Abstract:
Device for limiting the working voltage for mechanical switches in telephony includes terminals for connection to a telephone line, a connection and power supply branch for a control circuit extending from a first terminal, the branch having a first switch, the cathode terminal of a first Zener diode and the source terminal of a first MOSFET transistor being connected to the output terminal of the first switch, the gate terminal of the first MOSFET transistor being connected, through the anode terminal of the Zener diode, to the first terminal. The current absorbed by the device may be adjusted.
Abstract:
A mold is disclosed for semiconductor devices intended for surface mounting, being of a type which comprises a metal plate and a body of solidified plastic resin. It consists of two plates which delimit at least one hollow adapted to receive the plate and to contain resin for forming the device body. Two elements of the mold push the plate from opposed sides against the bottom of the hollow. The hollow has two side extensions which are delimited by the side surfaces of the plate edges, thereby solidified projections are formed thereon which separate readily after the molding process. Thus, a structure is obtained wherein the plate has its bottom surface and two side edge portions fully exposed to allow optimum and controllable soldering to a printed circuit board.
Abstract:
A programmable time-intervals generator comprising first and second digital counters, a memory, a digital divider and a digital adder. On the occurrence of a first event, the first counter starts counting, and on the occurrence of a second event, only the most significant bits of the number counted up to then are stored, thereby providing a division by truncation. From the stored number, at least two discrete fractions are obtained by the divider, whereafter said fractions are summed at the adder which operates on strings of bits. The second counter counts down the sum number and, on becoming cleared, generates a signal.
Abstract:
A null consumption CMOS switch which may be set by nonvolatile programming is formed by a pair of complementary transistors preferably having a common drain and a common gate. The common gate is coupled to the floating gate a programmable and erasable, nonvolatile memory cell. The common gate/floating gate coupling can be a unitary floating gate structure. The floating gate directly drives the ON or OFF states of the two complementary transistors. On an output node of the switch, represented by the common drain of the pair of transistors, a signal present on a source node of one or the other of the two complementary transistors is replicated. The state of charge of the floating gate, imposed by programming or erasing, may be such as to reach advantageously a potential higher than the supply voltage or lower than the ground potential of the circuit. Different embodiments, such as a polarity selection, a path selector, a TRISTATE selector, and a logic gate selector are described.
Abstract:
A low-drop voltage regulator includes a P-type power transistor having an input terminal connected to a supply source, an output terminal connected to a load, and a control terminal driven by the output of an operational amplifier having its non-inverting input connected to a reference voltage source and its inverting input connected to the output terminal of the power transistor. To improve the regulation characteristics of the regulator without jeopardizing stability, even under normally critical conditions, provision is made for a feedback network including a capacitive component between the output and inverting input of the operational amplifier.
Abstract:
A die-stamped frame is fastened to a heat sink metal baseplate by wedging flexible tabs into receiving indentations of the baseplate while keeping the frame substantially in contact with the surface of the baseplate. The wire welding operations may then take place on the end of the fingers of the patterned metal frame while the same are solidly resting on the surface of the baseplate thus facilitating the welding. The backing-off of the metal frame from the surface of the heat sink baseplate takes place upon the closing of the mold used for encapsulating in resin the device. The injection of the resin and its solidification "freezes" the pins in the backed-off position imposed by the mold upon closing, thus ensuring the electrical isolation between the pins and the integral heat sink baseplate.
Abstract:
A self-configurable, dual bridge, power amplifier has a window comparator sensing the level of input signals fed to the amplifier which drives a plurality of configuring switches capable of configuring the amplifier as a single bridge amplifier driving a first and a second loads connected in series or as two distinct bridge amplifiers each driving one of the two loads. As long as the two levels of the input signals remain comprised between a range defined by a negative voltage reference and a positive voltage reference, the amplifier is configured as a single bridge driving the two loads in series, thus reducing sensibly power dissipation.
Abstract:
A circuit is described which comprises an operational amplifier, two resistors connected between the telephone line and the inputs of the amplifier, a capacitor which is charged via a first bipolar transistor controlled by the amplifier via a first FET transistor, a second bipolar transistor in parallel to the connection of the first transistor and the capacitor, a second FET transistor, identical to the first and having its source and gate terminals connected to the corresponding terminals of the first, and two current generators connected to the drain terminals respectively of the first and the second FET transistor and to the bases, respectively, of the first and second bipolar transistor. The currents of the two generators and the other parameters of the circuit are such as to hold the first and second bipolar transistors in a conductive and a switched off state respectively, except when the line voltage fails below a minimum predetermined value; in which case the first and second transistors commute to the switched off and conductive states respectively. The circuit has a lower "voltage loss" than known circuits.
Abstract:
A transconductor differential stage for high-frequency filters, which has a MOS differential input pair with common sources. The drain of each MOS input is connected to the emitter of an npn bipolar. These two matched bipolars have their gates connected together with the gate of a third bipolar, which is diode-connected. Two matched current sources feed the two bipolars, and a third current source feeds the third bipolar. A single controlled current sink is connected to the sources of both MOS input transistors, and also (through a resistor) to the third bipolar.
Abstract:
An amplifier comprising a power stage the output of which is compared with a reference level by a comparator. If the output exceeds the reference level, a reduction is made in the gain of a variable-gain cell upstream from the power stage. The reference level varies with temperature, and, more specifically, presents a high constant value (e.g., greater than the supply voltage) when temperature is below a predetermined threshold (e.g., 130.degree. C.), and decreases in proportion to an increase in temperature, when the temperature exceeds the predetermined threshold. Thus, the input signal is only attenuated in the event the output signal exceeds given values inversely proportional to temperature, and with no reduction in peak output at high temperature.