Peter Popplewell
Chief Technology Officer Canopy Growth
- Ottawa ON
Leading the design and engineering of numerous high-volume consumer cannabis delivery devices
Media
Social
Biography
With two decades of experience in the high-tech sector, Peter was involved with the design and engineering of numerous high-volume consumer electronic devices and components for wireless audio devices, IoT, networking equipment and cellular handsets.
Peter holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, has over ten issued US patents with as many filed and pending, and has over a dozen publications in peer reviewed IEEE journals and conference proceedings. For his doctoral work on medical sensor development for radiation monitoring he was awarded OCRI’s student researcher of the year, won the IEEE Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, and Carleton’s University Medal.
Areas of Expertise
Education
Carleton University
M.A.Sc.
RFIC Design
2004
Carleton University
B.Eng.
Electronics
2002
Carleton University
Ph.D.
RFIC Design
2010
Media Appearances
Storz & Bickel sidesteps Apple's vaping app ban
Tech Crunch online
2020-03-11
Right now, Storz & Bickel’s web app features most of the functionality of the company’s Android app. Peter Popplewell, Canopy Growth’s CTO, tells TechCrunch more functions are coming, including the ability to update firmware. The company will soon roll out similar web apps to other products, like Juju Joints.
Canopy Growth's Cannabis 2.0 Products Will Hit Shelves In Canada Next Month
Yahoo! Finance online
2019-12-06
Peter Popplewell, Canopy Growth’s Chief Technology Officer, revealed the company’s line of vape pens and vape cartridges at the end of November. These products, which include cartridges and related rechargeable batteries, should launch in late January.
Canopy Growth slams Apple for ‘knee-jerk’ App Store ban
Yahoo! Finance online
2019-12-02
Chief technology officer Peter Popplewell led the two-year development of Canopy’s new vape portfolio. He’s also the managing director of Storz & Bickel, the German medical device manufacturer known for its high-end dry herb vaporizers that Canopy Growth acquired for $220 million last year. The Storz & Bickel app was among the software removed from the app store in November.
Carleton Crew at Canopy Growth is Shaping the Future of Canada’s Cannabis Industry
Carelton Newsroom online
2019-11-27
In December of 2017, slightly less than one year before Canada would become just the second country to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, Smiths Falls, ON based Canopy Growth Corporation hired Carleton electrical engineering alumnus Peter Popplewell (BEng/02, MASc/04, PhD/10) as the company’s first Chief Technology Officer and only dedicated technology research and development employee.
Canopy Growth to expand Ottawa vape tech development with $221M acquisition
Ottawa Business Journal online
2018-12-06
"S&B quite literally invented the vaporizer market,” said Canopy’s chief technology officer Peter Popplewell in a statement. “Leveraging their IP into the tech-heavy vaporizer designs we have in progress will allow us to bring products to market that will set a new bar in terms of quality, functionality and consumer safety."
Patents
Voltage regulators for battery operated systems
10,601,320
2020-03-24
Voltage regulators for battery operated systems are provided. In certain implementations, a voltage regulator is operable in a regulating mode and a bypass mode. In the regulating mode, an input voltage greater than a selected value can be regulated so as to yield a desired output voltage. In the bypass mode, an input voltage at or less than the selected value can be regulated so as to yield an output voltage that substantially tracks the input voltage. Such a capability of switching between two modes can provide advantageous features such as reducing the likelihood of damage in a powered circuit due to high input voltage, and extending the operating duration of a power source such as a rechargeable battery. Also disclosed are examples of how the foregoing features can be implemented in different products and methods of operation and fabrication.
Reducing impedance discontinuities on a shared medium
10,560,202
2020-02-11
Systems and methods are provided for reducing the effects of an impedance mismatch between a communications system and a shared communications medium. A communication system, such as a transceiver within a cable modem, switches between various operating modes including a transmit mode, a receive mode, and a standby mode. The standby mode may be used while the transceiver is in an idle state between modes, such as while changing an amplifier gain states in between transmissions. While transitioning between modes, the impedance presented by the communications system can temporarily fluctuate causing unwanted signal reflections to propagate out of the communications system and on to the shared medium. Circuitry within the communications system, such as transmission circuitry including an adjustable attenuator, may be placed into a hybrid attenuation-isolation mode during the transition causing the magnitude of any unwanted signal reflections to be attenuated and reducing the impact on the shared medium.
