A photoelectric sensor uses a selective pulse detection technique and associated synchronization techniques to improve the quality of pulse detection, the operating range of the sensor, and the sensor's immunity to noise. These improvements also yield faster sensor response times and reduce the design cycle time. A modulated light beam emitted by the sensor's emitter comprises multiple pulse periods, with a pulse being transmitted within each period. The pulses are positioned within their respective periods at a defined offset time relative to the start of the periods, where the offset time can vary between periods according to a defined pattern. The receiver can selectively sample the signal based on synchronization information to determine whether the received signal contains the emitted pulse pattern. Through-beam sensor embodiments can generate the synchronization information internally based on an analysis of the analog signal corresponding to the modulated signal.

An apparatus, including: a clock source configured to generate a local oscillator (LO) clock signal; a radio frequency digital-to-analog converter (RF DAC) configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal based on a data signal and the LO clock signal; and an idle data detector configured to: detect a stream of idle data in the data signal; and disable providing the LO clock signal to at least a portion of the RF DAC in response to detecting the stream of idle data.

A pulse generator, which is configured to generate a burst pulse formed by burst oscillation signals oscillated in a predetermined time period, includes a burst oscillation circuit configured to generate the burst oscillation signals of different frequencies; and a control circuit configured to control the burst oscillation circuit so as to select the frequencies of the burst oscillation signals from at least two different frequencies or to stop the burst oscillation signals.

An ultra-wideband (UWB) communication system comprising a transmitter and a receiver is disclosed. In one embodiment, a symbol mapper circuit in the transmitter is adapted, in a first mode, to develop symbols having the number of pulses as currently defined in the 4z Standard; and, in a second mode, to develop symbols having fewer pulses than as currently defined in the 4z Standard. In an optional third mode, each data bit is mapped to a single pulse.

A spread spectrum switching converter converts an input power to an output power. The spread spectrum switching converter includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit and a pulse omission control circuit. The PWM circuit generate an initial PWM signal according to a feedback signal related to the output power. The initial PWM signal controls at least one switch to switch an inductor to generate the output power. The pulse omission control circuit generates a pulse omission control signal to mask a portion of pulses of the initial PWM signal, to thereby generate an adjusted PWM signal. The pulse omission control circuit randomly adjusts the pulse width of the pulse omission control signal according to a random control signal, such that the adjusted PWM signal has a spread spectrum characteristic.

Aspects presented herein may enable a UE to avoid its UWB communication(s) to interfere with GNSS receiver(s). In one aspect, a UE detects a set of satellite signals for at least one satellite communication channel. The UE identifies a frequency for the detected set of satellite signals in the at least one satellite communication channel. The UE selects a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) for an ultrawide band (UWB) communication of the UE, where the selected PRF is not an integer multiple of the identified frequency for the detected set of satellite signals in the at least one satellite communication channel. In some examples, the UE may also perform the UWB communication based on the selected PRF and receive the detected set of satellite signals, where the performance of the UWB communication and the reception of the detected set of satellite signals are simultaneous.

Aspects presented herein may enable a UE to avoid its UWB communication(s) to interfere with GNSS receiver(s). In one aspect, a UE detects a set of satellite signals for at least one satellite communication channel. The UE identifies a frequency for the detected set of satellite signals in the at least one satellite communication channel. The UE selects a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) for an ultrawide band (UWB) communication of the UE, where the selected PRF is not an integer multiple of the identified frequency for the detected set of satellite signals in the at least one satellite communication channel. In some examples, the UE may also perform the UWB communication based on the selected PRF and receive the detected set of satellite signals, where the performance of the UWB communication and the reception of the detected set of satellite signals are simultaneous.

An apparatus, including: a clock source configured to generate a local oscillator (LO) clock signal; a radio frequency digital-to-analog converter (RF DAC) configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal based on a data signal and the LO clock signal; and an idle data detector configured to: detect a stream of idle data in the data signal; and disable providing the LO clock signal to at least a portion of the RF DAC in response to detecting the stream of idle data.

A method for generating an ultra-wideband signal is provided. The method comprises the steps of generating at least one ultra-wideband pulse envelope comprising a main pulse and a precursor pulse, the precursor pulse being shorter in length and lower in amplitude compared to the main pulse, and modulating a carrier signal in amplitude such that the envelope corresponds to the at least one ultra-wideband pulse envelope and such that the carrier signal within the main pulse is phase-shifted with respect to the carrier signal within the precursor pulse.