Nonlinear noninverting transimpedance amplifier
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsCharles E. Moore, Robert A. Zimmer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A nonlinear noninverting amplifier design for receiving and amplifying an input signal in an optical communication scheme having a nonlinear inverting feedback is disclosed. The inverting feedback varies nonlinearly with the input signal to avoid saturation of the amplifier while providing a zero state input amplitude signal to reduce the amplitude of the input signal required to turn-on the feedback, thus allowing the amplifier to operate with a wide variation of optical generators, paths, and converters. A nonlinear noninverting amplifier design is provided which eliminates the need for automatic gain control circuitry and can be designed as an integrated circuit.
Claims35
A nonlinear noninverting amplifier for receiving and amplifying an input signal and for producing an output signal having a gain which is a function of the amplitude of said input signal comprising:
- amplification means having a predetermined forward noninverting gain for amplifying said input signal by said predetermined forward noninverting gain;
- input terminal means for coupling to a positive input of said amplification means;
- output terminal means for coupling to said amplification means at which a noninverted amplified output voltage appears,
- nonlinear inverting feedback means, connected between said input terminal means and said output terminal means, for producing an inverting feedback signal that varies as an inverted function of said input signal to modify said gain of said nonlinear noninverting amplifier to prevent saturation of said amplification means and provide a wide dynamic range of amplitudes of said input signals and,
- biasing means for producing a predetermined amplitude feedback signal whenever said input signal has a substantially zero state amplitude so as to significantly reduce the amplitude of said input signal required to cause said nonlinear inverting feedback means to turn-on.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.