Transient output suppression in an amplifier
10,554,188
2020-02-04
Systems and methods for suppressing transient outputs from an amplifier system are provided. An amplifier having a plurality of bias levels may be controlled to initiate a change in the level of a bias signal provided to the amplifier. The level of the bias signal is ramped from an initial bias level to a final bias level over numerous steps. The steps include at least one step in which the level of the bias signal is between the initial bias level and the final bias level. An amplifier system having multiple stages may be controlled to enable each stage and selectively couple each stage in a sequence that couples an output stage to an output terminal at the completion of the sequence.
Manifolded gate resistance network
10,541,682
2019-01-21
A radio-frequency switch includes a pole node, a throw node connected to the pole node via a radio-frequency signal path, the radio-frequency signal path including first, second, third and fourth field-effect transistors connected in series, each of the first, second, third and fourth field-effect transistors having a gate, a first coupling path coupling the gate of the first field-effect transistor to the gate of the second field-effect transistor, a second coupling path coupling the gate of the third field-effect transistor to the gate of the fourth field-effect transistor, and a third coupling path coupling the first coupling path to the second coupling path.
High-linearity variable gain amplifier with bypass path
10,439,576
2019-10-08
Aspects and examples described herein provide a variable gain amplifier circuit and assembly. In one example, a variable gain amplifier circuit includes a signal input, a signal output, and a variable gain amplifier including a plurality of unit cell groups coupled between the signal input and the signal output, the variable gain amplifier configured to provide an adjustable gain to a signal received at the signal input during each of a plurality of amplify modes of the variable gain amplifier, each of the plurality of amplify modes corresponding to at least one unit cell group of the plurality of unit cell groups. A bypass path including a fixed attenuator is coupled in parallel with the variable gain amplifier between the signal input and the signal output to selectively couple the signal input to the signal output through the fixed attenuator during a bypass mode.
Temperature compensated oscillator
10,461,700
2019-10-29
Methods and systems are provided for generating an oscillating signal for use as a clock in digital logic timing. The oscillating signal is generated via a differential RC relaxation oscillator including an oscillator core and biasing circuitry. The oscillator core may be configured such that the oscillating signal it generates is substantially sinusoidal or pseudo-sinusoidal and contains less harmonic content relative to a square wave signal. The biasing circuitry may be configured to have a reduced dependence on temperature so that the biasing values it provides vary less with temperature.
System and method for an improved personal vapourization device
10,327,479
2019-06-25
A vape device system including a payload reservoir that is identified by a payload identifier and that is configured to hold a substance for atomization. A processor is configured to determine an operational setting based on at least one of the payload identifier and a secondary data, which may include user information, prescription information, location information, payload information, historical vape device usage information, and historical payload reservoir information. A vape device system, and method of using the same, that includes a vape device and a computing device that includes the processor. A method of controlling a vape device including determining an operational setting of the vape device based on the payload identifier and/or secondary data. The operational settings may include a duty cycle setting, a temperature setting, an operational time duration, a dosage setting, and a security setting.
Reducing impedance discontinuities on a shared medium
10,256,921
2019-04-09
Systems and methods are provided for reducing the effects of an impedance mismatch between a communications system and a shared communications medium. A communication system, such as a transceiver within a cable modem, switches between various operating modes including a transmit mode, a receive mode, and a standby mode. The standby mode may be used while the transceiver is in an idle state between modes, such as while changing an amplifier gain states in between transmissions. While transitioning between modes, the impedance presented by the communications system can temporarily fluctuate causing unwanted signal reflections to propagate out of the communications system and on to the shared medium. Circuitry within the communications system, such as transmission circuitry including an adjustable attenuator, may be placed into a hybrid attenuation-isolation mode during the transition causing the magnitude of any unwanted signal reflections to be attenuated and reducing the impact on the shared medium.
Apparatus and methods for reducing inductor ringing of a voltage
10,404,217
2019-09-03
Apparatus and methods for reducing inductor ringing of a voltage converter are provided. In certain configurations, a voltage converter includes an inductor connected between a first node and a second node, a plurality of switches, and a bypass circuit having an activated state and a deactivated state. The switches includes a first switch connected between a battery voltage and the first node, a second switch connected between the first node and a ground voltage, a third switch connected between the second node and the ground voltage, and a fourth switch connected between the second node and the output. The bypass circuit includes a first pair of transistors connected between the first node and the second node and configured to turn on to bypass the inductor in the activated state and to turn off in the deactivated state.
Methods for fabricating an integrated circuit with a voltage regulator
10,170,989
2019-01-01
Methods for fabricating an integrated circuit with a voltage regulator are provided. In some implementations, a method includes forming a primary regulator on a semiconductor substrate, including fabricating a switch, fabricating an amplifier for controlling the switch, and fabricating a voltage generator for biasing the amplifier to operate the primary regulator in a bypass mode or in a regulating mode. The method further includes forming an input terminal and an output terminal of the primary regulator on the semiconductor substrate, forming a secondary regulator on the substrate, forming an input terminal and an output terminal of the secondary regulator on the semiconductor substrate, and forming an electrical connection between the output terminal of the primary regulator and the input terminal of the secondary regulator.
