Apparatus and methods for clock synchronization and frequency translation are provided herein. Clock synchronization and frequency translation integrated circuits (ICs) generate one or more output clock signals having a controlled timing relationship with respect to one or more reference signals. The teachings herein provide a number of improvements to clock synchronization and frequency translation ICs, including, but not limited to, reduction of system clock error, reduced variation in clock propagation delay, lower latency monitoring of reference signals, precision timing distribution and recovery, extrapolation of timing events for enhanced phase-locked loop (PLL) update rate, fast PLL locking, improved reference signal phase shift detection, enhanced phase offset detection between reference signals, and/or alignment to phase information lost in decimation.

A receiver includes the following: a signal receiving circuit, including a first MOS transistor and a second MOS transistor, where a gate of the first MOS transistor is configured to receive a reference signal and a gate of the second MOS transistor is configured to receive a data signal, and the signal receiving circuit is configured to output a comparison signal, the comparison signal being configured to represent a magnitude relationship between a voltage value of the reference signal and a voltage value of the data signal; and an adjusting circuit, including a third MOS transistor, where a source of the third MOS transistor is connected to a source of the first MOS transistor, a drain of the third MOS transistor is connected to a drain of the first MOS transistor, and a gate of the third MOS transistor is configured to receive an adjusting signal.

A PAM4 signal processor calibrates slicing thresholds to reduce bit error rate in a PAM4 clock data recovery circuit by determining a first target value of a first slicing level. The PAM4 signal processor is configured to retrieve the first target value of the first slicing level and sweeps a first reference voltage down from the upper voltage threshold. The PAM4 signal processor is further configured to detect a first filtered output associated with the first reference voltage and determines whether the first filtered output is higher than a target value. Responsive to determining that the first filtered output is higher than the target value, the PAM4 signal processor stores the first reference voltage value

An illustrative receiver includes: a decision element that derives symbol decisions from a slicer input signal; an equalizer that converts a receive signal into the slicer input signal; a summer that combines the symbol decisions with the slicer input signal to produce an error signal; and a level finder that operates on said signals to determine thresholds at which each signal has a given probability of exceeding the threshold. One illustrative level finder circuit includes: a gated comparator and an asymmetric accumulator. The gated comparator asserts a first or a second gated output signal to indicate when an input signal exceeds or falls below a threshold with a programmable condition being met. The asymmetric accumulator adapts the threshold using up steps for assertions of the first gated output signal and down steps for assertions of the second gated output signal, with the up-step size being different than the down-step size.

Disclosed embodiments relate to sensing states and changes of states of a signal and sensors for the same, including but not limited to, autonomous sensors. Such sensor may include an analog signal threshold detection circuit, a state detection circuit, and a measurement circuit. The analog signal threshold detection circuit may be configured to alternately assert and de-assert a threshold detected indication in response to an input signal and a state thereof. The state detection circuit may be configured to generate a signal state indication about a state of the input signal. The measurement circuit may be configured to generate a measurement in response to assertions of the threshold detected indication and the signal state indication, such as a count, a slew rate, or a frequency. In some embodiments, disclosed sensors may have programmable thresholds for sensing the signal states and changes therein.

A method to control a power tool, especially a core drill, including a motor as the drive for the power tool, a control unit, a power display, a transmission having at least a first gear and a second gear, a first sensor to detect the rotational speed of at least one component of the transmission and a second sensor to detect the rotational speed of the motor. The method includes the following steps: ascertaining a first rotational speed of the at least one component of the transmission when the transmission has been put into a gear, ascertaining a first rotational speed of the motor when the transmission has been put into a gear, ascertaining the selection of the gear on the basis of a first prescribed ratio of the first rotational speed of the at least one component of the transmission and of the first rotational speed of the motor on the basis of a look-up table, and setting the limit value of the power display on the basis of the look-up table as a function of the gear that has been selected. A power tool for purposes of using the method.

When powering-up or exiting from a sleep mode, the ramping up of various supply voltage nodes may occur at different rates. Thus, in a dual-rail memory circuit, a first voltage rail may be at voltage before a second voltage rail. Such a transient state of operation may lead to current spikes that unnecessarily draw power and introduce undesired inefficiency. An internal sleep signal generation circuit in the dual-rail memory circuit precisely controls an internal sleep signal such that the transition from off or sleep mode to operating mode is set to assure that the supply voltage nodes are close enough to the at-voltage operating level before releasing the sleep mode.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a driving circuit and a lamp comprising the same. The driving circuit comprises inputs connected to a mains supply; outputs connected to an LED load; an output capacitor connected in parallel with the LED load; an LED driving current source connected to the outputs, and configured to convert the mains supply at the inputs to current at the outputs in an illumination mode, such that the current flows through the LED load and charges the output capacitor; and a control circuit configured to receive a standby signal to enable a standby mode, and to control the mains supply to linearly charge the output capacitor in the standby mode, such that an output voltage at the output can be lower than a turn-on voltage of the LED load and is higher than a preset lowest voltage. With the driving circuit, it is advantageous to reduce the delay from the standby mode to a minimum light emitting level, and meanwhile a lower power loss can be realized by linearly charging the output capacitor through the mains supply.

Apparatus and methods for clock synchronization and frequency translation are provided herein. Clock synchronization and frequency translation integrated circuits (ICs) generate one or more output clock signals having a controlled timing relationship with respect to one or more reference signals. The teachings herein provide a number of improvements to clock synchronization and frequency translation ICs, including, but not limited to, reduction of system clock error, reduced variation in clock propagation delay, lower latency monitoring of reference signals, precision timing distribution and recovery, extrapolation of timing events for enhanced phase-locked loop (PLL) update rate, fast PLL locking, improved reference signal phase shift detection, enhanced phase offset detection between reference signals, and/or alignment to phase information lost in decimation.

A duty timing detector includes a saw-tooth voltage generator that outputs a saw-tooth voltage in synchronization with a toggle signal repeatedly transitioning between a high level and a low level. A sample block obtains a level of the saw-tooth voltage in synchronization with the toggle signal and outputs the obtained level as a first sample voltage. A hold block stores the first sample voltage in synchronization with the toggle signal and outputs the stored first sample voltage as a second sample voltage. A voltage divider divides the second sample voltage to output a division voltage. A comparator compares the saw-tooth voltage and the division voltage to detect a target timing in each duty of the toggle signal.