Peak voltage amplitude detectors tolerant to process variation and device mismatch and related methods

An integrated circuit (IC), comprising:

• a transmitter configured to generate a transmission signal;
• a PLL comprising a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) configured to generate an output signal having an amplitude based on a control voltage, the PLL configured to control a frequency of the transmission signal;
• a peak detector comprising:
• a plurality of amplitude detection circuits coupled in parallel to a first signal input and a second signal input, each of the plurality of amplitude detection circuits configured to generate a voltage on an output indicating a voltage difference between the first signal input and the second signal input;
• and
• an averaging circuit coupled to the output of each of the plurality of amplitude detection circuits, the averaging circuit configured to generate, on a peak detector output, an average voltage comprising an average of the voltages generated on the outputs of the plurality of amplitude detection circuits;
• and
• a range sensor configured to:
• determine whether the average voltage on the peak detector output is outside a voltage range;
• and
• adjust the control voltage in response to determining the average voltage on the peak detector output is outside a voltage range.

A method of detecting an amplitude in a peak detector, the peak detector comprising:

• a plurality of amplitude detection circuits coupled in parallel to a first signal input and a second signal input, each of the plurality of amplitude detection circuits comprising an output;
• an averaging circuit coupled to the output of each of the plurality of amplitude detection circuits;
• and
• a peak detector output,
• the method comprising:
• generating, on the output of each of the plurality of amplitude detection circuits, a peak voltage indicating an amplitude of an input signal received on the first signal input and the second signal input;
• generating, on the peak detector output, an average voltage comprising an average of the peak voltages on the outputs of the plurality of amplitude detection circuits;
• generating the peak voltage on the output of each of the plurality of amplitude detection circuits further comprises coupling each of the plurality of amplitude detection circuits, one at a time, sequentially, to the first signal input and the second signal input.