High linearity low noise variable gain amplifier with continuous gain control

1. A variable gain amplifier, comprising:

a plurality of serially connected transistor cells, wherein

each of the transistor cells has a plurality of connecting terminals,

first terminals of the transistor cells are serially coupled together to receive a first input voltage,

second terminals of the transistor cells are serially connected, via a first set of resistors between adjacent cells, and coupled to a first gain control, each of the second terminals being coupled to an AC ground or a virtual ground,

third terminals of the transistor cells are coupled together and to a positive current output node, and

fourth terminals of the transistor cells are coupled together and to a negative current output node.

2. The variable gain amplifier of claim 1 , wherein the first gain control is coupled to one end of the serially connected second terminals.

3. The variable gain amplifier of claim 1 , wherein each of the transistor cells comprises a transistor pair.

4. The variable gain amplifier of claim 3 , wherein

the transistor pair includes first and second transistors having their emitters coupled together and to a current source;

the base of the first transistor corresponds to the first terminal of the transistor cell;

the collector of the first transistor corresponds to the third terminal of the transistor cell,

the base of the second transistor corresponds to the second terminal of the transistor cell; and

the collector of the second transistor corresponds to the fourth terminal of the transistor cell.

5. The variable gain amplifier of claim 4 , wherein the current source provides a tail current of a prescribed amount.

6. The variable gain amplifier of claim 4 , wherein the transistor cell further comprises a capacitor coupled to the base of the second transistor and ground to provide the AC ground or the virtual ground to the base of the second transistor.

7. The variable gain amplifier of claim 1 , wherein each of the transistor cells comprises first and second transistor pairs.

8. The variable gain amplifier of claim 7 , wherein

the first transistor pair includes first and second transistors having their emitters coupled together and to a first current source;

the base of the first transistor corresponds to the first terminal of the transistor cell;

the collector of the first transistor corresponds to the third terminal of the transistor cell;

the base of the second transistor corresponds to the second terminal of the transistor cell; and

the collector of the second transistor corresponds to the fourth terminal of the transistor cell.

9. The variable gain amplifier of claim 8 , wherein

the second transistor pair includes third and fourth transistors having their emitters coupled together and to a second current source;

the base of the third transistor is connected to a second input voltage;

the collector of the third transistor is connected to the collector of the second transistor;

the base of the fourth transistor is connected to the base of the second transistor; and

the collector of the fourth transistor is connected to the collector of the first transistor.

10. The variable gain amplifier of claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second current sources provides a tail current of a prescribed amount.

11. The variable gain amplifier of claim 9 , wherein the first and second current sources provide currents of a same prescribed amount.

12. The variable gain amplifier of claim 1 , further comprising a dynamic base current compensation unit having terminals coupled with corresponding second terminals and capable of providing a compensation current to each of the transistor cells via corresponding second terminal coupled therewith.

13. The variable gain amplifier of claim 12 , wherein the dynamic base current compensation unit comprises:

a plurality of emitter-coupled transistor pairs, each of the pairs corresponding to one of the transistor cells;

a plurality of current sources, each corresponding to one of the emitter-coupled transistor pairs and coupled to the coupled emitters of the pair; and

a second set of resistors corresponding to the first set of resistors and having substantially the same resistance, respectively, as that of a corresponding resistor in the first set of resistors, wherein

the bases of first transistors of the emitter-coupled transistor pairs are serially connected via the second set of resistors between adjacent first transistors,

the serially connected bases of the first transistors is coupled, at one end, to a second gain control that has the same setting as the first gain control and, at the other end, to a reference voltage,

the collectors of the first transistors of the emitter-coupled transistor pairs are serially coupled,

the bases of second transistors of the emitter-coupled transistor pairs are serially coupled to an AC ground or a virtual ground, and

the collectors of second transistors of the emitter-coupled transistor pairs are respectively coupled to corresponding second terminals of the transistor cells.

14. The variable gain amplifier of claim 13 , wherein each of the current sources provides a tail current in an amount that is twice Iptat/beta, where Iptat is a tail current provided by an individual current source in each of the transistor cells and beta characterizes transistors in the transistor cells.

15. The variable gain amplifier of claim 12 , wherein the dynamic base current compensation unit comprises:

a plurality of cross-coupled transistor pairs, each of the pairs corresponding to one of the transistor cells;

a plurality of current sources, each of which corresponding to one of the cross-coupled transistor pairs and connecting to coupled emitters of the corresponding cross-coupled transistor pair, wherein

collectors of first transistors of the cross-coupled transistor pairs are serially connected to receive a voltage reference, and

collectors of second transistors of the cross-coupled transistor pairs are coupled to the second terminals of corresponding transistor cells, respectively.

