# US 5,349,521 A · Full wave rectifier using a current mirror bridge

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- Number: US 5,349,521 A
- Document ID: US5349521A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/981,819
- Filed: 1992-11-25
- Granted: 1994-09-20
- Earliest claimed: 1992-11-25
- Assignees: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics S.A.
- Inventors: Paolo Menegoli; Mark E. Rohrbaugh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5349521A

## CPC

- G01R 19/22: using conversion of AC into DC
- H02M 7/217: using semiconductor devices only
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P)

## Abstract

A full wave rectifier includes an amplifier having a minus input, a plus input and an amplifier output; an input resistor connected between a circuit input and the minus input; and a current bridge having an output terminal connected to the circuit output, a first terminal connected to the minus input and a second terminal connected to the amplifier output. The current bridge includes a first current mirror circuit and a second current mirror circuit. The first current mirror circuit includes a first current source and a second current source, a source end of each current source of the first and second current sources being connected to the first terminal, a drain end of the first current source being connected to the second terminal and a drain end of the second current source being connected to the output terminal. The second current mirror circuit includes a third current source and fourth current source, a source end of each current source of the third and fourth current sources being connected to the second terminal, a drain end of the third current source being connected to the first terminal and a drain end of the fourth current source being connected to the output terminal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A rectifier for providing a rectified signal at a circuit output based on a signal applied to a circuit input, the rectifier comprising:
an amplifier having an inverting input, a non-inverting input and an amplifier output;
an input resistor connected between the circuit input and the inverting input of the amplifier; and
a current bridge having an output terminal coupled to the circuit output, and comprising:
a first current mirror circuit including a first current source and a second current source, a source end of each of said first and second current sources connected to the inverting input of said amplifier, a drain end of the first current source connected to the amplifier output, and a drain end of the second current source connected to the current bridge output terminal; and
a second current mirror circuit including a third current source and a fourth current source, a source end of each of said third and fourth current sources connected to the amplifier output, a drain end of the third current source connected to the source end of the first and second current sources, and a drain end of the fourth current source connected to the current bridge output terminal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The rectifier of claim 1, wherein:
the first current mirror circuit controls a current passing through the second current source to be substantially equal to a current passing through the first current source; and
the second current mirror circuit controls a current passing through the fourth current source to be substantially equal to one-half of a current passing through the third current source.

### Claim 3

A rectifier for supplying a rectified current into a load at a circuit output based on a signal applied to a circuit input, the rectifier comprising:
an amplifier, having a first input coupled to said circuit input and having an amplifier output;
a first current mirror circuit for supplying a current into the load when the signal at the circuit input is above a threshold, comprising a first current source and a second current source, a source end of each the first and second current sources connected to the amplifier input, a drain end of the first current source connected to the amplifier output, and a drain end of the second current source connected to the circuit output; and
a second current mirror circuit for supplying a current into the load when the signal at the circuit input is below a threshold, comprising a third current source and a fourth current source, a source end of each of the third and fourth current sources connected to the amplifier output, a drain end of the third current source connected to the amplifier input, and a drain end of the fourth current source connected to the circuit output.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The rectifier of claim 3, further comprising a resistor having first and second ends, the first end being connected to a circuit voltage input, the second end being connected to the amplifier input, so that a signal current is greater than zero when a signal voltage applied to the first end is greater than a reference voltage and so that the signal current is less than zero when the signal voltage at the first end is less than the reference voltage.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The rectifier of claim 3, wherein said amplifier input corresponds to an inverting input of the amplifier and the reference voltage is connected to a non-inverting input of the amplifier.