A 2.2 W, 80 MHz superscalar RISC microprocessor

A 28 mW/MHz at 80 MHz structured-custom RISC microprocessor design is described. This 32-b implementation of the PowerPC architecture is fabricated in a 3.3 V, 0.5 μm, 4-level metal CMOS technology, resulting in 1.6 million transistors in a 7.4 mm by 11.5 mm chip size. Dual 8-kilobyte instruction and data caches coupled to a high performance 32/64-b system bus and separate execution units (float, integer, loadstore, and system units) result in peak instruction rates of three instructions per clock cycle. Low-power design techniques are used throughout the entire design, including dynamically powered down execution units. Typical power dissipation is kept under 2.2 W at 80 MHz. Three distinct levels of software-programmable, static, low-power operation-for system power management are offered, resulting in standby power dissipation from 2 mW to 350 mW. CPU to bus clock ratios of 1×, 2×, 3×, and 4× are implemented to allow control of system power while maintaining processor performance. As a result, workstation level performance is packed into a low-power, low-cost design ideal for notebooks and desktop computers     

A fully integrated dual-channel log-domain programmable preamplifier and filter for an implantable cardiac pacemaker

A programmable-gain preamplifier and filter for detection of spontaneous heart activity in an implantable cardiac pacemaker is presented. The system is fully integrated in a standard 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS technology, including all auxiliary circuits. Two channels are available in order to process both atrial and ventricular signals. CMOS translinear circuits, with particular emphasis on log-domain techniques, have been exploited in order to contain current consumption and to allow correct operation with a reduced supply voltage, due to battery discharging. Indeed, the realized system can operate down to 1.8 V of supply voltage and dissipates at most 1.8 /spl mu/A, granting at least 47 dB of dynamic range (DR) for the atrial chain, which is compatible with advanced digital sensing. Current consumption can be further reduced at the expense of DR if a simpler sensing like peak detection is adopted. All system performance have been verified by measurements results and are compatible with the requirements of cardiac pacemakers. This work, therefore, demonstrates how a proper design approach, exploiting low-power and low-voltage techniques, allows one to optimize performance for the cardiac pacemaker.     

Experimental verification of the theoretical behaviour of some ferrite structures

The theoretical behaviour of some microwave ferrite structures has been experimentally verified by detecting the thermal rise produced by the dissipated r.f. power in certain characteristic regions.     

A 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS analog turbo decoder for the 40-bit rate 1/3 UMTS channel code

This work presents the design and the test results of an analog decoder for the 40-bit block length, rate 1/3, Turbo Code defined in the UMTS standard. The prototype is fully integrated in a three-metal double-poly 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS technology, and includes an I/O interface that maximizes the decoder throughput. After the successful implementation of proof-of-concept analog iterative decoders by different research groups in both bipolar and CMOS technologies, this is the first reported prototype of an analog decoder for a realistic error-correcting code. The decoder was successfully tested at the maximum data rate defined in the standard (2 Mb/s), with an overall power consumption of 10.3 mW at 3.3 V, going down to 7.6 mW with the decoder core operated at 2 V, and an extremely low energy per decoded bit and trellis state (0.85 nJ for the decoder core alone).     

On the non-isothermal precipitation of copper-rich phase in 17-4 PH stainless steel using dilatometric techniques

The kinetics of the precipitation of copper-rich phase in 17-4 PH stainless steel was studied in this paper by non-isothermal dilatometric experiments. The dilatometric curve was analyzed and the conversion degree of the precipitates was associated with the area under the derivative curve of the thermal expansion as a function of temperature. The apparent activation energy associated with the formation of the precipitates was calculated and the obtained results were compared with the data calculated from the isothermal dilatometric tests presented in a previous paper. The data well agree, so confirming that non-isothermal dilatometry can be considered a powerful method to study the precipitation kinetics of PH stainless steels. Finally, the conversion degree for any isothermal treatment was calculated starting from the parameters obtained by non-isothermal dilatometric tests and compared with the conversion degree calculated from the hardness values during heat treatments.     

CMOS implementation of all-analogue APP decoders: analysis ofperformances and limitations

The potential performances and limitations of an all-analogue implementation of a posteriori-probability (APP) decoders in a standard complementary-metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology are investigated. In particular, the accuracy and speed trade-off related to the usage of MOS transistors in the weak inversion (w.i) region is analysed in depth. Transistor level simulations of a (18, 9, 5) tail-biting decoder are reported and contrasted with the results of the software implementation of the same decoding algorithm     

A fully integrated two-channel A/D interface for the acquisition of cardiac signals in implantable pacemakers

This work presents an input stage for a cardiac pacemaker fully integrated in 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS technology. The system can acquire and digitize to 8 bits both atrial and ventricular electrical activity. Log-domain circuits are exploited to amplify and filter the input signal, while /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ modulation is exploited to convert it. The design is power optimized, indeed the current consumption is limited to 2.9 /spl mu/A, while the power supply ranges from 2.8 to 1.8 V. The total area is 2.2 mm/sup 2/ and experimental data prove correct filtering and a total dynamic range of at least 47 dB.     

Resonant frequencies and quality factors in lossy NRD cylindrical resonators

In this paper the fundamental effects of losses on resonant parameters (frequencies and quality factors) are analyzed for circular-cylindrical dielectric resonators inserted between metal plates, in the configuration also called NRD (Non-Radiative Dielectric). Power dissipations are considered both in the dielectric and in the conductors. Complex resonant frequencies and closed-form expressions for the relevant quality factors are derived rigorously for arbitrary resonant modes, even without circular symmetry. Numerical results are presented and discussed, making also use of experimental data obtained by means of a suitable NRD set-up. The present analysis accurately provides the basic information for a more realistic design of up-to-date millimeter-wave frequency-selective devices in NRD circuitry.     

Ferrite-loaded cavity resonators

The problem of the determination of the free oscillation modes of a cavity resonator completely filled with magnetized ferrite is considered. A first order formulation, which takes into account the equation of motion of the magnetization vector together with Maxwell's equations, is used. By expanding the field vectors in terms of solenoidal and irrotational eigenfunctions of the corresponding empty resonator, a matrix eigenvalue problem in classical form is obtained. The general formulation is specialized to the particular case of a circularly cylindrical resonator filled with transversely magnetized ferrite. A numerical analysis for the determination of resonance frequencies and field configurations is carried out.Work partially supported by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche of Italy.     

Resonant frequencies and quality factors in lossy NRD cylindrical resonators

In this paper the fundamental effects of losses on resonant parameters (frequencies and quality factors) are analyzed for circular-cylindrical dielectric resonators inserted between metal plates, in the configuration also called NRD (Non-Radiative Dielectric).Power dissipations are considered both in the dielectric and in the conductors. Complex resonant frequencies and closed-form expressions for the relevant quality factors are derived rigorously for arbitrary resonant modes, even without circular symmetry. Numerical results are presented and discussed, making also use of experimental data obtained by means of a suitable NRD set-up.The present analysis accurately provides the basic information for a more realistic design of up-to-date millimeter-wave frequency-selective devices in NRD circuitry.