Voltage regulator circuits for wireless devices
9,973,088
2018-05-15
Voltage regulator circuits for wireless devices are provided. In some implementations, a transceiver module includes a transceiver circuit that generates a radio frequency (RF) signal, a power amplifier circuit that receives the RF signal and generates an amplified RF signal, and a voltage regulator circuit that receives an input voltage and provides a desired voltage to the power amplifier circuit. The voltage regulator circuit is operable in a regulation mode in which the desired voltage includes a regulated voltage and in a bypass mode in which the desired voltage includes a bypass voltage. The voltage regulator circuit includes a field-effect transistor (FET) electrically connected between the input voltage and the desired voltage, an amplifier that controls the FET, and a voltage generator that receives the input voltage and biases the amplifier.
Apparatus and methods for reducing inductor ringing of a voltage converter
9,948,241
2018-04-17
Apparatus and methods for reducing inductor ringing of a voltage converter are provided. In certain configurations, a voltage converter includes an inductor connected between a first node and a second node, a plurality of switches, and a bypass circuit having an activated state and a deactivated state. The switches includes a first switch connected between a battery voltage and the first node, a second switch connected between the first node and a ground voltage, a third switch connected between the second node and the ground voltage, and a fourth switch connected between the second node and the output. The bypass circuit includes a first pair of transistors connected between the first node and the second node and configured to turn on to bypass the inductor in the activated state and to turn off in the deactivated state.
High-voltage tolerant voltage regulator
9,588,529
2017-03-07
Circuits and methodologies related to high-voltage tolerant regulators are disclosed. In some implementations, a voltage regulator can be configured to be capable of being in a regulating state and a bypass state. In the regulating state, an input voltage greater than a selected value can be regulated so as to yield a desired output voltage such as a substantially constant voltage. In the bypass state, an input voltage at or less than the selected value can be regulated so as to yield an output voltage that substantially tracks the input voltage. Such a capability of switching between two modes can provide advantageous features such as reducing the likelihood of damage in a powered circuit due to high input voltage, and extending the operating duration of a power source such as a rechargeable battery. Also disclosed are examples of how the foregoing features can be implemented in different products and methods of operation and fabrication.
Apparatus and methods for voltage regulation
9,971,377
2018-05-15
Apparatus and methods for voltage regulation are provided. In some implementations, a voltage regulator circuit includes a field-effect transistor including a source that receives a battery voltage from an input node and a drain coupled to an output node, an amplifier including an output coupled to a gate of the field-effect transistor, and a voltage generator that receives the battery voltage from the input node and provides a reference voltage and one or more bias voltages to the amplifier. The voltage generator controls the amplifier to operate the voltage regulator circuit in a regulation mode or in a bypass mode based on a voltage level of the battery voltage. The amplifier and the field-effect transistor regulate the battery voltage in the regulation mode to provide a regulated voltage at the output node, and the amplifier turns on the field-effect transistor in the bypass mode to provide a bypass voltage substantially equal to the battery voltage at the output node.
Wireless devices having reduced clock feed-through
9,425,833
2016-08-23
Implementations of radio frequency switch controllers within the scope of the appended claims are configured to reduce the impact of the clock signal induced spurs. In particular, implementations of switch controllers described herein include a poly-phase clocking scheme, as opposed to a single phase to clock the charge pump stages of an negative voltage generator. In some implementations poly-phase clocking schemes reduce the clock signal induced spurs and may preclude the need for additional on-chip or off-chip decoupling capacitors that add to the cost and physical size of a complete front end module solution.
Apparatus and methods for voltage converter bypass circuits
9,197,128
2015-11-24
Apparatus and methods for voltage converter bypass circuits are provided. In one embodiment, a voltage conversion system includes a bypass circuit and a voltage converter including an inductor and a plurality of switches configured to control a current through the inductor. The bypass circuit includes a first p-type field effect transistor, a second p-type field effect transistor, a first n-type field effect transistor, and a second n-type field effect transistor. The first and second n-type field effect transistors are electrically in series between a first end and a second end of the inductor. Additionally, the first and second p-type field effect transistor transistors are electrically connected in series between the first end and the second end of the inductor.
