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US 7,583,144 B1Granted
Power efficient programmable amplifier
AssigneeMarvell International Ltd.
InventorThart Fah Voo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power efficient programmable gain amplifier is disclosed that provides programmable power consumption. The amplifier may include a first gain circuit and a programmable circuit that may include one or more second gain circuits that are programmable to provide variable power consumption and gain. The second gain circuits may be associated with one or more second current sources which may be programmably controlled to be turned on or off. When turned off, the second current source also may reduce the current value to substantially zero, thus reducing an overall power consumption of the amplifier.
Claims45
A programmable gain amplifier, comprising:
- a first gain circuit consuming a first power;
- a programmable gain circuit consuming a variable second power;
- a demodulator that is configured to demodulate a signal;
- and
- a controller that is coupled to the programmable gain circuit and the demodulator, the controller being configured to
- monitor the demodulated signal and control the programmable gain circuit to adjust at least one of a gain and a power consumption of the programmable gain circuit, based on a quality of the demodulated signal.
3 more elements
A programmable gain amplifier, comprising:
- a first gain circuit that includes one or more first transistors, the first transistors being connected to form a first differential pair that includes first power terminals forming a pair of first upper nodes and second power terminals connected together to form a first lower node, the first lower node being connected to a first current source;
- one or more second gain circuits that include one or more second transistors, the second transistors being connected as a plurality of second differential pairs that include first power terminals forming pairs of second upper nodes and second power terminals connected together to form second lower nodes, the second lower nodes being connected to corresponding second current sources, the first gain circuit being connected in parallel with the second gain circuits by connecting the first upper nodes to corresponding ones of the second upper nodes;
- a cascade circuit, the cascade circuit that includes two transistors, first power terminals of the two transistors forming an upper portion and second power terminals forming a lower portion, gates of the two transistors being connected together and coupled to a biasing circuit, the lower portion being connected to the first and second upper nodes of the first and second gain circuits;
- one or more current sources coupled to the first and second upper nodes of the first and second gain circuits, the current sources include a first portion and a second portion, the first portions connected to the upper portion of the cascade circuit and the second portion connected to the lower portion of the cascade circuit;
- one or more programming circuits, a first portion of the programming circuits being connected to the second current sources, a second portion of the programming circuits being connected to the current sources, and the programming circuits being responsive to a control data to turn on and off the second current sources and the current sources;
- and
- the control data that controls the programming circuits to change a gain and a corresponding power consumption of the programmable gain amplifier.
4 more elements
A method for programmably amplifying an electrical signal, comprising:
- first amplifying the electrical signal to generate a first amplified signal consuming a first power;
- second amplifying the first amplified signal by an amplified amount to generate a second amplified signal and consuming a second power, a magnitude of the second power varying based on a specified value of the amplified amount;
- demodulating the second amplified signal;
- and
- adjusting at least one of the amplified amount of the second amplified signal and the second power consumption based on a quality of the demodulated second signal.
2 more elements
A method for forming a programmable amplifier, comprising:
- connecting one or more first transistors with a first current source to form a first gain circuit;
- connecting one or more second transistors with one or more second current sources to form a second gain circuit;
- demodulating a signal from the second gain circuit to create a demodulated signal;
- monitoring the demodulated signal to determine a quality of the demodulated signal;
- and
- adjusting the second gain circuit to change at least one of a gain and a power consumption of the second gain circuit based on the quality of the demodulated signal.
3 more elements
A programmable gain amplifier, comprising:
- first gain means for generating a first gain;
- second gain means for generating a second gain;
- demodulating means for generating a demodulated signal;
- and
- programming means that is coupled to second gains means and the demodulating means, for controlling the second gain means to adjust at least one of a gain and power consumption of the second gains means, based on a quality of the demodulated signal.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.