Atmel Corporation

Jed Griffin

Daniel J Russell

Miguel Gamarra

Systems and techniques for performing binary divarication digital-to-analog conversion are described. A described converter includes voltage range adjusters arranged in series to convert a digital sequence to an analog representation, each of the adjusters being responsive to a respective bit of the digital sequence, and a combiner. The first adjuster produces first high and low output voltages based on first high and low input voltages and a most significant bit value of the digital sequence. The last adjuster produces last high and low output voltages based on last high and low input voltages and a least significant bit value of the digital sequence. The last high and low input voltages are responsive to the first high and low output voltages as modified by any of zero or more intermediate voltage range adjusters. The combiner produces an analog output signal based on the last high and low output voltages.

Binary divarication digital-to-analog conversion

A self-calibrating, wide-range temperature sensor includes a current reference, impervious to process and voltage, with the current reference mirrored into two oppositely-sized bipolar transistors or diodes. Duplicate current sources are used with a ratio of geometries between them, such that the larger current biases the smaller bipolar transistor (less cross-sectional area) and the smaller current source biases the larger bipolar transistor (higher cross-sectional area). The current source in conjunction with the differential temperature sensing provides inherent calibration without drift while the differential sensing, from the ratio of geometries in the current paths also increases sensitivity.

Self-calibrating, wide-range temperature sensor

The disclosed current-controlled hysteretic oscillator operates by controlled currents opposing each other in differential pairs to set a controlled hysteresis for improved relaxation oscillations with immunity to phase or frequency error.

Current-controlled hysteretic oscillator

A phase-locked loop circuit having a dual-reference input and a phase detector. The dual-reference input is configured to accept both a rising edge of an input clock having a first phase and a falling edge of the input clock having a second phase. The phase detector is coupled to the dual-reference input and is configured to produce a center phase signal based upon and centered in phase between the first and second phases. The phase detector is further configured with a feedback loop to adjust any tracking error and provide a tracking output signal. The phase detector system maintains both a high tracking bandwidth and a bounded jitter amplification based as a result of the dual reference signal. The high tracking bandwidth and the bounded jitter amplification are independent of an applied loop gain.

Dual reference phase tracking phase-locked loop

An opposing currents (OC) differential amplifier is disclosed that eliminates headroom constraints and other problems associated with conventional differential pair amplifiers with current source biasing. The OC differential amplifier has a higher differential gain and differential gain bandwidth than conventional differential pair amplifiers.

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Peyton, CO, United States of America

Jed Griffin