Abstract: A communication system is provided which draws virtually no loop current during a ringing burst and only draws on-hook loop current during the caller ID field. More particularly, ringer burst circuitry may be powered from the user powered circuitry by the transmission of power across the isolation barrier rather than being powered from the phone line. Thus, loop current need not be drawn from the TIP/RING lines during ringer bursts. The isolation barrier may be a capacitive isolation barrier which allows bidirectional communication and extraction of power from signals transmitted across the barrier.

Abstract: A technique for detecting and suppressing overload conditions in an analog-to-digital converter which uses a delta-sigma modulator. In order to prevent overloading in modulator, a detection unit is used to detect a preset amplitude level associated with an input signal and when such level is detected, the performance of the modulator is degraded in order to prevent the overload condition from occurring. The degrading is achieved by changing the coefficients of operation of the integrator(s) in the modulator.

Abstract: An isolation system is provided that is suitable for use in telephony, medical instrumentation, industrial process control and other applications. Preferred embodiments of the invention comprise a capacitive isolation barrier across which a digital signal is communicated. The system provides a means of communication across the isolation barrier that is highly immune to amplitude and phase noise interference. Clock recovery circuitry may be employed on one side of the isolation barrier to extract timing information from the digital signal communicated across the barrier, and to filter the effects of phase noise introduced at the barrier. Delta-sigma converters may be disposed on both sides of the isolation barrier to convert signals between analog and digital domains. An isolated power supply may also be provided on the isolated side of the barrier, whereby direct current is generated in response to the digital data received across the isolation barrier.

Abstract: An electronic circuit having a circuit stage, such as a switched capacitor stage or a 1-bit digital-to-analog converter and switched capacitor filter, that is loaded with a load impedance employs current feedforward to substantially cancel effects of the load impedance. A circuit includes a circuit stage and a load impedance following and connected to the circuit stage. A current feedforward circuit is connected to the load impedance, substantially cancelling the load impedance to improve linearity of the digital-to-analog converter or switched capacitor filter.

Abstract: A ratiometric converter receives an external sense signal and external reference signal and provides an output signal which is proportional to the sense signal and inversely proportional to the reference signal. Electromagnetic interference and noise coupled onto the sense and reference lines are effectively removed by converting the sense signal to a digital signal and converting the reference signal to a digital signal. The digital sense signal is then filtered through a low pass filter to provide a filtered signal, and similarly, the digital reference signal is filtered through a low pass filter to provide a filtered digital reference signal. A divider circuit then divides the filter digital sense signal by the filter digital reference signal to provide the output signal.

Abstract: A digital-to-analog converter for operating in a low power condition includes a delta-sigma modulator (10) for converting an n-bit digital input signal to an m-bit digital output signal. The output signal is filtered with a switched-capacitor filter (12) and an active RC low-pass filter (18). A low power supply detect circuit receives two power supply input voltages, the low and the high power supplies, and outputs a control signal on a line (38) indicating a low power supply condition. The digital-to-analog converter includes an output stage (26) with the analog output thereof being connected to an analog output terminal (30). A switch (28) is provided for connecting the output stage to the analog output terminal (30) in normal operating mode. In a low power mode, the low power detect circuit (20) generates a control signal on line (38) in response to the power supply voltage falling below a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A calibrated digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is provided that includes a DAC having an interpolation circuit (40) and delta-sigma converter (44). The output of the delta-sigma converter (44) is input to a one-bit DAC (48) and the output thereof filtered by an analog low pass filter section (50). During a calibration procedure, a calibrated analog-to-digital converter (ADC) (22) is utilized that is operable to receive the analog output of the DAC with a "0" value input thereto through a multiplexer (58). The output of the ADC (22) represents the inherent error in the delta-sigma converter (44) and the analog filter section (50). This is stored in a register (62). In a second step of the operation, the contents of the register (62) are input through the interpolation circuit for interpolation thereof and storage in an offset register/latch circuit (56).

