IP Library Granted Patent US 8,410,846
Granted Patent B2
US 8,410,846 · App. 13/126,222 · Granted Apr 2, 2013

Variable gain amplifier

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,410,846
App. No.
13/126,222
Granted
Apr 2, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A variable gain amplifier includes an integrator having an input, an output and a feedback loop connected between the input and output, a plurality of input chains connected in parallel between the amplifier input and the input of the integrator, each input chain including a resistor and a first switch and a plurality of second switches, each second switch connected between an intermediate node between the resistor and first switch of a respective input chain and the feedback loop of the integrator, wherein the resistance of the resistors in the input chains is scaled by a scaling factor with respect to one another and the on-resistances of the first and second switches connected to each intermediate node are scaled by the corresponding scaling factor.

Claims (12)

1. A variable gain amplifier comprising:

an input voltage node;

an integrator having an input, an output and a feedback loop; and

a plurality of input chains connected in parallel between the input voltage node and the input of the integrator, each input chain including a resistor and a first switch connected in series; characterised in that:

the resistor of each input chain is connected to the input voltage node; and

the integrator feedback loop includes a plurality of second switches connected in parallel, each second switch connected to an intermediate node between the resistor and first switch of a respective input chain and coupled to the output of the integrator, wherein the resistance of the resistors in the input chains is scaled by a scaling factor with respect to one another and the on-resistances of the first and second switches connected to each intermediate node are scaled by the corresponding scaling factor.

2. The variable gain amplifier of claim 1 , wherein said switches comprise transistors.

3. The variable gain amplifier of claim 2 , wherein the on-resistances of said transistors are scaled by scaling one or both of the width and length of the transistors.

4. The variable gain amplifier of claim 1 , wherein the on-resistance of a first switch in an output chain is not equal to the on-resistance of the corresponding second switch connected to the input chain.

5. The variable gain amplifier of claim 1 , wherein the scaling factor applied to the resistor and first and second switches of a first input chain with respect to a further input chain is not equal to the scaling factor applied to the resistor and first and second switch of a second input chain with respect to the further input chain.

6. The variable gain amplifier of claim 1 , wherein the integrator comprises an operational amplifier.

7. An analogue-to-digital converter including a variable gain amplifier according to claim 1 .

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 22, 2015
From: CAMBRIDGE SILICON RADIO LIMITED
To: QUALCOMM TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 036663/0211 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2011
From: ZARE-HOSEINI, HASHEM
To: CAMBRIDGE SILICON RADIO LIMITED
Reel/Frame 026579/0777 →