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:
Jan. 09, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 22, 1999
Edward Barry Hilton, Wayland, MA (US);
Analog Devices, Inc., Norwood, MA (US);
Abstract
Current switches are arranged to reduce signal transit-time variations when they switch current signals that have a wide range of current magnitudes. The transit-time variations are reduced by shifting the range of currents that are carried by switching transistors. In particular, a current range is shifted upward to a higher current range in which the variation of the transistors' transition frequency f,is reduced. In general, the switches include a differential pair of transistors, an offset current source that generates an offset current and a current-steering system that steers the offset current along a current path that includes a switched-on transistor but excludes the output port of that transistor.