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US 6,683,498 B2Granted
Protection circuit for extending headroom with off-chip inductors
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorsLawrence M. Burns, Leonard Dauphinee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A protection circuit for extending the dynamic range of an amplifier circuit is described. Off-chip impedances, such as inductors, cause the output of the circuit to swing above and below the bias voltage. A protection circuit is included, either on-chip or off-chip, to protect the integrated circuit components if there is a fault condition in either of the off-chip impedances.
Claims29
An electronic circuit assembly, comprising:
- an electronic circuit;
- a first impedance;
- and
- a second impedance;
- wherein
- said electronic circuit has a positive output connected to a bias voltage through said first impedance, and a negative output, connected to said bias voltage through said second impedance;
- said positive output further being connected to said bias voltage through a first off-chip impedance and said negative output further being connected to said bias voltage through a second off-chip impedance;
- and
- said first impedance includes a first inductor and a first resistor and creates a first alternating current load, and said second impedance includes a second inductor and a second resistor and creates a second alternating current load.
6 more elements
An amplifier assembly, comprising:
- a plurality of amplifier circuit assemblies, each of said plurality of amplifier circuit assemblies having a positive amplifier output and a negative amplifier output, each said positive amplifier output being combined to form a positive output and each said negative amplifier output being combined to form a negative output;
- a first impedance;
- and
- a second impedance;
- wherein
- said positive output is connected to a bias voltage through said first impedance, and said negative output is connected to said bias voltage through said second impedance;
- and
- said positive output further being connected to said bias voltage through a first off-chip impedance and said negative output further being connected to said bias voltage through a second off-chip impedance.
5 more elements
An electronic circuit assembly, comprising:
- an electronic circuit,
- a first impedance that creates a first alternating current load;
- and
- a second impedance that creates a second alternating current load;
- wherein
- said electronic circuit has a positive output connected to a bias voltage through said first impedance, and a negative output connected to said bias voltage through said second impedance;
- said positive output further being connected to said bias voltage through a first off-chip inductor and said negative output further being connected to said bias voltage through a second off-chip inductor;
- and
- said electronic circuit is disposed on a common substrate, and further, said first impedance and said second impedance are disposed on said common substrate.
6 more elements
An electronic circuit assembly, comprising:
- an electronic circuit;
- a first impedance;
- and
- a second impedance;
- wherein
- said electronic circuit has a positive output connected to a bias voltage through said first impedance, and a negative output, connected to said bias voltage through said second impedance;
- said positive output further being connected to said bias voltage through a first off-chip impedance and said negative output further being connected to said bias voltage through a second off-chip impedance;
- and
- said first off-chip impedance is a first ferrite bead and said second off-chip impedance is a second ferrite bead.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.