16. The variable gain amplifier of claim 15 , wherein each of the current sources provides a tail current in an amount that is twice Iptat/beta, where Iptat is a tail current provided by an individual current source in each of the transistor cells and beta characterizes transistors in the transistor cells.

17. The variable gain amplifier of claim 1 , wherein the first gain control provides a temperature compensated gain control current.

18. A variable gain amplifier, comprising:

a plurality of serially connected transistor cells; and

a dynamic base current compensation unit having a plurality of components, each of which corresponds to a respective one of the transistor cells, wherein

the serially connected transistor cells receive a first input voltage,

the transistor cells are coupled to a first gain control, a positive current output node, and a negative current output node, and

each of the transistor cells is coupled to a corresponding component in the dynamic base current compensation unit to receive a dynamically compensated base current.

19. The variable gain amplifier of claim 18 , wherein

each of the transistor cells has a plurality of connecting terminals,

first terminals of the transistor cells are serially coupled together to receive the first input voltage,

second terminals of the transistor cells are serially connected, via a first set of resistors between adjacent cells, and coupled to the first gain control, each of the second terminals being coupled to an AC ground or a virtual ground,

third terminals of the transistor cells are coupled together and to the positive current output node, and

fourth terminals of the transistor cells are coupled together and to the negative current output node.

20. The variable gain amplifier of claim 18 , wherein each of the transistor cells comprises a transistor pair.

21. The variable gain amplifier of claim 19 , wherein

the transistor pair includes first and second transistors having their emitters coupled together and to a current source;

the base of the first transistor corresponds to the first terminal of the transistor cell;

the collector of the first transistor corresponds to the third terminal of the transistor cell;

the base of the second transistor corresponds to the second terminal of the transistor cell; and

the collector of the second transistor corresponds to the fourth terminal of the transistor cell.

22. The variable gain amplifier of claim 18 , wherein each of the transistor cells comprises a first transistor pair and a second transistor pair.

23. The variable gain amplifier of claim 22 , wherein

the first transistor pair includes first and second transistors having their emitters coupled together and to a first current source, wherein

the base of the first transistor corresponds to the first terminal of the transistor cell;

the collector of the first transistor corresponds to the third terminal of the transistor cell;

the base of the second transistor corresponds to the second terminal of the transistor cell, and

the collector of the second transistor corresponds to the fourth terminal of the transistor cell; and

the second transistor pair includes third and fourth transistors having their emitters coupled together and to a second current source, wherein

the base of the third transistor is connected to a second input voltage,

the collector of the third transistor is connected to the collector of the second transistor,

the base of the fourth transistor is connected to the base of the second transistor, and

the collector of the fourth transistor is connected to the collector of the first transistor.

24. The variable gain amplifier of claim 19 , wherein the dynamic base current compensation unit comprises:

a plurality of emitter-coupled transistor pairs, each of the pairs corresponding to one of the transistor cells;

a plurality of current sources, each corresponding to one of the emitter-coupled transistor pairs and coupled to the coupled emitters of the pair; and

a second set of resistors corresponding to the first set of resistors and having substantially the same resistance, respectively, as that of a corresponding resistor in the first set of resistors, wherein

the bases of first transistors of the emitter-coupled transistor pairs are serially connected via the second set of resistors between adjacent first transistors,

the serially connected bases of the first transistors is coupled, at one end, to a second gain control that has the same setting as the first gain control and, at the other end, to a reference voltage,

the collectors of the first transistors of the emitter-coupled transistor pairs are serially coupled,

the bases of second transistors of the emitter-coupled transistor pairs are serially coupled to an AC ground or a virtual ground, and

the collectors of second transistors of the emitter-coupled transistor pairs are respectively coupled to corresponding second terminals of the transistor cells.

25. The variable gain amplifier of claim 24 , wherein each the current sources provides a tail current in an amount that is twice Iptat/beta, where Iptat is a tail current provided by an individual current source in each of the transistor cells and beta characterizes transistors in the transistor cells.

26. The variable gain amplifier of claim 19 , wherein the dynamic base current compensation unit comprises:

a plurality of cross-coupled transistor pairs, each of the pairs corresponding to one of the transistor cells;

a plurality of current sources, each of which corresponding to one of the cross-coupled transistor pairs and connecting to coupled emitters of the corresponding cross-coupled transistor pair, wherein

collectors of first transistors of the cross-coupled transistor pairs are serially connected to receive a voltage reference, and

collectors of second transistors of the cross-coupled transistor pairs are coupled to the second terminals of corresponding transistor cells, respectively.

27. The variable gain amplifier of claim 26 , wherein each of the current sources provides a tail current in an amount that is twice Iptat/beta, where Iptat is a tail current provided by an individual current source in each of the transistor cells and beta characterizes transistors in the transistor cells.

28. The variable gain amplifier of claim 18 , wherein the first gain control provides a temperature compensated gain control current.