Abstract:
A sensing circuit (120) for sensing currents, including at least one sense amplifier (122), comprising: a measure circuit branch (132i), having a measure node for receiving an input current (Ic) to be sensed, for converting the input current into a corresponding input voltage (V-); at least one comparison circuit branch (132o), having a comparison node for receiving a comparison current (Igs), for converting the comparison current into a corresponding comparison voltage (V+); and at least one voltage comparator (140) for comparing the input and comparison voltages, and means (N3s,135; N3s,135';N3s,135" ) for generating the comparison current based on a reference current (Ir), said means comprising: at least one voltage generator (135;135';135'') for receiving the reference current and for generating a corresponding sense amplifier biasing voltage (Vsab); and means (N3s) for converting the sense amplifier biasing voltage into the comparison current. The at least one voltage generator includes a first circuit branch (232i), having a first node for receiving the reference current, for converting the reference current into a corresponding reference voltage (Vref), a second circuit branch (232o), having a second node for receiving a regulation current (Ii), in current mirror configuration with the first circuit branch for mirroring a current (Img) corresponding to the reference current, the second circuit branch generating by conversion a non-regulated voltage (Vgen) corresponding to the mirrored current and to the regulation current, and voltage regulator means (N3g,240) receiving the reference voltage and the non-regulated voltage for regulating the sense amplifier biasing voltage by controlling the non-regulated voltage through the regulation current.
Abstract:
A biasing circuit (10; 10') has: an input designed to receive a supply voltage (Vi), a value of which is higher than a limit voltage (Vdd); a control stage (12; 12'), generating a first control signal (P gL ; N gL ) and a second control signal (P gR ; N gR ), with mutually complementary values, equal alternatively to a first value (Vi), in a first half-period of a clock signal, or to a second value (Vi - Vdd; Vi + Vdd), in a second half-period of the clock signal, the first and second values being a function of the supply voltage (Vi) and of the limit voltage (Vdd); and a biasing stage (16; 16'), which generates on an output a biasing voltage (V cp ; V cn ), as a function of the values of the first control signal (P gL ; N gL ) and of the second control signal (P gR ; N gR ). The first and second control signals are designed to control transfer transistors, for transferring the supply voltage (Vi) to respective outputs, whilst the biasing voltage is designed to control protection transistors in order to prevent overvoltages on the transfer transistors.
Abstract translation:偏置电路(10; 10')具有:设计成接收电压高于极限电压(Vdd)的电源电压(Vi)的输入端; 控制级(12; 12'),产生与第一值(Vi)相等的互补值的第一控制信号(P gL; N gL)和第二控制信号(P gR; N gR) 在时钟信号的第一半个周期中,或者在时钟信号的第二个半周期中为第二值(Vi-Vdd; Vi + Vdd),第一和第二值是电源电压的函数 Vi)和极限电压(Vdd); 以及偏置级(16; 16'),其在输出上产生作为所述第一控制信号(P gL; N gL)和所述第二控制的值的函数的偏置电压(V cp; V cn) 信号(P gR; N gR)。 第一和第二控制信号被设计成控制传输晶体管,用于将电源电压(Vi)传送到相应的输出,同时偏置电压被设计成控制保护晶体管,以防止转移晶体管上的过电压。
Abstract:
A bandgap voltage reference circuit ( 100' ) for generating a bandgap reference voltage ( Vbg ) according to a first current ( Iptat ) is provided. Said circuit comprises a current generator ( 104 ) controlled by a first driving voltage ( Vpgate ) to generate the first current ( Iptat ) depending on the driving voltage. Said circuit further comprises a first reference circuit clement (102 ) adapted to generate a first reference voltage ( Vpluse ) based on the first current and a second reference circuit element ( 106 ) adapted to generate a second reference voltage ( Vminuse ) according to the first current. The circuit further comprises an operational amplifier ( 124' ) having a first input terminal coupled with the first circuit element for receiving a first reference input voltage ( Vplus ) based on the first reference voltage, a second input terminal coupled with the second reference circuit element for receiving a second input voltage ( Vminus ) based on the second reference voltage, and an output terminal coupled with the current generator to provide the first driving voltage. The circuit also comprises a control circuit ( 134 ). Said control circuit comprises first capacitive means ( 136 ) having a first terminal coupled with the first reference circuit element to receive the first reference voltage and a second terminal coupled with the first input terminal to provide the first input voltage. The control circuit further comprises second capacitive means ( 138 ) comprising a first terminal coupled with the second reference circuit element for receiving the second reference voltage and a second terminal coupled with the second input terminal to provide the second input voltage. The control circuit further comprises first biasing means ( 140' ) for selectively providing a first common-mode voltage ( Vcm ) to the second terminal of the first and second capacitive means. The operational amplifier is an offset compensated operational amplifier further comprising a first compensation terminal for receiving the first common-mode voltage and a second compensation terminal coupled with a compensation offset management circuit ( 600 ) for receiving a first compensation voltage ( Vc1 ). The offset management circuit comprises an auxiliary operational amplifier ( 902 ) having a first input terminal adapted to receive a third input voltage ( Vplus2 ) corresponding to the first input voltage, a second input terminal adapted to receive a fourth input voltage ( Vminus2 ) corresponding to the second input voltage and an output terminal adapted to be selectively coupled with a second compensation terminal of the operational amplifier for providing the first compensation voltage.
