Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate (i) a first intermediate signal in response to a first differential signal and (ii) a second intermediate signal in response to a second differential signal. The second circuit may be configured (i) to generate one or more output signals in response to a relative arrival time of the first and second intermediate signals and (ii) to clamp a later arriving one of the first and second intermediate signals to a predefined voltage level.

Abstract: A differential comparator having offset correction and common mode control for providing stable op amp output that changes only due to the original inputs coming into the comparator. The difference comparator has increased common-mode difference tolerance, and large op-amp offset tolerance, as well as fast decision time.

Abstract: Disclosed is a feedback-type amplifier circuit including feedback-type charging means, which operates as a voltage follower, having a differential stage which receives an input-terminal voltage and an output-terminal voltage differentially as inputs and charging means for performing a charging operation at the output terminal based upon an output from the differential stage; and follower-type discharging means for performing a discharging operation at the output terminal by follower operation of an active element in accordance with a voltage difference between the input-terminal voltage and the output-terminal voltage.

Abstract: A signal voltage detection circuit is provided to include a differential amplifier a differential amplifier having first and second driver transistors to which a reference voltage and a signal voltage to be detected are input respectively, a current mirror circuit configured to generate an output current corresponding to a detection output of the differential amplifier, a current-to-voltage conversion circuit configured to convert a change in the output current of the current mirror circuit into a voltage and for outputting the voltage converted, a latch circuit to which an output of the current-to-voltage conversion circuit is transferred and in which the output is held, and a capacitive load element connected to an input node of the current-to-voltage conversion circuit.

Abstract: An offset compensated comparator 70 has capacitors 80 and 81 coupled directly between the inputs of a preamplifier 78 and the outputs of a previous stage amplifier 62. The comparator 70 also includes additional capacitors 82 and 83 coupled between the inputs of the preamplifier 78 and reference voltage nodes VREFP and VREFM. Switches 73 and 74 are coupled between the additional capacitors 82 and 83 and the reference voltage nodes VREFP and VREFM. An additional switch 72 is coupled between the additional capacitors 82 and 83. In this configuration, there are no series sampling switches between the previous stage amplifier 62 and the comparator 70. Eliminating the series switches reduces the load seen by the previous stage amplifier 62, which allows the previous stage amplifier 62 to have a faster settling time. This allows the current in the previous stage amplifier 62 to be decreased which reduces the power consumption.

Abstract: A hardening circuit is provided for an integrated circuit which includes a data state reinforcing feedback path having a data node Q and a data complement node QN. A first hardening transistor is coupled between a rail and the data node Q, and a second hardening transistor coupled between the rail and the data complement node QN. The first and second hardening transistors provide additional drive to the data node Q and the data complement node QN. Gate controls operate the first and second hardening transistors and provide full rail drive to SEU sensitive nodes.

Abstract: A data comparator that operates on an input voltage signal and a reference voltage signal is disclosed. Internally, the comparator includes replicated circuitry to produce differential gain. Each set of replicated circuitry includes two gain stages for high amplification, high sampling rate, and for reducing kickback noise at the input voltage signal and the reference voltage signal. The comparator may further include self-biased CMOS inverters for cancellation of input offset error and a rail-to-rail regenerative output latch. The circuit can also include a comparator bias circuit that can improve the speed of the auto-zero operation.

Abstract: A voltage detection device (10, 30) utilizes grounded gate J-FET transistors (16,17,18) to detect desired input voltage values. The grounded gate J-FET transistors (16,17,18) function in different modes as the input voltage varies to facilitate detecting the desired input voltage values.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for supporting a voltage in an output driver circuit and smoothing the response of the voltage to switching operations in the output driver circuit. A capacitive element, such as a capacitor or transistor, is coupled to the gate of a drive transistor in an output driver leg circuit of an output driver and to a switched signal voltage. By coupling the capacitive element to a signal voltage other than ground, a smaller capacitive element is required than that required for coupling the capacitive element to ground. An embodiment of the invention further includes a plurality of capacitive elements configured such that the voltage support is applied to the gate of the drive transistor in phases rather than all at once to smooth voltage response to drive transistor switching. Transistors having relatively longer effective channel lengths may be used as the capacitive elements to allow for additional phasing-in of the voltage support due to signal delay through the longer channels.

Abstract: In a level shift circuit for converting a level signal of several volts into a signal of a high level and transmitting the high-level signal, as a voltage reduction unit for reducing an overvoltage applied across the gate and the source of a high-withstand-voltage element used in a signal level conversion unit, a zener diode is connected between the gate and the source such that the anode of the zener diode is on the source side, so that an overcurrent is prevented from flowing in the high-withstand-voltage element.

