A DAC driver includes a number of DAC drivers coupled to a load network. A first DAC driver includes a first set of data switches that can be controlled by a first digital input signal. The first DAC driver further includes a first set of output switches, a first set of dump switches and a first set of current sources. Another DAC driver includes a second set of output switches, dump switches, and current sources. The first set of output switches or the second set of output switches are operable to respectively couple either one of the first set of data switches or the first set of current sources to the load network. The first set of dump switches or the second set of dump switches are operable to respectively dump the first set of current sources or the second set current sources into a respective dump load.

A DAC driver includes a number of DAC drivers coupled to a load network. A first DAC driver includes a first set of data switches that can be controlled by a first digital input signal. The first DAC driver further includes a first set of output switches, a first set of dump switches and a first set of current sources. Another DAC driver includes a second set of output switches, dump switches, and current sources. The first set of output switches or the second set of output switches are operable to respectively couple either one of the first set of data switches or the first set of current sources to the load network. The first set of dump switches or the second set of dump switches are operable to respectively dump the first set of current sources or the second set current sources into a respective dump load.

A DAC driver includes a number of DAC drivers coupled to a load network. A first DAC driver includes a first set of data switches that can be controlled by a first digital input signal. The first DAC driver further includes a first set of output switches, a first set of dump switches and a first set of current sources. Another DAC driver includes a second set of output switches, dump switches, and current sources. The first set of output switches or the second set of output switches are operable to respectively couple either one of the first set of data switches or the first set of current sources to the load network. The first set of dump switches or the second set of dump switches are operable to respectively dump the first set of current sources or the second set current sources into a respective dump load.

Multipliers and Multiply-Accumulate (MAC) circuits 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 and MACs. Generally, digital multipliers and MACs can operate at high speed with high resolution, and synchronously. As the resolution and speed of digital multipliers and MACs increase, generally the dynamic power consumption and chip size of digital implementations increases substantially that makes them impractical for some ML and AI segments, including in portable, mobile, near edge, or near sensor applications. The multipliers and MACs utilizing the disclosed current mode data-converters are manufacturable in main-stream digital CMOS process, and they can have medium to high resolutions, capable of low power consumptions, having low sensitivity to power supply and temperature variations, as well as operating asynchronously, which makes them suitable for high-volume, low cost, and low power ML and AI applications.

Controllable voltage-signal generation circuitry, including: a plurality of segment nodes connected together in series, each adjacent pair of segment nodes connected together via a corresponding coupling capacitor, an end one of the segment nodes serving as an output node; for each of the segment nodes, at least one segment capacitor having a first terminal connected to that segment node and a second terminal connected to a corresponding switch; and switch control circuitry, wherein: each switch is operable to connect the second terminal to one reference voltage source and then instead to another reference voltage source, to apply a voltage change at the second terminal; the reference voltage sources and switches configured such that for each segment node the same voltage change in magnitude is applied by each switch, and such that the voltage change is different in magnitude from the voltage change applied by each switch of another segment node.

A DAC driver includes a number of DAC drivers coupled to a load network. A first DAC driver includes a first set of data switches that can be controlled by a first digital input signal. The first DAC driver further includes a first set of output switches, a first set of dump switches and a first set of current sources. Another DAC driver includes a second set of output switches, dump switches, and current sources. The first set of output switches or the second set of output switches are operable to respectively couple either one of the first set of data switches or the first set of current sources to the load network. The first set of dump switches or the second set of dump switches are operable to respectively dump the first set of current sources or the second set current sources into a respective dump load.

Systems and methods for multi-threshold sensing at an audio receiver, and systems and methods for calibrating an audio system to optimize for the specific configuration of the audio system are disclosed herein. In some implementations of a multi-threshold receiver, at least one additional voltage level is selected to trigger latching events within the receiver based on changes of the receiver input (which includes differential signals Vp and Vn) and in turn, to generate internal signals within the multi-threshold receiver, and then logic operations are performed on these internal signals to generate the output of the multi-threshold receiver.

A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) includes input circuitry to receive a digital word of N bits, and an array of N bit processing units disposed in parallel. Each of the N bit processing units includes first switch circuitry to generate a first output state based on a first value of a received one of the N bits, and second switch circuitry to generate a second output state based on a second value of the received one of the N bits. The DAC also includes selectively enabled third switch circuitry to generate a conditional third output state. A voltage-mode driver includes input circuitry to selectively receive one of N bits of a digital word. First switch circuitry generates a first output state based on a first value of the received one of the N bits. Second switch circuitry generates a second output state based on a second value of the received one of the N bits. Selectively enabled third switch circuitry generates a conditional third output state.

Controllable voltage-signal generation circuitry, including: a plurality of segment nodes connected together in series, each adjacent pair of segment nodes connected together via a corresponding coupling capacitor, an end one of the segment nodes serving as an output node; for each of the segment nodes, at least one segment capacitor having a first terminal connected to that segment node and a second terminal connected to a corresponding switch; and switch control circuitry, wherein: each switch is operable to connect the second terminal to one reference voltage source and then instead to another reference voltage source, to apply a voltage change at the second terminal; the reference voltage sources and switches configured such that for each segment node the same voltage change in magnitude is applied by each switch, and such that the voltage change is different in magnitude from the voltage change applied by each switch of another segment node.

Systems and methods for multi-threshold sensing at an audio receiver, and systems and methods for calibrating an audio system to optimize for the specific configuration of the audio system are disclosed herein. In some implementations of a multi-threshold receiver, at least one additional voltage level is selected to trigger latching events within the receiver based on changes of the receiver input (which includes differential signals Vp and Vn) and in turn, to generate internal signals within the multi-threshold receiver, and then logic operations are performed on these internal signals to generate the output of the multi-threshold receiver.