Sense amplifier circuit for low voltage applications
AssigneeAtmel Corporation
InventorsJerome Pratlong, Marc Merandat, Stephane Ricard, Sylvie Bruneau Vergnes, Laureline Bour
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sense amplifier circuit for low voltage applications is provided. In one implementation, the sense amplifier circuit includes a reference current generation circuit coupled to a power supply. The reference current generation circuit generates a reference current that varies linearly with respect to changes in voltages of the power supply. The sense amplifier circuit further includes a sensing circuit coupled to the reference current generation circuit. The sensing circuit senses an amplitude of a current based at least on part on the reference current.
Claims20
A sense amplifier circuit comprising:
- a reference current generation circuit coupled to a power supply, the reference current generation circuit to generate a reference current that varies linearly with respect to changes in voltages of the power supply;
- and
- a sensing circuit coupled to the reference current generation circuit, the sensing circuit to sense an amplitude of a current based at least on part on the reference current.
The sense amplifier circuit of claim 6, further comprising a bandgap circuit coupled to a gate of a transistor associated with the reference current generation circuit, the bandgap circuit to control the reference current through the transistor.
A sense amplifier circuit operable to sense an amplitude of a current associated with a digital circuit, the sense amplifier circuit comprising:
- a reference current generation circuit coupled between a high supply voltage and a low supply voltage, the reference current generation circuit to generate a reference current that varies linearly with respect to changes in a voltage difference between the high supply voltage and the low supply voltage;
- and
- a sensing circuit coupled between the high supply voltage and the low supply voltage, the sensing circuit to sense an amplitude of a current of a digital circuit based at least in part on the reference current.
A method for sensing an amplitude of a current in a circuit, the method comprising:
- generating a reference current that varies linearly with respect to changes in voltages of a power supply;
- and
- sensing an amplitude of the current associated with the circuit based at least on part on the reference current.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.