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US 7,417,506 B2Granted
Amplifier having switchable negative feedback
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsHorst Klein, Walter Zimmermann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An amplifier having programmable amplification includes a transistor circuit having a plurality of negative feedback resistors, a switch being associated to a negative feedback resistor such that the negative feedback resistors of the transistor circuit can be activated and deactivated selectively by operating switches via a controller. Thus, a broadband amplifier having a high linearity can be implemented.
Claims13
An amplifier comprising:
- a transistor circuit having variable amplification, the transistor circuit including a plurality of negative feedback resistors and a plurality of switches, the plurality of switches being formed such that an associated negative feedback resistor from the plurality of negative feedback resistors can be activated by operating one of the plurality of switches, the transistor circuit further comprising a single transistor stage and a plurality of negative feedback devices, the plurality of negative feedback devices comprising the plurality of negative feedback resistors, at least one switch of the plurality of switches being associated with each of the plurality of negative feedback devices so that a each of the plurality of negative feedback devices can be activated or deactivated by controlling the associated at least one switch, wherein an input of the transistor stage forms an input of the transistor circuit and an output of the transistor stage forms an output of the transistor circuit, and wherein at least one of the plurality of negative feedback devices comprises a first negative feedback resistor, a first switch, a common node, a second switch, and a second negative feedback resistor, the first and second negative feedback resistors being coupled to the common node via the first and second switches;
- and
- a controller operable to control at least one of the plurality of switches and to activate at least one of the plurality of negative feedback resistors to set a desired amplification.
An amplifier comprising:
- a transistor circuit having variable amplification, the transistor circuit including a plurality of negative feedback resistors and a plurality of switches, the plurality of switches being formed such that an associated negative feedback resistor from the plurality of negative feedback resistors can be activated by operating one of the plurality of switches, the transistor circuit further comprising a single transistor stage and a plurality of negative feedback devices, the plurality of negative feedback devices comprising the plurality of negative feedback resistors, at least one switch of the plurality of switches being associated with each of the plurality of negative feedback devices so that a each of the plurality of negative feedback devices can be activated or deactivated by controlling the associated at least one switch, wherein an input of the transistor stage forms an input of the transistor circuit and an output of the transistor stage forms an output of the transistor circuit, and wherein at least one of the plurality of negative feedback device devices comprises a first negative feedback resistor and a second negative feedback resistor operable to be connected in series via a connection switch;
- and
- a controller operable to control at least one of the plurality of switches and to activate at least one of the plurality of negative feedback resistors to set a desired amplification.
An amplifier comprising:
- a transistor circuit having variable amplification, the transistor circuit including a plurality of negative feedback resistors and a plurality of switches, the plurality of switches being formed such that an associated negative feedback resistor from the plurality of negative feedback resistors can be activated by operating one of the plurality of switches, the transistor circuit further comprising a single transistor stage and a plurality of negative feedback devices, the plurality of negative feedback devices comprising the plurality of negative feedback resistors, at least one switch of the plurality of switches being associated with each of the plurality of negative feedback devices so that a each of the plurality of negative feedback devices can be activated or deactivated by controlling the associated at least one switch, wherein an input of the transistor stage forms an input of the transistor circuit and an output of the transistor stage forms an output of the transistor circuit, and wherein a controller terminal of the associated at least one switch connected to a negative feedback resistor is connected to the controller via a series resistor;
- and
- a controller operable to control at least one of the plurality of switches and to activate at least one of the plurality of negative feedback resistors to set a desired amplification.
An amplifier comprising:
- at least one transistor stage comprising a plurality of transistors;
- a plurality of negative feedback means connected to the at least one transistor stage, the plurality of negative feedback means connecting the plurality of transistors to at least one common node, wherein each of the plurality of negative feedback means comprise a plurality of negative feedback resistors and at least one associated switch, wherein operation of the at least one switch activates the associated plurality of negative feedback resistors;
- at least one current source means connected to the plurality of negative feedback means;
- and
- a controller operable to control the current source means and operable to activate at least one of the plurality of negative feedback means to set a desired amplification.
2 more elements
An amplifier comprising:
- a transistor circuit having variable amplification, the transistor circuit including a plurality of negative feedback resistors and a plurality of switches, the plurality of switches being formed such that an associated negative feedback resistor from the plurality of negative feedback resistors can be activated by operating one of the plurality of switches, the transistor circuit further comprising a differential amplifier stage, the differential amplifier stage comprising a first transistor, a second transistor, first negative feedback resistor, a second negative feedback resistor, a common node and a current source, wherein the first transistor is connected to the common node via the first negative feedback resistor, the second transistor is connected to the common node via the second negative feedback resistor, and the current source is connected between the common node and a reference potential, wherein the current source comprises a current source transistor and a current source resistor between the current source transistor and the reference potential, and wherein a reference voltage is applicable to the controller terminal of the current source transistor;
- and
- a controller operable to control at least one of the plurality of switches and to activate at least one of the plurality of negative feedback resistors to set a desired amplification.
An amplifier comprising:
- a transistor circuit having variable amplification, the transistor circuit including a plurality of negative feedback resistors and a plurality of switches, the plurality of switches being formed such that an associated negative feedback resistor from the plurality of negative feedback resistors can be activated by operating one of the plurality of switches, the transistor circuit further comprising a plurality of amplifier stages, each amplifier stage comprising an input terminal, at least one of the plurality of negative feedback resistors and an output terminal, wherein the input terminals of the plurality of amplifier stages are connected to one another and form an input of the transistor circuit, wherein the output terminals of the plurality of amplifier stages are connected to one another and form an output of the transistor circuit, and wherein each amplifier stage can be activated or deactivated by one of the plurality of switches;
- and
- a controller operable to control at least one of the plurality of switches and to activate at least one of the plurality of negative feedback resistors to set a desired amplification.
An amplifier comprising:
- a transistor circuit having variable amplification, the transistor circuit including a plurality of negative feedback resistors and a plurality of switches, the plurality of switches being formed such that an associated negative feedback resistor from the plurality of negative feedback resistors can be activated by operating one of the plurality of switches, the transistor circuit further comprising a single transistor stage and a plurality of negative feedback devices, the plurality of negative feedback devices comprising the plurality of negative feedback resistors, at least one switch of the plurality of switches being associated with each of the plurality of negative feedback devices so that a each of the plurality of negative feedback devices can be activated or deactivated by controlling the associated at least one switch, wherein an input of the transistor stage forms an input of the transistor circuit and an output of the transistor stage forms an output of the transistor circuit, wherein the transistor stage is a differential amplifier transistor stage, and wherein each of the plurality of negative feedback devices comprise a first negative feedback resistor and a second negative feedback resistor, a common node, a first switch and a second switch, wherein the first negative feedback resistor is connected to the common node via the first switch and the second negative feedback resistor is connected to the common node via the second switch;
- and
- a controller operable to control at least one of the plurality of switches and to activate at least one of the plurality of negative feedback resistors to set a desired amplification.
An amplifier comprising:
- a transistor circuit having variable amplification, the transistor circuit including a plurality of negative feedback resistors and a plurality of switches, the plurality of switches being formed such that an associated negative feedback resistor from the plurality of negative feedback resistors can be activated by operating one of the plurality of switches, the plurality of switches sized such that a resistance of each switch in the activated stage of the switch is smaller than or equal to a negative feedback resistance associated to the switch;
- and
- a controller operable to control at least one of the plurality of switches and
- to activate at least one of the plurality of negative feedback resistors to set a desired amplification.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.