Abstract: A floating-gate MOS differential pair amplifier has a regulating feedback voltage whose swing is folded up into the same range over which the input and output voltages swing. In one embodiment, output currents are mirror copies of differential pair currents whose sum is regulated. In a further embodiment, feedback that regulates the sum of the currents is provided to an extra control gate connected to the floating gates. The control gate comprises a capacitive voltage divider in one embodiment that is coupled to gates in the differential pair and in the current mirror.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a voltage level shifter with smaller size and less latch-up probability is described, in which extra two N-MOS transistors and two P-MOS transistors are added. The extra transistors help node voltages increase or decrease appropriately, and then the size of driving transistors can be small. As a result, the total size of the layout can be smaller. In addition, the voltage increasing or decreasing done by the extra transistors reduce a voltage bouncing which call cause latch-up.

Abstract: In a level shifter for shifting from one voltage to another one, a circuit to eliminate current drain when the low voltage supply is off, includes circuitry for eliminating floating nodes and for providing a distinct output voltage. The circuit includes circuitry for monitoring the low voltage supply and switch in the level shifter when the supply is on. When the supply is off, the input is isolated from the output and an output signal derived from the high voltage supply is provided to the output.

Abstract: A circuit for measuring the power supplied by a voltage source supplying a sine-shaped voltage by averaging the multiplication of the instantaneous value of the current supplied by the voltage source and a square-wave that is synchronized with the sine-shaped voltage, and by multiplying the result by the actual value of the voltage.

Abstract: Verniers are provided that substantially eliminate DC offset signals as they convert a differential input signal Sin to a differential output signal Sout with a conversion gain that corresponds to a digital command signal. The verniers are especially suited for use with multiplying digital-to-analog converters (MDACs) in communication systems. An exemplary use is forming line drivers to drive load impedances (e.g., coaxial cables).

Abstract: A voltage follower includes a follower stage including first and second bipolar junction transistors connected in cascade, and a first current generator connected to the follower stage for biasing the first and second bipolar junction transistors. A cascode stage is connected between the first current generator and the first bipolar junction transistor, and a second current generator is connected between the first bipolar junction transistor and a first voltage reference. The voltage follower dissipates less power when the output current is small.

Abstract: A high-frequency integrated transistor module includes a bipolar transistor having at least one emitter finger, which is internally connected in series with a resistor to provide a DC current path for the circuit, and is internally connected in series with a capacitor to provide an RF current path for the module separate from the DC current path. The capacitor may be coupled to an RF ground connection, and the value of the capacitor may be selected to resonate with the value of the RF ground connection inductance in order to provide gain enhancement at a selected operating frequency range. In order to provide gain enhancement over a broader frequency bandwidth, two or more emitter fingers can be connected in series with respective capacitors of different values in order to provide at least two RF current paths having different resonant frequencies.

Abstract: Data input receivers reproduce data signals, and methods detect data signals in data input receivers. The invention receives an input data signal and two reference signals, which may be complementary. A first voltage difference between the input data signal and the first reference signal is amplified, and a second voltage difference between the input data signal and the second reference signal is amplified. The amplified first voltage difference and the amplified second voltage difference are received on the same pair of output terminals, which are then compared to generate the reproduced data signal.

Abstract: In a feedback system such as a PLL, the integrating function associated with a loop filter capacitor is instead implemented digitally and is easily implemented on the same integrated circuit die as the PLL. There is no need for either an external loop filter capacitor nor for a large loop filter capacitor to be integrated on the same integrated circuit die as the PLL. In a preferred embodiment, an analog phase detector is utilized whose phase error output signal is delta-sigma modulated to encode the magnitude of the phase error using a digital (i.e., discrete-time and discrete-value) signal. This digital phase error signal is “integrated” by a digital integration block including, for example, a digital accumulator, whose output is then converted to an analog signal, optionally combined with a loop feed-forward signal, and then conveyed as a control voltage to the voltage-controlled oscillator.

Abstract: An improved programmable transconductor can be efficiently implemented utilizing a programmable resistor circuit that allows for only a selected portion of the resistor circuit (associated with a desired transconductor gain) to be coupled between summing nodes of the transconductor. Additional switching circuits can be used to reduce gain errors associated with the switches used to implement the aforementioned solution. Additionally, the improved programmable transconductor can be integrated into fully differential programmable analog integrated circuits, thereby enhancing the performance of such integrated circuits.