Active field effect transistor limiter
AssigneeM/A-COM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.
InventorsAlan L. Noll, Wayne M. Struble
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus having a detector and a circuit is disclosed. The detector may be configured to generate a control signal in response to a voltage level of an input signal. The circuit may be configured to (i) connect the input signal to a reference signal with a first impedance in response to the control signal in an asserted state and (ii) connect the input signal to the reference signal with a second impedance in response to the control signal in a deasserted state. One or more transistors in the circuit are generally biased to an off state while the control signal is in the deasserted state.
Claims18
An apparatus comprising:
- a detector configured to generate a control signal in response to a voltage level of an input signal in a microwave frequency range;
- and
- a circuit configured to (i) connect said input signal to a reference signal with a first impedance in response to said control signal in an asserted state and (ii) connect said input signal to said reference signal with a second impedance in response to said control signal in a deasserted state, wherein (a) said reference signal biases one or more transistors in said circuit above a pinch-off voltage to an off state while said control signal is in said deasserted state and (b) said reference signal is offset from a ground voltage of said circuit.
A method for active transistor limiting, comprising the steps of:
- (A) generating a control signal in response to a voltage level of an input signal in a microwave frequency range;
- (B) connecting said input signal to a reference signal with a first impedance through a circuit in response to said control signal in an asserted state;
- and
- (C) connecting said input signal to said reference signal with a second impedance through said circuit in response to said control signal in a deasserted state, wherein (a) said reference signal biases one or more transistors in said circuit above a pinch-off voltage to an off state while said control signal is in said deasserted state and (b) said reference signal is offset from a ground voltage of said circuit.
An apparatus comprising:
- means for generating a control signal in response to a voltage level of an input signal in a microwave frequency range;
- and
- means for connecting said input signal to a reference signal (i) with a first impedance in response to said control signal in an asserted state and (ii) with a second impedance in response to said control signal in a deasserted state, wherein (a) said reference signal biases one or more transistors in said means for connecting above a pinch-off voltage to an off state while said control signal is in said deasserted state and (b) said reference signal is offset from a ground voltage of said apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.