Granted Patent B2

US 7,915,928 · App. 12/115,015 · Granted Mar 29, 2011

Abstract

Claims (27)

1. A circuit for performing voltage to current conversion, said circuit comprising:

a first and second set of devices, wherein the first set of devices sense an input voltage signal and replicate said input voltage signal across said second set of devices to generate a linear voltage, and wherein the second set of devices comprise at least two resistors and a bias current split between said resistors, and wherein said resistors are connected in series and convert said input voltage signal to an output current signal;

a third set of devices that transfer said output current signal to output terminals;

a negative feedback loop comprising: said first set of devices; said second set of devices; and an amplifier positioned between a first one of said first set of devices and a first one of said third set of devices; and

a common mode feedback loop that regulates an output common mode voltage from said output terminals to a reference voltage to control said output terminals and make said output common mode voltage equal to said reference voltage.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein said first set of devices replicate said input voltage signal with high linearity across said second set of devices, and wherein said first set of devices comprise p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) and n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) devices that provide capacitive input impedance.

3. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising an input comprising p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) devices operatively connected to said first set of devices.

4. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising an input comprising n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) devices operatively connected to said first set of devices.

5. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein said common mode feedback loop is operatively connected to said output terminals, and wherein said common mode feedback loop compares an average voltage of said output terminals to said reference voltage, and equalizes said output common mode voltage to said reference voltage.

6. A system for performing voltage to current conversion, said system comprising:

a set of input devices comprising a first set of devices and a second set of devices, wherein said first set of devices receive an input voltage signal, sense said input voltage signal, and replicate said input voltage across said second set of devices to generate a linear voltage, and wherein said second set of devices comprise a plurality of resistors and a bias current split between said plurality of resistors, and wherein said plurality of resistors are connected in series and convert the replicated input voltage signal to an output current signal;

at least two output devices that output the current signal from the system;

a negative feedback loop comprising: said first set of devices; said second set of devices; and an inverted amplifier positioned between a first one of said first set of devices and a first one of said at least two output devices; and

a common mode feedback loop that regulates an output common mode voltage from the output devices to a reference voltage to control said output devices and make said output common mode voltage equal to said reference voltage.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said set of input devices comprise p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) devices.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein said set of input devices comprise n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) devices.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein said common mode feedback loop is operatively connected to said output terminals, and wherein said common mode feedback loop compares an average voltage of said output terminals to said reference voltage, and equalizes said output common mode voltage to said reference voltage.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein a device saturation voltage of said set of input devices is maintained constant by current sources of said set of input devices.

11. A method of performing voltage to current conversion, said method comprising:

receiving an input voltage signal from an electrical circuit;

sensing said input voltage signal using a first set of devices, wherein said first set of devices comprise at least a first bias current and a second bias current;

placing a replication of said input voltage signal across a second set of devices to generate a linear voltage, wherein said second set of devices comprise at least a pair of resistors and a bias current split between said pair of resistors;

converting said input voltage signal to an output current signal using said pair of resistors, wherein said pair of resistors are connected in series;

carrying said output current signal to output terminals of said electrical circuit using a third set of devices, wherein said output current signal is independent of a difference between said first bias current and said second bias current; carry said output current signal through a negative feedback loop comprising: said first set of devices; said second set of devices; and an amplifier positioned between a first one of said first set of devices and a first one of said third set of devices; and

controlling a level of voltage through said electrical circuit using a common mode feedback loop that regulates an output common mode voltage from said output terminals to a reference voltage to control said output terminals and make said output common mode voltage equal to said reference voltage.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising maintaining a constant device saturation voltage in said electrical circuit.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising using metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices to receive said input voltage signal.

Assignments (11)