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:
Sep. 16, 2008
Filed:
May. 15, 2006
Viola Schaffer, Erlangen, DE;
Rodney T. Burt, Tucson, AZ (US);
Jürgen Metzger, Pliezhausen, DE;
Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Freising, DE;
Abstract
An integrated circuit driver structure, comprising an amplifier, a current mirror block and an external current set resistor, is provided that is digitally configurable to operate in a current output mode or in a voltage output mode with its output level controlled by an external voltage. The current mirror block comprises multiple current sources, all having the same gate bias supplied by the output of amplifier. At any time, at least one current source is connected to supply the reference current to resistor, while all other current sources are connected to mirror the reference current to the load current output towards the load. A current gain ratio is based on the number of current sources connected to supply resistor and the number connected to mirror the reference current.