IP Library Granted Patent US 9,948,286
Granted Patent B2
US 9,948,286 · App. 14/493,635 · Granted Apr 17, 2018

Programmable switched capacitor block

Inventors: Eashwar Thiagarajan (Bellevue, WA); Harold Kutz (Edmonds, WA); Jaskarn Singh Johal (Mukilteo, WA); Erhan Hancioglu (Bothell, WA); Hans Klein (Pleasanton, CA); Bruce Byrkett (Preston, WA); Mark Hastings (Mukilteo, WA); Dennis Seguine (Temecula, CA); Kendall Castor-Perry (Seattle, WA); Monte Mar (Issaquah, WA); Gajender Rohilla (Bothell, WA)
Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
H03K17/00H03M1/068H03M1/442H03M1/468
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,948,286
App. No.
14/493,635
Filed
Sep 23, 2014
Granted
Apr 17, 2018
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2845
USPC
341/172
Abstract

A first analog block includes a first plurality of switched capacitors and a second analog block includes a second plurality of switched capacitors. A switch associated with the first plurality of switched capacitors as well as a switch associated with the second plurality of switched capacitors may be configured based on one or more analog functions. The configuring of the first analog and the second analog block may include the configuring of the switch associated with the first plurality of switched capacitors when the analog function is associated with a first single ended signal and the configuring of both the switch associated with the first plurality of switched capacitors and the switch associated with the second plurality of switched capacitors when the analog function is associated with a differential signal.

Claims (37)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first input to receive a programming signal corresponding to an analog function that is based on either single ended signaling or differential signaling;

a first analog block coupled to the first input, the first analog block comprising a first switched capacitor branch comprising a first set of switched capacitors, a second switched capacitor branch comprising a second set of switched capacitors, a first operational amplifier, and a first capacitor coupled between an output of the first operational amplifier and an input of the first operational amplifier, wherein the first switched capacitor branch receives a first input signal and the second switched capacitor branch receives a second input signal; and

a second analog block coupled to the second input, the second analog block comprising a third switched capacitor branch comprising a third set of switched capacitors, a fourth switched capacitor branch comprising a fourth set of switched capacitors, a second operational amplifier, and a second capacitor coupled between an output of the second operational amplifier and an input of the second operational amplifier, wherein the third switched capacitor branch receives a third input signal and the fourth switched capacitor branch receives a fourth input signal,

wherein, in response to the analog function being based on the single ended signaling, a first switch associated with the first switched capacitor branch or the second switched capacitor branch is configured to output a first single ended signal,

wherein, in response to the analog function being based on the differential signaling, both the first switch and a second switch associated with the third switched capacitor branch or the fourth switched capacitor branch are configured to output a differential signal, and

wherein, when the analog function is associated with the differential signal, the first analog block outputs a first complementary signal of the differential signal and the second analog block outputs a second complementary signal of the differential signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second switch is configured when the analog function is further associated with a second single ended signal, and wherein the first analog block outputs the first single ended signal using the first switched capacitor branch or the second switched capacitor branch and the second analog block outputs the second single ended signal using the third switched capacitor branch or the fourth switched capacitor branch.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second single ended signal is associated with a different voltage reference than the first single ended signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the configuring of the switches is based on opening or closing of the switches.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one switch of the first analog block is configured based on a number of bits associated with the analog function when the analog function is associated with the first single ended signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one switch of the second analog block is configured to be closed when the analog function is associated with the signal ended signal and requires an additional input corresponding to the second analog block, and wherein the at least one switch is configured to be open when the analog function is associated with the signal ended signal and does not require the additional input.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a positive terminal of the first operational amplifier of the first analog block and a positive terminal of the second operational amplifier of the second analog block are coupled to a same reference voltage signal by configuring of another switch of the first analog block and another switch of the second analog block.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a programming signal corresponding to an analog function that is based on either single ended signaling or differential signaling;

configuring a first analog block to receive a first input signal and a second input signal and to transmit a first output signal by configuring a first switch of the first analog block based on the analog function, wherein the first switch is associated with a first switched capacitor branch comprising a first set of switched capacitors, a second switched capacitor branch comprising a second set of switched capacitors, a first operational amplifier, and a first capacitor coupled between an output of the first operational amplifier and an input of the first operational amplifier, wherein the first switched capacitor branch receives the first input signal and the second switched capacitor branch receives the second input signal; and

