US 8,264,275 B2Granted

Amplifier arrangement and method for signal amplification

Assigneeaustriamicrosystems AG

InventorBernhard Greimel-Rechling

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Abstract

An amplification arrangement comprises a signal-processing element (SVE) with an integrator element (INT) that is coupled on the input side with a first input (E1) for feeding the input signal and with a second input (E2) for feeding a feedback signal. The signal-processing element (SVE) is designed to set a respective level of the input signal and/or the feedback signal as a function of a control signal. The amplifier arrangement furthermore comprises a pulse modulator (PM) that is designed to generate a pulse signal on a pulse output (POT) as a function of a signal applied on the output (SOT) of the signal-processing element (SVE). An output stage (OST) comprises a switching element (SW) that is designed to connect supply-voltage terminals (V1, V2, GND) to an output terminal (OOT) that is coupled with an amplifier output (AOT) and the second input (E2), and a control unit (CU) for driving the switching element (SW) that is coupled with the pulse output (POT). A level control unit (PSE) is designed to generate the control signal such that the respective level in the signal-processing element (SVE) is reduced as a function of an overshooting of a specified pulse-duty factor of the pulse signal.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An amplifier arrangement, comprising:

an amplifier input;
an amplifier output;
a signal-processing element with a first input that is coupled with the amplifier input for feeding an input signal, a second input for feeding a feedback signal, a control input for feeding a control signal, and an integrator element that is coupled on the input side with the first and second input and on the output side with an output of the signal-processing element, wherein the signal-processing element is adapted to set a respective level of the input signal and/or the feedback signal as a function of the control signal;
a pulse modulator that is adapted to generate a pulse signal on a pulse output as a function of a signal applied on the output of the signal-processing element;
an output stage with a switching element that is adapted to connect supply-voltage terminals to an output terminal that is coupled with the amplifier output and the second input, and a control unit for driving the switching element that is coupled with the pulse output;
a level control unit that is designed to generate the control signal such that the respective level in the signal-processing element is reduced as a function of an overshooting of a specified pulse-duty factor of a pulse signal on the pulse output;
and
wherein the level control unit is coupled with the pulse output and is adapted to determine a pulse-duty factor of the pulse signal and to compare it with the specified pulse-duty factor.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/997,870Filed 27 May 2009
Priority: DE 10 2008 027 76511 Jun 2008
Published: US 2011/0163802 A17 Jul 2011
Granted: 11 Sep 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H03F 3/217
With semiconductor devices only: class D power amplifiers; Switching amplifiers
H03G 3/3021
The gain being continuously variable: by varying the duty cycle
H03F 2200/351
Indexing scheme relating to amplifiers: pulse width modulation being used in an amplifying circuit
H03F 2200/66
Indexing scheme relating to amplifiers: clipping circuitry being present in an amplifier, i.e. the shape of the signal being modified