Patent · US Expired

Programmable delay circuit having a buffer stage connected in cascode between the outputs of a plurality of differential amplifiers and the output terminal

US5144174A · kind A · utility

31Cited by
2References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 9, 1991
Grant dateSep 1, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 9, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K2217/0036
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A programmable delay circuit of the present invention is comprised of an input terminal to which an input signal to be delayed is supplied, N (N.gtoreq.2) delay circuits of a plurality of stages connected in cascade, a plurality of differential amplifier transistors connected to respective stages between the delay circuits of the plurality of stages and having a pair of differential amplifier transistors and current switches for supplying a drive current from a common current source to the pair of differential amplifier transistors, a common output terminal commonly connected to respective outputs of a pair of differential amplifier transistors of the plurality of differential amplifiers and a control circuit for selectively controlling the current switches of the plurality of differential amplifiers, wherein even when any one of the current switches of the plurality of differential amplifiers is selected, delay amounts of the differential amplifiers become constant so that linearity of delay characteristic can be improved. Also, since the single common current source is employed, the power consumption can be reduced. When a buffer stage connected in cascode is provided between the…

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