Reduced clock feed-through systems, methods and apparatus
9,083,455
2015-07-14
Implementations of radio frequency switch controllers within the scope of the appended claims are configured to reduce the impact of the clock signal induced spurs. In particular, implementations of switch controllers described herein include a poly-phase clocking scheme, as opposed to a single phase to clock the charge pump stages of an negative voltage generator. In some implementations poly-phase clocking schemes reduce the clock signal induced spurs and may preclude the need for additional on-chip or off-chip decoupling capacitors that add to the cost and physical size of a complete front end module solution.
Radio frequency switch controller
9,391,648
2016-07-12
Implementations of radio frequency switch controllers within the scope of the appended claims are configured to reduce the impact of the clock signal induced spurs. In particular, implementations of switch controllers described herein include a poly-phase clocking scheme, as opposed to a single phase to clock the charge pump stages of an negative voltage generator. In some implementations poly-phase clocking schemes reduce the clock signal induced spurs and may preclude the need for additional on-chip or off-chip decoupling capacitors that add to the cost and physical size of a complete front end module solution.
Apparatus and methods for voltage converters
8,786,371
2014-07-22
Apparatus and methods for voltage converters are provided. In one embodiment, a voltage conversion system includes a bypass circuit and a voltage converter including an inductor and a plurality of switches configured to control a current through the inductor. The bypass circuit includes a first p-type field effect transistor (PFET), a second PFET, a first n-type field effect transistor (NFET), and a second NFET. The first and second NFET transistors and the first and second PFET transistors are electrically connected between a first end and a second end of the inductor such that a source of the first PFET transistor and a drain of the first NFET transistor are electrically connected to the first end of the inductor and such that a drain of the second PFET transistor and a source of the second NFET transistor are electrically connected to the second end of the inductor.
Low-power class D amplifier using multistate analog feedback loops
8,553,909
2013-10-08
An audio amplifier system may include an audio CODEC/output (AOP) path featuring analog class-D amplifiers, and using Natural Sampling Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to convert an analog input into a series of Rail-to-Rail pulses. The audio signal may be encoded in the average value of the PWM pulse train and may be recovered from the PWM signal by analog low pass filtering. The Class-D amplifiers may be designed with a negative feedback loop/network to compare the output signal with the input signal and suppress non-idealities introduced by the Class-D switching stage. Furthermore, operation of the AOP may be designed according to a separate signal transfer function and a separate noise transfer function, and 2.sup.nd order noise shaping may be performed at low power, with an optimized filter included in the feedback loop to achieve the best noise reduction at low power. Operation of the amplifier feedback network may be similar to that of a continuous time, low-pass delta-sigma modulator, but with a PWM loop wrapped around the class-D power amplifier.
Apparatus and methods for bypassing an inductor of a voltage converter
us 9,673,707
2017-06-06
Apparatus and methods for bypassing an inductor of a voltage converter are provided. In one embodiment, a voltage converter includes an inductor and a bypass circuit that selectively bypasses the inductor based on a state of a bypass control signal. The inductor includes including a first end electrically connected to a first node and a second end electrically connected to a second node. The bypass circuit includes a first p-type field effect transistor and a second p-type field effect transistor electrically connected in series between the first node and the second node. The first p-type field effect transistor includes a body electrically connected to a first voltage, and the second p-type field effect transistor includes a body electrically connected to a second voltage greater than the first voltage.
Apparatus and methods for negative voltage generation with reduced clock feed-through
us 9,698,832
2017-07-04
Apparatus and methods for negative voltage generation with reduced clock feed-through are provided. In certain configurations, a method of negative voltage generation in a wireless device is provided. The method includes generating a regulated voltage from a battery voltage using a voltage regulator, powering a first charge pump and a second charge pump using the regulated voltage, generating a first negative voltage based on timing of a first clock phase using the first charge pump, generating a second negative voltage based on the first negative voltage and on timing of a second clock phase using the second charge pump, and generating the first clock phase and the second clock phase with different phases using a poly-phase oscillator such that the first charge pump and the second charge pump draw from the regulated voltage at different points in time.
Envelope tracking with low frequency loss correction
us 9,831,834
2017-11-28
A low frequency loss correction circuit that improves the efficiency of a power amplifier at near-DC low frequencies The low frequency loss correction circuit can include a signal error detection circuit configured to produce an error signal in response to detecting one or more frequency components of a tracking signal below a cutoff frequency that are substantially attenuated through a capacitive path. The low frequency loss correction circuit can include a drive circuit configured to convert the error signal into a low frequency correction signal, and provide the low frequency correction signal to a voltage supply line, the low frequency correction signal including at least some of the one or more frequency components of the tracking signal below a cutoff frequency that are substantially attenuated through the capacitive path.
