Voltage-to-current conversion
AssigneeSocionext Inc.
InventorsFrank Werner, Uwe Zillmann, Guido Dröge, André Schäfer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to circuitry for voltage-to-current conversion, and in particular to differential voltage-to-current conversion circuitry. Such circuitry is operable to receive a differential voltage input signal and output a corresponding differential current signal.
Claims16
Differential voltage-to-current conversion circuitry, comprising:
- a power supply node for connection to a power supply voltage source;
- a first current path extending from the power supply node via a first intermediate node to a first load node to provide a first load current at the first load node for use by load circuitry when connected to the first load node, wherein a first supply-connection impedance is connected along the first current path between the poser supply node and the first intermediate node and a first load-connection impedance is connected along the first current path between the first intermediate node and the first load node;
- a second current path extending, in parallel with the first current path, from power supply node via a second intermediate node to a second load node to provide a second load current at the second load node for use by the load circuitry when connected to the second load node, wherein a second supply-connection impedance connected along the second current path between the power supply node and the second intermediate node and a second load-connection impedance is connected along the second current path between the second intermediate node and the second load node;
- a differential voltage input connected between the first and second intermediate nodes via first and second input-connection impedances, respectively, for application of a differential input voltage signal, supplied at the differential voltage input, between the first and second input-connection impedances so that the first and second load currents together define a differential current signal dependent on the differential input voltage signal;
- and
- control circuitry,
- wherein:
- the first and second load-connection impedances are implemented as first and second transistors, respectively;
- and
- the control circuitry configured to control a bias voltage provided to the gate or base terminals of the first and second transistors so as to control a gain relationship between the differential input voltage signal and the differential current signal.
The differential voltage-to-current conversion circuitry as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the bias voltage provided to the gate or base terminals of the first and second transistors based on a common-mode voltage indicative of a common mode between the source or emitter voltages of the first and second transistors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.