Circuit and method for stimulation of a telephone apparatus

1. An electric device ( 201 , 301 ) for connecting an analogue data transfer device ( 202 ) by means of a control unit ( 203 ) to a digital transfer system, comprising means for connecting to a data transfer device with a twin cable ( 204 ), characterized in that it comprises

a current amplifier arrangement ( 214 , 314 , 340 ) for looping a certain current fed into the twin cable from its other end,

a first current switching device ( 219 ) for switching a first control current to the current amplifier arrangement, and

a second current switching device ( 220 ) for switching a second control current to the current amplifier arrangement,

wherein an impedance of a flowing path of the first control current in said first current switching device and an impedance of a flowing path of the second control current in said second current switching device make an electrical potential of said current amplifier arrangement to float in respect of a supply voltage of the electric device.

2. A device according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a first supply voltage connection ( 226 ) for providing a voltage level which is higher than any voltage level occurring in the twin cable ( 204 ), and a second supply voltage connection ( 227 ) for providing a voltage level which is lower than any voltage level occurring in the twin cable ( 204 ), whereby said first current switching device ( 219 ) is coupled to the first supply voltage connection and said second current switching device ( 220 ) is coupled to the second supply voltage connection.

3. A device according to claim 2 , characterized in that said first current switching device is a double current mirror ( 219 ) with a first output ( 222 ) and a second output ( 223 ), and said second current switching device is a second current mirror ( 220 ) with a control input ( 225 ) and an input for the controlled current ( 224 ), whereby

the first output ( 222 ) of the double current mirror is coupled to the current amplifier arrangement, and the second output ( 223 ) is coupled to the control input ( 225 ) of the second current mirror, and

the input for the controlled current ( 224 ) of the second current mirror is coupled to the current amplifier arrangement.

4. A device according to claim 3 , characterized in that said double current mirror ( 219 ) comprises a control input ( 221 ), whereby said device comprises means ( 206 , 210 , 211 , 231 , 351 ) for forming the signal to be led to the control input of the double current mirror as a sum of the signal corresponding to the measured voltage of the twin cable and the alternating voltage signal given by the control unit.

5. A device according to claim 4 , characterized in that said means for forming the signal to be led to the control input of the double current mirror comprise an isolation amplifier ( 210 , 351 ) coupled to the twin cable and a current generator ( 231 ) coupled to the output of said isolation amplifier via a low pass filter ( 211 ), and means for summing the alternating current signal ( 206 ) given by the control unit to the signal received from the output of said low pass filter.

6. A device according to claim 4 , characterized in that said double current mirror also comprises an input of the enable/disable type for controlling the double current mirror by means of selection pulses ( 207 ) given by the control unit.

7. A device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said current amplifier arrangement comprises a first current amplifier ( 314 ) and a second current amplifier ( 340 ) connected in parallel to the twin cable, which constitute a complementary pair.

8. A device according to claim 7 , characterized in that

it comprises a first supply voltage connection ( 226 ) for providing a voltage level which is higher than any voltage level occurring in the twin cable, and a second supply voltage connection ( 227 ) for providing a voltage level which is lower than any voltage level occurring in the twin cable, whereby said first current switching device ( 219 ) is coupled to the first supply voltage connection and said second current switching device ( 220 ) is coupled to the second supply voltage connection, and

said first current switching device is a double current mirror ( 219 ) with a first output ( 222 ) and a second output ( 223 ), and said second current switching device is a second current mirror ( 220 ) with a control input ( 225 ) and an input for the controlled current ( 224 ),

whereby the first output ( 222 ) of the double current mirror ( 222 ) is coupled to the first current amplifier ( 314 ), and the second output ( 223 ) is coupled to the control input ( 225 ) of the second current mirror, and the input for the controlled current ( 224 ) of the second current mirror is coupled to the second current amplifier ( 340 ).

