Multipath sampling circuits

A multipath sampling circuit comprising:

• an input line having an input voltage;
• a plurality of voltage amplifiers in parallel electrically with one another, each voltage amplifier having a respective input electrically coupled with the input line, each voltage amplifier having a different gain and a different saturation voltage;
• a plurality of track-and-hold circuits;
• a sampling circuit electrically coupled to a respective output of each sample-and-hold circuit, the sampling circuit including a sampling switch having an open state and a closed state;
• an operational amplifier having a differential input and an output, the differential input of the operational amplifier electrically coupled to the shorting line,
• wherein:
• the multipath sampling circuit has a tracking phase and a hold phase,
• when the multipath sampling circuit is in the tracking phase:
• the track-and-hold circuits are in a first state in which a respective output of each voltage amplifier is electrically coupled to the shorting line, and
• the sampling switch is in the closed state,
• when the multipath sampling circuit is in the hold phase:
• the track-and-hold circuits are in a second state in which the respective output of each voltage amplifier is electrically decoupled from the shorting line, and
• the sampling switch is in the open state.

A multipath sampling circuit comprising:

• an input line having an input voltage;
• a plurality of voltage amplifiers in parallel electrically with one another, each voltage amplifier having a respective input electrically coupled with the input line, each voltage amplifier having a different gain and a different saturation voltage;
• a plurality of track-and-hold circuits including a first track-and-hold circuit group and a second track-and-hold circuit group, each track-and-hold circuit having a respective input and a respective output;
• a sampling circuit having a first side electrically coupled to each track-and-hold circuit in the first track-and-hold circuit group and a second side electrically coupled to each sample-and-hold circuit in the second track-and-hold circuit group, the sampling circuit having a first state in which the first and second sides of the sampling circuit are electrically coupled and a second state in which the first and second sides of the sampling circuit are electrically decoupled;
• and
• an operational amplifier having a differential input in which (a) a first side of the differential input of the operational amplifier is electrically coupled to the first side of the sampling circuit and (b) a second side of the differential input of the operational amplifier is electrically coupled to the second side of the sampling circuit,
• wherein:
• the multipath sampling circuit has a tracking phase and a hold phase,
• when the multipath sampling circuit is in the tracking phase:
• the track-and-hold circuits in the first track-and-hold circuit group are in a first state in which a first side of a differential output of each voltage amplifier is electrically coupled to the first side of the sampling circuit,
• the track-and-hold circuits in the first track-and-hold circuit group are in a first state in which a second side of the differential output of each voltage amplifier is electrically coupled to the second side of the sampling circuit, and
• the sampling circuit is in the first state,
• when the multipath sampling circuit is in the hold phase:
• the respective input of each track-and-hold circuit in the first track-and-hold circuit group is electrically coupled to a first feedback line that is electrically coupled to a first side of a differential output of the operational amplifier,
• the respective input of each track-and-hold circuit in the second track-and-hold circuit group is electrically coupled to a second feedback line that is electrically coupled to a second side of the differential output of the operational amplifier, and
• the sampling circuit is in the second state.

A multipath sampling circuit comprising:

• an input line having an input voltage;
• a plurality of voltage amplifiers in parallel electrically with one another, each voltage amplifier having a respective input electrically coupled with the input line, each voltage amplifier having a different gain and a different saturation voltage;
• and
• an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) comprising:
• a plurality of track-and-hold circuits;
• a shorting line electrically coupled to each sample-and-hold circuit;
• a plurality of ADC control lines;
• a sampling switch having a closed state in which the shorting line is electrically coupled to ground and an open state in which the shorting line is electrically decoupled from ground;
• and
• ADC control circuitry electrically coupled to the shorting line and to the ADC control lines,
• wherein:
• the ADC has a tracking phase and a conversion phase,
• when the ADC is in the tracking phase:
• the track-and-hold circuits are in a first state in which a respective output of each voltage amplifier is electrically coupled to the shorting line, and
• the sampling switch is in the closed state,
• when the ADC is in the conversion phase:
• the track-and-hold circuits are in a second state in which the shorting line is electrically coupled to a respective ADC control line, and
• the sampling switch is in the open state.

A multipath sampling circuit comprising:

• an input line electrically having an input voltage;
• a plurality of voltage amplifiers in parallel electrically with one another, each voltage amplifier having a respective input electrically coupled with the input line, each voltage amplifier having a different gain and a different saturation voltage;
• a plurality of track-and-hold circuits;
• and
• a summing circuit electrically coupled to the track-and-hold circuits,
• wherein:
• the multipath sampling circuit has a tracking phase and a hold phase,
• when the multipath sampling circuit is in the tracking phase, the track-and-hold circuits are in a first state in which a respective input of each track-and-hold circuit is electrically coupled to an output of a respective amplifier, and
• when the multipath sampling circuit is in the hold phase, the track-and-hold circuits are in a first state in which the respective input of each track-and-hold circuit is electrically decoupled from the output of the respective amplifier.