Patent · US Expired

Amplifier arrangement comprising a protection circuit

US4607235A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
1References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 14, 1985
Grant dateAug 19, 1986
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 14, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03F1/083
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A protection circuit for a power amplifier in which feedback is applied from the output to the inverting input of the amplifier by a negative feedback network comprising a first resistor, a second resistor and a capacitor, comprises a voltage-current converter whose input is connected to the output of the amplifier which is loaded by a load and whose output is connected to the junction point of the second resistor and the capacitor. When the protection circuit is activated if the output transistors of the amplifier are loaded excessively for example due to short-circuiting of the load, the input voltage of the voltage-current converter, for low frequencies, is converted into a current which is re-converted into a voltage in the capacitor, which voltage is added to the normal negative-feedback voltage provided by the voltage divider comprising the first resistor and the second resistor. This provides a strong negative feedback and hence a satisfactory protection. For higher frequencies the capacitor constitutes a short circuit, so that the negative feedback changes to the normal feedback, thus ensuring that the amplifier remains stable under all conditions. The amplifier is then pro…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.