9. A method for simulating an analogue telephone apparatus in a twin cable connected to a data transfer device, characterized in that

the loop current fed into the twin cable from its other end is amplified by means of a current amplifier arrangement, and

said current amplifier arrangement is controlled by means of a first current switching device and a second current switching device and an electrical potential of said current amplifier arrangement is made to float in respect of a supply voltage by a control current in the first current switching device through an impedance of a current path in said first current switching device and by a control current in the second current switching device through an impedance of a current path in said second current switching device.

10. A method according to claim 9 , characterized in that the control of a current amplifier arrangement by the first current switching device and the second current switching device is used

for transmitting audio frequency signals between a telephone exchange and a digital transfer system,

for switching a loop current in a twin cable,

for transmitting selection pulses from a digital transfer system to a telephone exchange and

for electrical isolation between components connected to the twin cable and components connected to the digital transfer system.

11. An electric device ( 201 , 301 ) for connecting an analogue data transfer device ( 202 ) by means of a control unit ( 203 ) to a digital transfer system, comprising means for connecting to a data transfer device with a twin cable ( 204 ), characterized in that it comprises

a current amplifier arrangement ( 214 , 314 , 340 ) for looping a certain current fed into the twin cable from its other end,

a first current switching device ( 219 ) for switching a first control current to the current amplifier arrangement, and

a second current switching device ( 220 ) for switching a second control current to the current amplifier arrangement, and

a first supply voltage connection ( 226 ) for providing a voltage level which is higher than any voltage level occurring in the twin cable ( 204 ), and a second supply voltage connection ( 227 ) for providing a voltage level which is lower than any voltage level occurring in the twin cable ( 204 ), whereby said first current switching device ( 219 ) is coupled to the first supply voltage connection and said second current switching device ( 220 ) is coupled to the second supply voltage connection.

12. A device according to claim 11 , characterized in that said first current switching device is a double current mirror ( 219 ) with a first output ( 222 ) and a second output ( 223 ), and said second current switching device is a second current mirror ( 220 ) with a control input ( 225 ) and an input for the controlled current ( 224 ), whereby

the first output ( 222 ) of the double current mirror is coupled to the current amplifier arrangement, and the second output ( 223 ) is coupled to the control input ( 225 ) of the second current mirror, and

the input for the controlled current ( 224 ) of the second current mirror is coupled to the current amplifier arrangement.

13. A device according to claim 12 , characterized in that said double current mirror ( 219 ) comprises a control input ( 221 ), whereby said device comprises means ( 206 , 210 , 211 , 231 , 351 ) for forming the signal to be led to the control input of the double current mirror as a sum of the signal corresponding to the measured voltage of the twin cable and the alternating voltage signal given by the control unit.

14. A device according to claim 13 , characterized in that said means for forming the signal to be led to the control input of the double current mirror comprise an isolation amplifier ( 210 , 351 ) coupled to the twin cable and a current generator ( 231 ) coupled to the output of said isolation amplifier via a low pass filter ( 211 ), and means for summing the alternating current signal ( 206 ) given by the control unit to the signal received from the output of said low pass filter.

15. A device according to claim 13 , characterized in that said double current mirror also comprises an input of the enable/disable type for controlling the double current mirror by means of selection pulses ( 207 ) given by the control unit.

16. A device according to claim 11 , characterized in that said current amplifier arrangement comprises a first current amplifier ( 314 ) and a second current amplifier ( 340 ) connected in parallel to the twin cable, which constitute a complementary pair.

17. A device according to claim 16 , characterized in that said first current switching device is a double current mirror ( 219 ) with a first output ( 222 ) and a second output ( 223 ), and said second current switching device is a second current mirror ( 220 ) with a control input ( 225 ) and an input for the controlled current ( 224 ),

whereby the first output ( 222 ) of the double current mirror ( 222 ) is coupled to the first current amplifier ( 314 ), and the second output ( 223 ) is coupled to the control input ( 225 ) of the second current mirror, and the input for the controlled current ( 224 ) of the second current mirror is coupled to the second current amplifier ( 340 ).