US 6,023,196 A · Bias circuit for transconductance amplifier

Abstract

In low-voltage circuits, there is often insufficient voltage to use a current source to bias a transconductance amplifier stage. This is particularly true in mixers where a switching circuit must be stacked on top of the transconductance input stage. One way around this problem is to get "double-duty" out of the input differential pair, using it both for gain stage and for DC bias. This is done by AC coupling in a high-frequency input signal, while using a low-frequency, DC-coupled circuit to establish the proper bias level. One common technique is to use a simple current mirror scheme to establish the DC level. Proper biasing using this technique requires good matching of resistance. In some implementations of transconductance amplifiers, particularly those that use inductors as degeneration elements, series resistance of the inductor and interconnect resistance can cause significant errors in the bias current. This invention addresses that problem by using an operational amplifier with a current-sensing resistor and a low-frequency feedback loop to compensate automatically for any resistance errors. The operational amplifier drives the feedback voltage (generated in accordance with the sensed voltage at the current-sensing resistor and applied to one input of the operational amplifier) towards a reference voltage that is applied to the other input of the operational amplifier to bias the transistor(s) in the transconductance amplifier for desired operating conditions.

Claims32

Dependent claims

An integrated circuit having a transconductance amplifier adapted to convert a first input voltage into an output current, the transconductance amplifier comprising:

(a) a first transistor configured to provide both DC bias and AC gain for the transconductance amplifier, wherein the output current corresponds to the current from the collector of the first transistor;
and
(b) a bias circuit, configured to bias the first transistor, wherein the bias circuit comprises:
(1) a first DC-blocking capacitor connected between the first input voltage and a control terminal of the first transistor;
(2) an operational amplifier having first and second inputs and an output, wherein the first input is configured to receive a reference voltage;
(3) a first impedance connected between the output of the operational amplifier and the control terminal of the first transistor;
and
(4) a current-detecting resistor configured to generate a sensed voltage corresponding to the current at the emitter of the first transistor, wherein a feedback voltage corresponding to the sensed voltage is applied in a feedback loop to the second input of the operational amplifier to drive the voltage at the control terminal of the first transistor towards equalizing the feedback voltage and the reference voltage to establish an operating condition for the transconductance amplifier.

5 more elements

An integrated circuit having a differential transconductance amplifier adapted to convert a differential input voltage comprising a first input voltage and a second input voltage into an output current, the transconductance amplifier comprising:

(a) first and second transistors configured to provide both DC bias and AC gain for the transconductance amplifier, the output current being the difference of currents through the first and second transistors;
and
(b) a bias circuit, configured to bias the first and second transistors, wherein the bias circuit comprises:
(1) a first DC-blocking capacitor connected between the first input voltage and a control terminal of the first transistor;
(2) a second DC-blocking capacitor connected between the second input voltage and a control terminal of the second transistor;
(3) an operational amplifier having first and second inputs and an output, wherein the first input is configured to receive a reference voltage;
(4) a first impedance connected between the output of the operational amplifier and the control terminal of the first transistor;
(5) a second impedance connected between the output of the operational amplifier and the control terminal of the second transistor;
and
(6) a current-detecting resistor configured to generate a sensed voltage corresponding to the output current, wherein a feedback voltage corresponding to the sensed voltage is applied in a feedback loop to the second input of the operational amplifier to drive the voltages at the control terminals of the first and second transistors towards equalizing the feedback voltage and the reference voltage to establish an operating condition for the transconductance amplifier.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Bias circuit for transconductance amplifier

Life of this patent

Bias circuit for transconductance amplifier

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims32