Breakdown voltage enhancement techniques for a high speed amplifier
AssigneeFmax Technologies, Inc.
InventorIain Ross Mactaggart
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques for providing a modulation driver signal are disclosed. In an example, a modulation driver can include a first transistor configured to receive a first input signal having a first voltage swing, a second transistor coupled in series with the first transistor, and a third transistor configured to limit a third voltage swing across the second transistor. The second transistor can be configured to provide a representation of the first input signal as a first output signal of the modulator driver. The first output signal can have a second voltage swing greater than the first voltage swing.
Claims21
A modulator driver comprising:
- a first transistor configured to receive a first input signal having a first voltage swing;
- a second transistor coupled in series with the first transistor, the second transistor configured to provide a representation of the first input signal as a first output signal of the modulator driver, the first output signal having a second voltage swing greater than the first voltage swing;
- and
- a third transistor configured to limit a third voltage swing across the second transistor.
A method of operating a driver amplifier, the method comprising:
- receiving an input signal at a control node of a first transistor;
- generating an output signal at a conduction node of a second transistor coupled in series with the first transistor between a first supply rail and a second supply rail;
- generating a first representation of the output signal using a first voltage divider coupled in series with second transistor between the first supply rail and the second transistor;
- and
- limiting a first voltage swing across the second transistor using the representation of the output signal.
A system comprising:
- a carrier signal generator configured to generate a carrier signal;
- a modulator configured to modulate the carrier signal based on a driver signal;
- a modulator driver configured to receive an input modulation signal, and to provide the driver signal based on an amplified representation of the input modulation signal, wherein the modulation driver includes an output stage comprising:
- a pair of input transistors configured to receive a differential representation of the modulation signal, the differential representation having a first voltage swing;
- a pair of buffer transistors coupled in series with a corresponding one of the pair of input transistors, each of the buffer transistor of the pair of buffer transistors configured to provide a representation of a corresponding input signal of the differential representation as a portion of the driver signal, the driver signal having a differential voltage swing greater than the first voltage swing;
- and
- a pair of buffer driver transistors configured to limit a third voltage swing across a corresponding one of the buffer transistors of the pair of buffer transistors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.