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:
Mar. 28, 1995
Filed:
Apr. 30, 1993
William A White, Garland, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus is provided for accurate digital to analog conversion in which bipolar voltage switches are used in a GaAs I.sup.2 L integrated circuit. An architecture is provided that includes an R-2R resistor ladder network formed in a GaAs I.sup.2 L integrated circuit. A compound transistor pair (Q1, Q2) is connected to each leg (2R) of the ladder network in a digital to analog converter (110). Each transistor pair (Q1, Q2) is configured as a single-pole-double-throw voltage bit switch (100). The transistor pair switches the shunt (2R) resistors between two, alternative voltage levels (Vb, circuit 'ground'), based on the state of the binary input logic signal (Ai). Each switch and respective leg in the ladder network relates to a corresponding bit position (Ai) in the input signal. A matched pair of diodes (D2, D3) are used to clamp the voltages to be selected by the bit switch (100) to a predetermined voltage level, thus regulating the voltages switched out to the ladder network and increasing the switching speed of the converter.