Method and apparatus for presetting an amplifier

An electronic assembly including:

• an amplifier on an integrated circuit chip of the assembly, the amplifier having differential input nodes;
• a path for conducting a voltage to one of the input nodes of the amplifier, wherein the amplifier includes a self-bias node, an output node and circuitry operable to produce an output voltage on the output node and a self-bias voltage on the self-bias node responsive to voltages applied to the differential input nodes;
• and
• preset circuitry operable to force an initializing voltage on the self-bias node, so that if the amplifier tends to produce an equilibrium voltage on the self-bias node responsive to a test voltage applied to the path of the electronic assembly, the initializing voltage overrides the equilibrium voltage, wherein the amplifier produces an initial voltage on the output node in response to the initializing voltage on the self-bias node and independently of the test voltage applied to the path.

An electronic assembly including:

• an amplifier on an integrated circuit chip of the assembly, the amplifier having differential input nodes;
• a path for conducting a voltage to one of the input nodes of the amplifier, wherein the amplifier includes a self-bias node, an output node and circuitry operable to produce an output voltage on the output node and a self-bias voltage on the self-bias node responsive to voltages applied to the differential input nodes;
• and
• preset circuitry operable to force an initializing voltage on the self-bias node, so that if the amplifier tends to produce an equilibrium voltage on the self-bias node responsive to a test voltage applied to the path of the electronic assembly, the initializing voltage overrides the equilibrium voltage, wherein the amplifier produces an initial voltage on the output node in response to the initializing voltage on the self-bias node and independently of the test voltage applied to the path;
• a mission receiver on the integrated circuit chip, wherein the path for conducting a voltage to one of the input nodes of the amplifier is also for conducting the voltage to an input node of the mission receiver, wherein the amplifier is operable to receive an amplifier control signal, and the amplifier includes:
• source circuitry, including i) source circuitry isolation transistors coupled to respective voltage and ground sources and ii) source circuitry bias transistors respectively coupled to the source circuitry isolation transistors;
• and
• first and second input circuitry having biasing transistors, wherein the biasing transistors have conducting electrodes coupled to the voltage and ground sources through the source circuitry isolation and biasing transistors and gates coupled to the respective amplifier input nodes, wherein the source circuitry isolation transistors are operable to turn on in response to an enabling state of the amplifier control signal, so that the source circuitry bias transistors are conductively coupled to their respective voltage and ground sources for an enabled mode of operation for the amplifier, and the source circuitry isolation transistors are operable to turn off in response to an disabling state of the amplifier control signal, so that the source circuitry bias transistors are isolated from their respective voltage and ground sources for an disabled mode of operation for the amplifier;
• and
• first output circuitry of the amplifier having biasing transistors with gates coupled to the self-bias node and with conducting electrodes coupling the output node to the voltage and ground sources, and wherein producing the initial voltage on the output node in response to the initializing voltage on the self-bias node includes switching the first output circuitry biasing transistors in response to the forced overriding of the self-bias node voltage to conductively couple the output node to only one or the other of the voltage and ground sources.