Patent · US Expired

Fully switched, class-B, high speed current amplifier driver

US5986479A · kind A · utility

63Cited by
9References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 5, 1997
Grant dateNov 16, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 5, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K17/6872
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A current amplifier driver capable of driving both 10 Base-T signalling and 100 Base signalling in a Local Area Network (LAN) includes one constant current source. A voltage controlled switch is contained in each of four vertical segment of an H-bridge circuit. Two voltage signals are applied to the switches to control the direction of current from a constant current source across a load. When one of the voltage signals is high, the other is low and two switches of the four switches turn on. The current amplifier driver sinks the constant current in a first direction, such that a voltage drop across the output nodes is positive. When the other voltage signal is high the switches that were on turn off, and the other two switches turn on to sink the constant current across the load in the opposite direction, such that a voltage drop across the output nodes is negative. When both voltage signals are low, all four switches turn off, and the output voltage is zero. In this manner, a differential signal is generated across a resistive load.

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