configuring a second analog block to receive a third input signal and a fourth input signal and to transmit a second output signal by configuring a second switch of the second analog block based on the analog function, wherein the second switch is associated with a third switched capacitor branch comprising a third set of switched capacitors, a fourth switched capacitor branch comprising a fourth set of switched capacitors, a second operational amplifier, and a second capacitor coupled between an output of the second operational amplifier and an input of the second operational amplifier, wherein the third switched capacitor branch receives the third input signal and the fourth switched capacitor branch receives the fourth input signal,

wherein, in response to the analog function being based on the single ended signaling, the first switch is configured to output a first single ended output signal comprising the first output signal and, in response to the analog function being based on the differential signaling, both the first switch and the second switch are configured to output a differential output signal comprising the first output signal and the second output signal, and

wherein, when the analog function is associated with the differential output signal, the first output signal is a first complementary signal of the differential output signal and the second output signal is a second complementary signal of the differential output signal.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second switch is configured when the analog function is further associated with a second single ended output signal, and wherein the first analog block outputs the first single ended signal using the first switched capacitor branch or the second switched capacitor branch and the second analog block outputs the second single ended signal using the switched capacitor branch or the second switched capacitor branch.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second single ended output signal is associated with a different voltage reference than the first single ended output signal.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the configuring of the first switch is based on opening or closing of the first switch.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one switch of the first analog block is configured based on a number of bits associated with the analog function when the analog function is associated with the first single ended output signal.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second switch is configured to be closed when the analog function requires an additional input corresponding to the second analog block, and wherein the second switch is configured to be open when the analog function does not require the additional input.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the configuring of the first analog block and the configuring of the second analog block comprises a positive terminal of the first operational amplifier of the first analog block and a positive terminal of the second operational amplifier of the second analog block being coupled to a same reference voltage signal by configuring of another switch of the first analog block and another switch of the second analog block.

15. A system comprising:

a processing device to generate a programming signal corresponding to an analog function that is based on either single ended signaling or differential signaling;

a first analog block comprising a first switched capacitor branch comprising a first set of switched capacitors, a second switched capacitor branch comprising a second set of switched capacitors, a first operational amplifier, and a first capacitor coupled between an output of the first operational amplifier and an input of the first operational amplifier, wherein the first branch receives a first input signal and the second branch receives a second input signal; and

a second analog block comprising a third switched capacitor branch comprising a third set of switched capacitors, a fourth switched capacitor branch comprising a fourth set of switched capacitors, a second operational amplifier, and a second capacitor coupled between an output of the second operational amplifier and an input of the second operational amplifier, wherein the third switched capacitor branch receives a third input signal and the fourth switched capacitor branch receives a fourth input signal,

wherein, in response to the analog function being based on the single ended signaling, a first switch associated with the switched capacitor branch or the second switched capacitor branch is configured to output a first single ended signal,

wherein, in response to the analog function being based on the differential signaling, both the first switch and a second switch associated with the third switched capacitor branch or the fourth switched capacitor branch are configured to output a differential signal, and

wherein, when the analog function is associated with the differential signal, the first analog block outputs a first complementary signal of the differential signal and the second analog block outputs a second complementary signal of the differential signal.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the second switch is configured when the analog function is further associated with a second single ended signal, and wherein the first analog block outputs the first single ended signal using the switched capacitor branch or the second switch capacitor branch and the second analog block outputs the second single ended signal using the third switched capacitor branch or the fourth switched capacitor branch.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the second single ended signal is associated with a different voltage reference than the first single ended signal.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the configuring of the switches is based on opening or closing of the switches.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein at least one switch of the first analog block is configured based on a number of bits associated with the analog function when the analog function is associated with the first single ended signal.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein a positive terminal of the first operational amplifier of the first analog block and a positive terminal of the second operational amplifier of the second analog block are coupled to a same reference voltage signal by configuring of another switch associated with the first analog block and another switch associated with the second analog block.

Assignments (5)
MERGER Recorded Nov 14, 2025
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AMERICAS CORP.
Reel/Frame 073571/0456 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2022
From: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
To: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SPANSION LLC
Reel/Frame 059410/0438 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE 8647899 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 035240 FRAME 0429. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTERST. Recorded Nov 3, 2020
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SPANSION LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 058002/0470 →
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Oct 28, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 050896/0366 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2015
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SPANSION LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 035240/0429 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62005532 · May 30, 2014
Related Publication 20150349768A1 · Dec 3, 2015