Abstract:
L'invention concerne un procédé d'écriture de données dans une mémoire non volatile (MA, XA) comprenant des cellules mémoire devant être effacées avant d'être écrites, caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend un cycle d'écriture-effacement (32-44) comportant une étape (32) d'effacement partiel d'au moins une première cellule mémoire, et une étape (40) d'écriture d'une donnée dans au moins une seconde cellule mémoire, l'étape d'effacement partiel étant telle que plusieurs étapes d'écriture dans des secondes cellules mémoire sont nécessaires pour effacer complètement la première cellule mémoire. Application notamment aux mémoires Flash.
Abstract:
There is disclosed an integrated control circuit (3) for a charge pump (1). The integrated circuit comprises a first device (112,N1,N2,R,12) suitable for regulating the output voltage (Vout) of the charge pump (1) and a second device (113,M10,M11,C11,11) suitable for increasing the output voltage (Vout) from the charge pump with a set ramp. The integrated circuit comprises means (111) suitable for activating said first device and providing it with a first value of a supply signal (Ireg) in a first period of time (A) and suitable for activating said second device and for providing it with a second value (Iramp) of the supply signal that is greater than the first value in a second period of time (C) after the first in such a way that the output voltage of the charge pump ascends a ramp from a first value (Vlow) to a second value (Vhigh) that is greater than the first value, said second value being fixed by the reactivation of the first device.
Abstract:
A memory device (10) formed by an array of memory cells (13) extending in rows and columns. The device is formed by a plurality of N-type wells (2) extending parallel to the rows; each N-type well (2) houses a plurality of P-type wells (3) extending in a direction transverse to the rows. A plurality of main bitlines (MBL) extend along the columns. Each P-type well is associated to a set of local bitlines (LBL) that extend along the respective P-type well and are connected to the drain terminals (D) of the cells accommodated in the respective P-type well. Local-bitlines managing circuits (14) are provided for each P-type well (3) and are arranged between the main bitlines (MBL) and a respective set of local bitlines (LBL) for controllably connecting each local bitline to a respective main bitline.
Abstract:
A solution for amplifying an input signal (Vin) into an output signal (Vo) to be applied to an electric load comprising at least one capacitive component (Cl) is proposed. A corresponding amplifier stage comprises a pre-amplifier module (305) adapted to receive a first supply voltage and an output module (310) adapted to receive a second supply voltage. The pre-amplifier module comprises: a first gain block (315) adapted to pre-amplify the input signal into a first pre-amplified signal, a second gain block (320) adapted to pre-amplify the input signal into a second preamplified signal, a feedback block (325) adapted to feed-back the output signal into a feedback signal, and a combination element (330) adapted to combine the first pre-amplified signal and the feedback signal into a combined signal, and wherein the output module is adapted to combine the combined signal and the second pre-amplified signal into the output signal.
Abstract:
A digital-to-analog converter (115) is proposed. The digital-to-analog converter (115) comprises a conversion block (205) for receiving a digital value ( D D ) and providing a corresponding first analog value ( D A ), and an amplification block (210) for receiving said first analog value ( D A ) and providing a second analog value ( V P ) amplified by an amplification factor (G) with respect to said first analog value ( D A ). Said amplification block (210) comprises a first input terminal for receiving said first analog value ( D A ), a second input terminal, and an output terminal for providing said second analog value ( V P ). Said amplification block (210) further comprises a first capacitive element (C A ) having a first (T A1 ) and a second (T A2 ) terminals connected to the output terminal and the second input terminal, respectively, of the amplification block (210), and a second capacitive element (C B ) having a first (T B1 ) and a second (T B2 ) terminals connected to the second terminal (T A2 ) of the first capacitive element (C A ) and to a reference terminal, respectively, said first (C A ) and second (C B ) capacitive elements determining said amplification factor ( G ). Said amplification block (210) further comprises a circuit stage (C AR ,C BR ,S W1 -S W4 , 120 , ϕ 1 -ϕ 3 ) for recovering, at each predefined time period ( T R ) , an operative charge at the first terminal ( T B1 ) of said second capacitive element (C B ), and hence the second analog value ( V P ) to the output terminal of said amplification block (210).