Low voltage supply amplifier and amplification method
AssigneesImec Vzw, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
InventorRachit Mohan
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Abstract
A high-gain, low power, electronic amplifier for amplification of a low magnitude voltage signal through a comparator-integrator amplification method for energy-aware applications is disclosed. The electronic amplifier comprises: a comparator arrangement with at least one comparator unit adapted to receive a first voltage signal to be amplified and a first feedback voltage signal, and to generate a first two-level voltage comparison signal; a integrator arrangement to receive the first two-level voltage comparison signal and generate a first amplifier output signal corresponding to an amplification of the voltage signal to be amplified; and a first feedback network to receive the first amplifier output signal and generate the first feedback voltage signal.
Claims20
An electronic amplifier for amplification of a first voltage signal to be amplified, the electronic amplifier comprising:
- a comparator arrangement having a first voltage supply level of 0.7V or less and comprising a latched comparator unit having a sampling frequency, wherein said comparator arrangement is adapted to receive the first voltage signal to be amplified and a first feedback voltage signal, and to generate a first two-level voltage comparison signal;
- an integrating arrangement having a second voltage supply level of 0.7V or less, wherein said integrating arrangement is adapted to receive the first two-level voltage comparison signal, and to generate a first amplifier output signal corresponding to an amplification of the first voltage signal to be amplified;
- and
- a first feedback network adapted to receive the first amplifier output signal and to apply a feedback gain factor to the first amplifier output signal to generate the first feedback voltage signal.
A method of amplifying a voltage signal to be amplified, the method comprising:
- receiving the voltage signal to be amplified and a first feedback voltage at a comparator arrangement and generating a first two-level voltage comparison signal;
- integrating the first two-level voltage comparison signal over time to generate a first amplifier output signal, corresponding to an amplification of the voltage signal to be amplified;
- and
- applying a feedback gain factor to the first amplifier output signal to generate the first feedback voltage signal, wherein the maximum voltage level of any voltage signal is 0.7V.
An electronic amplifier configured to amplify a voltage signal, the electronic amplifier comprising:
- means for receiving the voltage signal and a first feedback voltage, the receiving means configured to generate a first two-level voltage comparison signal;
- means for integrating the first two-level voltage comparison signal over time to generate a first amplifier output signal, corresponding to an amplification of the voltage signal to be amplified;
- and
- means for applying a feedback gain factor to the first amplifier output signal to generate the first feedback voltage signal, wherein the maximum voltage level of any voltage signal is 0.7V.
An electronic amplifier for amplification of a first voltage signal to be amplified, the electronic amplifier comprising:
- a comparator arrangement having a first voltage supply level of 0.7V or less and comprising a latched comparator unit having a sampling frequency, wherein said comparator arrangement is adapted to receive the first voltage signal to be amplified and a first feedback voltage signal, and to generate a first two-level voltage comparison signal;
- an integrating arrangement having a second voltage supply level of 0.7V or less, wherein said integrating arrangement is adapted to receive the first two-level voltage comparison signal, and to generate a first amplifier output signal which is proportional to the first two-level voltage comparison signal integrated over time and corresponds to an amplification of the first voltage signal to be amplified;
- and
- a first feedback network adapted to receive the first amplifier output signal and to generate the first feedback voltage signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.