Abstract: A differential pair arrangement is disclosed which includes between the poles of a DC supply source the series connection of two parallel first branches and a common second branch. Each first branch includes the series connection of a first impedance Q2, Q3, RL/ Q2', Q3', RL', a main path of a transistor Q1/ Q1'and a second impedance RE/RE', the control electrodes of transistors Q1/ Q1' constituting respective input terminals IN1/ IN2 of the arrangement. The second branch includes a first current source (CCS). The arrangement further includes two third branches between the DC supply source poles, each consisting of the series connection of a second current source ICS/ICS', a respective transistor main path and a resistive impedance means R11, S11, R12, S12/ R11', S11', R12', S12'.

Abstract: Based on the insight that the damping of a tunable filter is both related to its quality factor as to its passband gain, an inventive tuning system is proposed which tunes the quality factor of such a filter to a desired quality factor value by tuning the passband gain of the filter to a desired gain value. Such a tuning system is particularly useful in the field of OTA-C filters and consists of first (P1) and second (P2) tuning paths including such a tunable filter (BIQUAD) and fixed gain amplifiers (B-OTA1, B-OTA2). The gain of the latter amplifiers corresponds to the desired gain values. The tuning system further includes matching means (MM) for equalizing the gains in both tuning paths (P1, P2) by generating a quality factor tuning signal (VTQ) which is applied both to the tunable filter (BIQUAD) and to a replica thereof used as master filter in a data processing path. This matching means (MM) includes current rectifiers (C-REC1, C-REC2) implemented so as to use little hardware.

Abstract: Based on the insight that the voltage-to-current ratio or gain of a capacitor (Z) at a particular reference frequency is the product of its capacitance value with said reference frequency, a tuning system is disclosed which tunes the center frequency of an analog bandpass filter by tuning the characteristic integrator frequency (fc) of an OTA-C integrator by making the transconductance of the operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) thereof equal to the aforementioned gain at that characteristic frequency. Therefore, the tuning system includes a first tuning path in which the OTA, (or a replica thereof) is included and a second tuning path including another amplifier (B-OTA) "degenerated" by the capacitor (Z) so as to produce the required gain. The gains of both these tuning paths are then equalized by matching means (MM) generating a frequency tuning signal (VTF) which is applied to both OTA and OTA-C.

Abstract: An arrangement includes a differential amplifier pair configured as first and second amplifier branches with first and second input terminals respectively. The first and second amplifier branches are connected at a junction point to a common branch which includes a current source. A control circuit regulates the current of the current source to linearize an input/output characteristic of the amplifier differential pair. The control circuit includes a negative feedback circuit having a comparator, a first input of the comparator being connected to a reference voltage terminal to which an external reference voltage is applied, a second input of the comparator being connected to the amplifier branch junction point and an output of the comparator connected for controlling the current source.