (e.g., electric motors and generators). To improve the energy conversion efficiency of the machine, pulse control involves determining if the machine should operate in a continuous mode or pulse mode, and if the latter, defining a magnitude, duty cycle, and frequency for the pulses. One or more tables, indexing by a wide range of speeds and torque requests, is/are used to define the pulsing frequency or a pulsing frequency pattern.

A semiconductor device includes a signal input circuit configured to select one of the plurality of differential sensor signals according to a channel selection signal; an amplifier circuit configured to amplify an output of the signal input circuit; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert an output of the amplifier circuit into a digital value, wherein each of the plurality of sensor signals is a differential signals and the signal input circuit changes polarity of an output signal thereof according to a first chopping signal, and wherein the ADC includes a delta-sigma modulator configured to generate a bit stream from an output of the amplifier circuit; an output chopping circuit configured to adjust phase of the bit stream according to the first chopping signal; and a filter configured to filter an output of the output chopping circuit and to output the digital value.