Reduced harmonic distortion oscillator circuit

US6590460B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Robert Bosch GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Wilfried Tenten · Gammertingen, DE
• Friedemann Eberhardt · Reutlingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 12, 2001
• Grant date: Jul 8, 2003
• Expiry date: Oct 12, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H03K3/0307
• WIPO field: Basic communication processes
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A harmonically damped oscillator circuit including a controllable oscillator amplifier for generating an oscillator output signal and including an amplitude control circuit for controlling the amplitude A of the oscillator output signal, an amplitude control signal Vcontrol being generated by the amplitude control circuit as a function of a determined amplitude A of the oscillator output signal in such a manner that the oscillator amplifier functions in a predefined operating range having an approximately linear amplification characteristic with a definable, small amplitude at a preset operating point, and the oscillator amplifier being designed in such a manner that the predefined operating range and the preset operating point are independent of the amplitude control signal Vcontrol. Thus, a stable amplitude loop for producing a low-distortion oscillator output signal can be achieved also under consideration of a comparatively large scatter range of the used component characteristics and parameters. The oscillator circuit can, therefore, be effectively produced as an integrated circuit.