Nxp B.v.

Analog Devices Global

Achal Venkatesh

Birama Goumballa

Gilles Montoriol

Erik Olieman

Stephane Damien Thuriés

Abhinav Kumar Dikshit

Rajesh Prabhakar Shamala

An integrated circuit includes a functional circuit and a power calibration and monitoring system including a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a variable gain amplifier (VGA), and a counter. The DAC generates a differential pair of feedback currents based on a digital count. The VGA generates a differential pair of amplified signals based on a magnitude difference between the differential pair of feedback currents and a differential pair of detection currents derived from a differential pair of node voltages associated with the functional circuit. The counter generates the digital count based on the differential pair of amplified signals. The differential pair of feedback currents is controlled such that the magnitude difference between the differential pair of detection currents and the differential pair of feedback currents is within a tolerance limit. A power associated with the functional circuit is calibrated and monitored based on the digital count.

Power calibration and monitoring system

A power amplifier stage including multiple amplifier branch circuits, in which each amplifier branch circuit includes a cascode device, a source device, and a replica cascode device. The cascode device has current terminals coupled between an output node and an intermediate node, and has a control terminal receiving a corresponding activation signal. The source device has current terminals coupled between a supply reference node and the intermediate node, and has a control terminal receiving an input signal. The replica cascode device has current terminals coupled between a supply node and the intermediate node, and has a control terminal receiving a corresponding complementary activation signals. An output power level of the power amplifier stage is controlled by asserting a selected number of activation signals and corresponding complementary activation signals for activating a selected number of the amplifier branch circuits.

Current steering biasing for power control in cascode-based power amplifier stage of radar applications for improved reliability

A device includes a filter circuit having both a transformer and a notch filter. The notch filter is formed via capacitive cross-coupling of windings of the transformer. The transformer includes a first winding with an input terminal and an output terminal and a second winding with an input terminal and an output terminal. The notch filter is formed by coupling a first capacitor between the input terminal of the first winding and the output terminal of the second winding, and by coupling a second capacitor between the output terminal of the first winding and the input terminal of the second winding.

Transformer filter with notch

Embodiments of the present invention eliminate the high bandwidth buffer from the analog chopper circuit. In some specific embodiments, the buffer is replace with a comparator-based loop that can be used to apply offset correction and achieve N-bit settling performance with sharp (up to 1 ns) rise and fall time with significantly lower power than with a buffer. Other specific embodiments include overcharging circuitry in combination with the comparator-based loop or in lieu of the comparator-based loop. Still other specific embodiments include an array of capacitors in place of the single large capacitor Clarge and use decoding/switching circuitry to selectively couple one of the capacitors into the circuit based on the DAC input code. Importantly, exemplary embodiments result in total power dissipation around the theoretical limit needed to charge the capacitor to the DAC output voltage.

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Bengaluru, India

Achal Venkatesh