Abstract: A digital-to-analog converter includes a delta-sigma modulator (10) that receives a digital input and converts it to a one-bit digital output stream. A fourth order switched-capacitor filter (12) is operable to receive the one-bit digital stream and convert it to an analog value int he sampled data domain. This is input to a switched-capacitor/continuous time buffer (14) which is then filtered by an active low pass filter (18) to provide an analog output. The switched-capacitor filter (12) includes four stages of integration (24), (30), (34) and (38). A one-bit DAC (20) is provided for converting the one-bit digital stream to an analog value. The one-bit DAC (20) is integral with the first stage of integration and is summed by a summing junction (22) with the output of the forth stage of integration (38).

Abstract: A delta-sigma modulator for a digital-to-analog converter includes a single adder (60) that has one input thereof multiplexed by multiplexer (62). Four shift registers (64), (66), (68) and (70) are connected in a serial fashion such that the data output by the adder (60) is input to the shift register (64) and the other input of adder (60) is connected to the output of register (70). In operation, the multiplexer (62) first selects the input data for input to the one input of adder (60) and selects the output of register (70) for the other input. This represents the first stage of integration wherein the accumulated value from a previous cycle is added to the present data. The output of the first stage of integration will be cycled through the registers for each overall cycle of the delta-sigma modulator. In the second stage of integration on the next clock cycle of the 4.times. clock, the multiplexer (62) selects the output of the register (68) for adding to the output of the register (70).

Abstract: A clock multiplier/jitter attenuator circuit provides a stable clock which is a multiple frequency of the average frequency of an external digital data stream. The external data is written into successive storage cells of a FIFO at its own clock rate and read out of the FIFO at the rate of an internal clock signal which is formed by frequency dividing the stable clock. The relative locations of the cell being written into and the cell being read out of are determined at periodic time intervals, and these relative locations are used to adjust the frequency of an internal oscillator which generates the stable clock. The instantaneous jitter on the digital data stream is absorbed by the FIFO.

Abstract: A calibration system for a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) includes a digital portion (10) having a interpolation section (14) for receiving the digital input and increasing the sampling frequency thereof for input to a delta-sigma modulator (16). A summing junction (24) is disposed between the interpolation circuit (14) and the delta-sigma modulator (16) to allow an offset voltage to be summed therewith. The offset value is stored in an offset register (26), which is controlled by a calibration control circuit (40). The output of the delta-sigma modulator (16) is input to an analog section (12), which is comprised of an analog filter (22) and an output amplifier (28). The output amplifier (28) is operable to sample the output of the analog filter (22) and feed this back to a gate (38). The gate (38) is activated during a calibration cycle to feed the comparator output back to the calibration control circuit (40).

Abstract: An oversampling analog-to-digital modulator includes an analog loop filter which has a first integrator stage which operates as a continuous time integrator. the second, third, and fourth integrator stages are discrete time or sampling integrators. The continuous time first integrator provides the required thermal noise characteristics of the loop filter while the discrete time integrator stages provide loop stability and transfer characteristics which are advantageous to the overall operation of the analog-to-digital modulator.

Abstract: A phase equalization system for a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) includes a digital portion (10) having an interpolation section (14) for receiving a digital input and increasing the sampling frequency thereof for input to a delta-sigma modulator (16). A summing junction (24) is disposed between the interpolation circuit (14) and the delta-sigma modudlator (16) to allow an offset voltage to be summed therewith. This provides for D.C. offset, this offset being controlled by a calibration control (40). The output of the digital section (10) is input in an analog section (12), which has a one-bit DAC 21) that is input to an analog filter (22) for converting and filtering the one-bit digital stream output by the delta-sigma modulator (16). The interpolation circuit (14) includes a three stage interpolation filter comprising a first stage (50), a second stage (52) and a third stage (54). The second stage (52) is comprised of a finite impulse response filter (FIR) that has a nonlinear phase response.

