Patent · US Expired

Current mode amplifier, rectifier and multi-function circuit

US5691658A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
24References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 2, 1996
Grant dateNov 25, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 2, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03F3/72
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A balanced current amplifier mirrors either a fully differential or single ended input signal into common output circuits in a manner to generate a fully differential output signal without any d.c. bias. Input signal nodes are maintained at a desired voltage by circuit elements other than those of the current mirror circuits, thus freeing the current mirroring elements from having to be sized for this purpose. The sizes of the output transistors are adjustable in order to set the gain of the circuit. In addition to amplifier circuits, a full-wave rectifier, a comparator, and a filter, all operating with current signals, are described. A single circuit module may include all of these circuits with a user provided the capability to program the module to perform any one or more of these functions.

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