Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Rf Micro Devices, Inc.

Standard Microsystems Corporation

Other

Qualcomm Incorporated

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.

Thomas Somerville

Praveen Varma Nadimpalli

Robert Maigret

Michael R Kay

David C Dening

Klaas Wortel

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for implementing an amplification system. The amplification system includes an amplifier comprising differential inputs and an output. The differential inputs include an inverting input and a non-inverting input. The amplification system further includes a feedback path from the output coupled to the inverting input. The feedback path from the output is coupled to at least one of an inverting amplifier or buffer, and the at least one of the inverting amplifier or buffer is further coupled to the non-inverting input.

Amplification systems

A current mirror circuit that is configured to adjust a body to source voltage of an input device in response to a drain to source voltage of an output device is disclosed. In an implementation, the current mirror circuit comprises a current mirror including an input device and an output device coupled together. The current mirror circuit also includes a feedback circuit component coupled between the output of the current mirror and the input device. The feedback circuit component is configured to adjust a body to source voltage of the input device in response to a drain to source voltage of the output device.

Current mirror circuit configured to adjust a body to source voltage of an input device

The present invention is a high efficiency AM switching voltage regulator used to provide an AM output signal to an AM RF power amplifier, wherein the AM output signal is proportional to an AM input signal. The AM output signal includes an AM output voltage and an AM supply current, which represents a sum of an AM output current and a shunt current The AM output voltage provides an envelope supply voltage to the AM RF power amplifier. The switching voltage regulator includes a switching current regulator coupled to a linear shunt voltage regulator. The switching current regulator provides AM output current for the AM RF power amplifier and a small amount of shunt current for the linear shunt voltage regulator, which regulates the AM output voltage by controlling the shunt current. The switching current regulator regulates the AM supply current in proportion to a time-averaged value of shunt current.

Amplitude modulated switching voltage regulator

The present invention is a switching power converter that includes multiple energy transfer legs feeding a common energy storage circuit. Each energy transfer leg has a unique switching signal with a common switching frequency. The unique switching signals are phase-shifted from each other to minimize generation of switching noise within the passband of a received RF signal. Each unique switching signal has an active state during which energy may be transferred to the energy transfer leg, and an inactive state during which energy may be transferred from the energy transfer leg to the common energy storage circuit.

Split-phase switching power converter

An adjustable voltage reference circuit () that can be adjusted via an external device is disclosed. The circuit is designed to receive, after packaging, a plurality of adjustment inputs (). These inputs are used by an adjustable voltage cell () to produce an adjustment factor. The adjustment factor will then be used by a voltage reference cell () to adjust the reference voltage (Vref).

Circuit and method for a programmable reference voltage

A bandgap voltage reference generator may include a BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor) and a pair of MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) coupled to the BJT. The base-emitter voltage Vbe of the BJT may exhibit a non-linearity with respect to temperature. The difference between gate-source voltages of the pair of MOSFETs exhibits an opposite non-linearity with respect to temperature. The opposite non-linearity reduces the effect of the non-linearity on the output voltage of the bandgap voltage reference generator. The difference in gate-source voltages of the pair of MOSFETs may be determined by the ratio of channel width to channel length of each MOSFET included in the pair of MOSFETs.

Delta Vgs curvature correction for bandgap reference voltage generation

Various embodiments of methods and apparatus for an amplifier with wide output voltage swing are disclosed. The amplifier may include multiple output stages, each associated with a distinct supply voltage. Each output stage may contribute current to the output of the amplifier over a range of amplifier output voltages and these ranges may overlap. Each output stage may contribute current until the amplifier output voltage reaches the supply voltage associated with that output stage. The amplifier output may be as great as the largest supply voltage minus a drop equal to Rdson for an output transistor multiplied by the output current. In a CMOS implementation, this voltage drop may be approximately 0.15V. When the amplifier output voltage is close to the supply voltage associated with an output stage, both that output stage and the output stage associated with the next highest supply voltage may contribute to the amplifier output.

Efficient class-G amplifier with wide output voltage swing

A programmable data latch ( ) is disclosed. The data latch comprises a master latch ( ) operable to load data into the data latch ( ) and a slave latch ( ) operable to receive the data and produce the output ( ) and inverted output of the data latch ( ). Also provided is a plurality of programmable floating gate transistor ( ) wherein the &ldquo;on&rdquo; or &ldquo;off&rdquo; state of the floating gate transistor ( ) is determined by the data loaded into the data latch ( ). A programming voltage supply ( ) is supplied to the floating gate transistors ( ) which increases the threshold voltage of the floating gate transistor ( ) in the &ldquo;on&rdquo; state and produces a programmed transistor. The programmed transistor is operable to set the state of the data latch ( ) upon subsequent use.

Programmable data device and method therefor

A source follower output stage achieves low output impedance and high power supply rejection while operating at low output voltage and low supply voltage. This circuit has improved performance due to the source follower transistor, the sense transistor, and the output mirror, these items forming a common source difference amplifier. This common source difference amplifier adjusts the common voltage of the signal mirror to equalize the signal mirror input and output voltage. Thus, the common node of the mirror adapts to changing supply voltage, output load current and temperature so that the effect on source follower output voltage is minimized. Since the output node of the signal mirror is clamped to the source follower output instead of the common node of the mirror, the circuit operates at lower output and supply voltage than the prior art. For optimum performance, the current density ratio of the output mirror devices is equal to the current density ratio of the sense transistor to the source follower transistor.

Growing community of inventors

Tempe, AZ, United States of America

Thomas Somerville