Abstract: Method of operation of an A/D converter having an oversampling front end quantizer coupled to a digital decimation filter. The method includes setting an effective feedback reference voltage to a value that is a predetermined factor greater than a specified maximum analog input voltage; and increasing the gain of the digital decimation filter by an amount substantially equal to the predetermined factor. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an A/D converter includes a delta-sigma modulator wherein the full-scale analog input voltage is set below a maximum effective feedback reference voltage by a predetermined factor; and, the impulse-response coefficients of a digital decimation filter coupled to the output of the delta-sigma modulator are selected to provide full-scale digital output when a full-scale analog input voltage is applied to the analog voltage input.

Abstract: A clock multiplier/jitter attenuator circuit provides a stable clock which is a multiple frequency of the average frequency of an external digital data stream. The external data is written into successive storage cells of a FIFO at its own clock rate and read out of the FIFO at the rate of an internal clock signal which is formed by frequency dividing the stable clock. The relative locations of the cell being written into and the cell being read out of are determined at periodic time intervals, and these relative locations are used to adjust the frequency of an internal oscillator which generates the stable clock. The instantaneous jitter on the digital data stream is absorbed by the FIFO.

Abstract: Method for reducing deleterious effects of electrical noise in an analog-to-digital converter wherein both the analog and digital circuitry of the A/D converter are embodied in the same integrated circuit. The method includes sampling an analog input voltage with a first clock signal, generating a second clock signal that is delayed with respect to the first clock signal, and using the second clock signal as a clock for the digital circuitry. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the method for reducing effects of noise in an A/D converter wherein such noise is generated by a digital decimation filter includes synchronously pipelining the arithmetic operations of the digital decimation filter.

Abstract: A CMOS precision current source which is insensitive to changes in both ambient temperature and processing conditions. In particular, a CMOS circuit exhibits both a temperature dependent voltage (V(T)) and a temperature dependent on-chip resistance (R(T)) where the dependencies of both voltage and resistance are linear functions of temperature of the form y=mx+b. The ratio of the slopes (m.sub.V /m.sub.R) is constructed to be equal to the ratio of the y-intercepts (b.sub.v /b.sub.R), where this ratio is a constant value, denoted s. Therefore, since a constant output current I.sub.o is equal to V(T)/R(T), I.sub.o will be equal to the constant value s. Additionally, a constant reference voltage (V.sub.o) may also be provided with a minimal increase in the circuitry needed to provide the constant current.

Abstract: A CMOS bandgap voltage reference which is temperature stable is disclosed. The large temperature-dependent p-tub resistors of prior art arrangements are replaced with relatively small, temperature stable p+ diffusion resistors. The increase in current level needed to compensate for the decrease in resistor value is provided by a simple cascode MOS circuit located between the ratioing resistors and the VSS potential.

Abstract: A CMOS cascode current mirror exhibits an input side voltage swing equal to V.sub.T +2V.sub.ON and provides virtually no mismatch between the input and output currents. A negative feedback loop (52) comprising a plurality of MOS transistors is utilized to provide the voltages necessary for good current matching (V.sub.T +2V.sub.ON, V.sub.T +V.sub.ON) and to maintain the transistors of the input circuit branch in their saturation region of operation. By maintaining the input transistors in saturation, the output current will track the input current, regardless of increases in ambient temperature or the value of threshold voltage V.sub.T.

Abstract: An MOS current mirror is disclosed which comprises only two circuit branches and requires only a single reference current. The input circuit branch includes at least four MOS transistors (40, 42, 44, 46) connected in series and the output circuit branch includes at least two MOS transistors (48, 50) interconnected with selected transistors of the input circuit branch. Mirroring of the input current (I.sub.REF) is accomplished by providing a transistor (46, 50) in each circuit branch with identical operating characteristics (V.sub.DS, V.sub.GS). High output impedance is achieved in accordance with the present invention by adjusting the channel constant (Z/L) of another transistor (42) in the input circuit branch to be one-third the value of the channel constant associated with each of the remaining transistors.