International Business Machines Corporation

Matthew R Cordrey-Gale

James Stephen Mason

Thomas J Bardsley

Philip J Murfet

Gareth John Nicholls

Gareth J Nickolls

A method of varying the gain of an amplifier and an amplifier array are provided. The amplifier array includes two or more amplifier stages () connected in parallel with each amplifier stage having a gain control means. Input signal means () are provided for each amplifier stage with the input signals of the amplifier stages being of different amplitude. Means for enabling and disabling an amplifier stage () are provided and means for summing the outputs of the enabled amplifier stages obtain an output signal (). The gain of the amplifier array has a range from a low gain setting with a first amplifier stage () enabled, through increasing gain settings as the gain of the first amplifier stage is increased from a minimum to a maximum gain, a second amplifier stage () can then be enabled in addition to the first amplifier stage and the gain of the second amplifier stage increased from a minimum to a maximum gain, further amplifier stages are enabled as available up to a maximum gain setting for the amplifier array. Each amplifier stage that is enabled has a decreasingly attenuated input signal and a final amplifier stage to be enabled has a full input signal ().

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Southampton, United Kingdom

Matthew R Cordrey-Gale