The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 14, 1984
Filed:
Oct. 09, 1981
Yusuf A Haque, San Jose, CA (US);
Vikram Saletore, Cupertino, CA (US);
Jeffrey A Schuler, Saratoga, CA (US);
American Microsystems, Incorporated, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A digital to analog converter (100) utilizes a current mirror connected to a reference voltage (V.sub.REF) to generate a constant reference current (I.sub.REF). A voltage divider (R.sub.1 and R.sub.2) is used in conjunction with a plurality of MOS transistors (X.sub.1 -X.sub.N) serving as current mirrors having specific current carrying capabilities which are controlled by selected binary digits (bits) of a digital signal. By the appropriate connection of desired ones of said plurality of MOS transistors, a specific fraction of said reference current is caused to flow through said plurality of MOS transistors. The amount of current flowing through said plurality of MOS transistors generates an output voltage (V.sub.OUT) from the digital to analog converter of this invention. This output voltage may be positive or negative with respect to the reference voltage, thus the output voltage is bipolar.