Low-power wide dynamic range envelope detector system and method

A rectifier system for rectifying an envelope in a system input signal, said rectifier system comprising:

• an input node for receiving an input voltage signal;
• a transconducting amplifier for receiving said input voltage signal and producing an input current signal;
• a current mirror network for receiving said input current signal and for producing a current output signal, said current mirror network including a feedback amplifier;
• and
• a capacitor for receiving said current output signal, said capacitor being coupled to an input of said transconducting amplifier.

A peak detector system for extracting an envelope from the rectified current input signal of the system, said peak detector system comprising:

• an input node for receiving an input current signal;
• a circuit for receiving said input current signal and producing an input voltage signal;
• a translinear low-pass-filtering circuit for receiving said input voltage signal and for producing a voltage proportional to a logarithm of low-pass filtered said input current signal;
• a non-linear one-directional feedback circuit for receiving said voltage and for producing an output voltage signal depending on the direction of change in said voltage;
• a circuit for receiving said output voltage signal and producing an output current signal;
• and
• a peak detector output node for providing an output current peak detector signal.

An envelope detector system for detecting an envelope in a system input signal, said envelope detector system comprising:

• an input node for receiving an input voltage signal;
• a transconducting amplifier for receiving said input voltage signal and producing an input current signal;
• a current mirror network for receiving said input current signal and for producing a current output signal, said current mirror network including a D C voltage shift circuit for a class AB biasing;
• a capacitor for receiving said current output signal, said capacitor being coupled to an input of said transconducting amplifier;
• and
• a rectifier output node for providing a current rectifier signal.

A rectifier system for rectifying an envelope in a system input signal, said rectifier system comprising:

• an input node for receiving an input voltage signal;
• a transconducting amplifier for receiving said input voltage signal and producing an input current signal;
• a current mirror network for receiving said input current signal and for producing a current output signal, said current mirror network including a DC voltage shift circuit for a class AB biasing;
• and
• a capacitor for receiving said current output signal, said capacitor being coupled to an input of said transconducting amplifier.