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US 7,411,438 B2Granted
Low-power integrated-circuit signal processor with wide dynamic range
AssigneeTHAT Corporation
InventorsGary Hebert, Frank Thomas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit includes at least three separate power supply terminals, at least one for those portions of the circuit that must accommodate the widest signal-related voltage excursion, at least one for those that experience substantially smaller signal-related voltage excursions, and a common terminal.
Claims7
An integrated circuit disposed on a substrate and containing at least one analog circuitry section for producing a final analog output information signal in response to a first analog input information signal, the integrated circuit comprising:
- a first analog circuitry subsection disposed on the substrate, wherein the first analog circuitry subsection is configured to produce an intermediate analog output voltage signal in response to said first analog input information signal;
- a voltage-to-current conversion circuitry subsection, the voltage-to-current conversion circuitry subsection including a resistor and capacitor connected in series;
- a second analog circuitry subsection disposed on the substrate, wherein the second analog circuitry subsection is coupled to the voltage-to-current conversion circuitry subsection and configured to accept an intermediate analog input current signal proportional to said intermediate output voltage signal and produce said final analog output information signal in response to said intermediate analog input current signal, wherein the voltage-to-current conversion circuitry subsection is configured and arranged in series between and connects the first analog circuitry and the second analog circuitry subsection;
- a first power-supply-voltage terminal coupled to said first analog circuitry subsection;
- a second power-supply-voltage terminal coupled to said second analog circuitry subsection;
- and
- a third power-supply-voltage terminal coupled to said first analog circuitry subsection and said second analog circuitry subsection;
- wherein the available dynamic range of said intermediate analog output voltage signal is designed to exceed the difference in voltage applied between said second and third power-supply terminals.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.