A method and apparatus for implementing FIR filters in a processor includes a plurality of execution units executing instructions of an instruction set. The execution units include a number of FIR filter circuits, each of which is associated with a corresponding one of a number FIR filter instructions. Furthermore, each of the FIR filter circuits is and dedicated exclusively to executing its corresponding one of the FIR filter instructions. Each FIR filter execution unit receives input data and provides filtered output data.

A loop-filter comprising: a first-integrator, and one or more further-integrators. The first-integrator is an active-RC integrator, and comprises a first-integrator-input-terminal configured to receive: (i) an input-signal, and (ii) a feedback-signal; a first-integrator-first-output-terminal configured to provide a first-integrator-first-output-signal; and one or more first-integrator-further-output-terminals. Each of the one or more further-integrators is a Gm-C integrator, and they are connected in series between the first-integrator-first-output-terminal and a loop-filter-output-terminal. For a first further-integrator in the series, the further-integrator-input-terminal is configured to receive the first-integrator-first-output-signal. For any subsequent further-integrators in the series, the further-integrator-input-terminal is configured to receive: (i) the further-integrator-output-signal from the preceding further-integrator in the series; and (ii) one of the first-integrator-further-output-signals.

An amplifier circuit comprising: a delta-PWM-modulator, a three-level-DAC, a loop-integrator, and a comparator. The delta-PWM-modulator receives a digital-input-signal; and processes the digital-input-signal and a modulator-triangular-signal to generate a delta-pulse-width-modulation-signal. The delta-pulse-width-modulation-signal is representative of the difference between a square-wave-carrier-signal and a digital-pulse-width-modulation of the digital-input-signal. The three-level-DAC receives the delta-pulse-width-modulation-signal from the delta-PWM-modulator and provides a three-level-analogue-signal. The loop-integrator comprises: a virtual-ground-node-terminal configured to receive: (i) the three-level-analogue-signal from the three-level DAC; and (ii) a feedback-signal from an output stage of the amplifier circuit via a feedback loop; and an integrator-output-terminal configured to provide a loop-integrator-output-signal. The comparator comprises a comparator-input-terminal configured to receive the loop-integrator-output-signal; a comparator-reference-terminal configured to receive a triangular-reference-signal that corresponds to the integral of the square-wave-carrier-signal; and a comparator-output-terminal configured to provide a drive-signal suitable for driving an output-stage of the amplifier circuit.

Methods and systems are provided for spreading spectral density of digital-to-analog conversion output signals. A spreading circuit may spread a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) output signal over a particular frequency spectrum, with the spreading circuit receiving the DAC output signal; generating a plurality of internal control signals; and generating based on the DAC output signal and the one or more internal control signal a corresponding spread output signal. The Internal control signals may comprise at least a first control signal, generated based on sequences meeting at least one particular criterion, a second control signal, generated based on a feedback corresponding to an intermediate output generated within the spreading circuit. The spreading circuit may generate the first control signal based on zero-sum sequences. The spreading circuit may generate a stream of pulses based on the intermediate output, and may generate the feedback signal based on the stream of pulses.

Methods and systems are provided for spreading spectral density of digital-to-analog conversion output signals. A spreading circuit may spread a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) output signal over a particular frequency spectrum, with the spreading circuit receiving the DAC output signal; generating a plurality of internal control signals; and generating based on the DAC output signal and the one or more internal control signal a corresponding spread output signal. The Internal control signals may comprise at least a first control signal, generated based on sequences meeting at least one particular criterion, a second control signal, generated based on a feedback corresponding to an intermediate output generated within the spreading circuit. The spreading circuit may generate the first control signal based on zero-sum sequences. The spreading circuit may generate a stream of pulses based on the intermediate output, and may generate the feedback signal based on the stream of pulses.

A signal modulation device comprising: an input for receiving a complex input signal (106) comprising an in-phase component signal and a quadrature-phase component signal, a sigma-delta modulator (110) for modulating the complex input signal at an oversampling clock rate (F1) into an intermediary signal (112), a numerical oscillator (60) for generating a phase signal (61) oscillating at a selected carrier frequency (FC), wherein the phase signal takes a finite number of quantized states, and a symbol mapping table (114) comprising a predefined quantized symbol for each quantized complex state of the intermediary signal and each quantized state of the phase signal, and operates at each oversampling clock period (F1) to select a quantized symbol (116) as a function of a current quantized complex state of the intermediary signal (112) and a current quantized state of the phase signal (61).

An audio amplifier system is described comprising: a variable gain audio processor for processing digital audio signal, a digital to analog converter coupled to the audio processor, and configured to receive the processed digital audio signal, a variable gain amplifier having an input coupled to the output of the digital to analog converter and operably connected to a power supply, a controller coupled to the variable gain audio processor and the variable gain amplifier and configured to switch the audio amplifier system between a first operating mode having a first power supply voltage value and a second operating mode having a second higher power supply voltage value; wherein the controller is operable in the first operating mode to set the audio amplifier system gain to a desired gain value and in the second operating mode to maintain the desired gain value.

Methods and systems are provided for spreading spectral density of pulse streams during digital to analog conversion. An example system may comprise an accumulator circuit, a bit generator circuit, and a feedback circuit. The accumulator circuit may be operable to receive a signal to be spread and generate an output based on the signal to be spread and on one or more inputs generated within the system. The bit generator circuit may be operable to input into the accumulator circuit sequences meeting at least one particular criterion. The feedback circuit may be operable to apply an adjustment to a signal corresponding to an output of the accumulator circuit to generate a feedback signal, and input the feedback signal into the accumulator circuit.

Methods and systems are provided for spreading spectral density of pulse streams during digital to analog conversion. An example system may comprise an accumulator circuit, a bit generator circuit, and a feedback circuit. The accumulator circuit may be operable to receive a signal to be spread and generate an output based on the signal to be spread and on one or more inputs generated within the system. The bit generator circuit may be operable to input into the accumulator circuit sequences meeting at least one particular criterion. The feedback circuit may be operable to apply an adjustment to a signal corresponding to an output of the accumulator circuit to generate a feedback signal, and input the feedback signal into the accumulator circuit.

Methods and systems are provided for spreading spectral density of pulse streams during digital to analog conversion. An example spreading circuit may comprise an accumulator circuit, a bit generator circuit, a comparator circuit, and an inverter circuit. The accumulator circuit may be operable to receive a signal to be spread and generate an output based on the signal to be spread and at least one other input. The bit generator circuit may be operable to input into the accumulator circuit zero-sum sequences. The comparator circuit may be operable to provide a stream of pulses based on the output of the accumulator circuit. The inverter circuit may be operable to invert output of the comparator circuit, wherein output of the inverter circuit is input into the accumulator circuit.