Multistage amplification and high dynamic range rectification circuit
View Patent ↗A circuit exhibiting rectification and amplification characteristics. In particular, a full-wave rectifier, wherein the rectifier has the ability to simultaneously amplify and rectify an input voltage. The circuit comprises transconductor circuit, rectifying circuit and amplifying circuit. The transconductor circuit is adapted for receiving an input voltage from at least one voltage source. The input voltage is then converted into intermediate currents by the transconductor circuit. Thereafter, the rectifying circuit rectifies the intermediate currents current to produce a rectified current. Lastly, the amplification circuit amplifies the input voltage to produce the amplified voltage.
1. A multi-stage rectification and amplification circuit comprising a plurality of stages of rectification and amplification circuits, each rectification and amplification circuit generating a rectified current and an amplified voltage, the rectification and amplification circuit of each stage comprising:
a first transconductor and a second transconductor configured to:
receive a first input voltage V in — a and a second input voltage V in — b respectively; and
convert a differential voltage between the first input voltage and the second input voltage to intermediate currents, the sum of intermediate currents having a magnitude of a tail current being provided by a first current source and a second current source connected to the first transconductor and the second transconductor respectively;
a rectifying means configured to convert the differential voltage (V in — a −V in — b ) into the intermediate currents and selectively sum the intermediate currents to obtain the rectified current; and
an amplifying means configured to amplify the differential voltage (V in — a −V in — b ) to the amplified voltage, the amplified voltage corresponding to the difference between a first output voltage and a second output voltage (V out — a −V out — b ) wherein
the rectified currents of the rectification and amplification circuit of the each stage being aggregated to provide a total rectified current,
the first output voltage and the second output voltage of the rectification and amplification circuit of the each stage being provided as the first input voltage V in — a and the second input voltage V in — b to the rectification and amplification circuit of a subsequent stage, and
the rectification circuit and amplification circuit of the each stage having substantially similar gain and rectification range.
2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first transconductor and the second transconductor comprise at least one of: a Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT), a Heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT), a Metal Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MESFET), a Junction gate Field Effect Transistor (JFET), a Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET), and a Pseudomorphic High Electron Mobility Transistor (pHEMT).
3. A rectification and amplification circuit for generating a rectified current and an amplified voltage, the circuit comprising:
an input portion comprising:
a first transconductor and a second transconductor, source terminals of the first transconductor and the second transconductor being connected to a first current source and a second current source respectively, a source resistance connected between the source terminals of the first transconductor and the second transconductor, gate terminal of the first transconductor receiving a first input voltage V in — a and a gate terminal of the second transconductor receiving a second input voltage V in — b , the first transconductor and the second transconductor converting a differential voltage between the first input voltage and the second input voltage into intermediate currents, the sum of intermediate currents having a magnitude of a tail current being provided by the first current source and the second current source; and
an output portion comprising:
a first transistor and a second transistor, a drain terminal of the first transistor being connected to a drain terminal of the second transistor, the drain terminal of the second transistor being connected to a drain terminal of the first transconductor, bulk terminals and source terminals of the first transistor and the second transistor being connected to a supply voltage, gate terminal of the first transistor being connected to the drain terminal of the second transistor;
a third transistor and a fourth transistor, a drain terminal of the third transistor being connected to a drain terminal of the fourth transistor, the drain terminal of the fourth transistor being connected to a drain terminal of the second transconductor, bulk terminals and source terminals of the third transistor and the fourth transistor being connected to the supply voltage, a gate terminal of the third transistor being connected to the drain terminal of the fourth transistor, the gate terminals of the fourth transistor and the second transistor being cross connected with the drain terminals of the second transistor and the fourth transistor respectively, and a load resistance being connected between the drain terminals of the second transistor and the fourth transistor;
a fifth transistor and a sixth transistor, gate terminals of the fifth transistor and the sixth transistor connected to the gate terminals of the first transistor and the third transistor respectively, bulk terminals and source terminals of the fifth transistor and the sixth transistor being connected to the supply voltage, drain terminals of the fifth transistor and the sixth transistor being connected to an output current terminal that provides the rectified current;
a first output voltage terminal connected to the drain terminal of the second transistor and the drain terminal of the first transconductor, wherein a first output voltage is tapped from the first output voltage terminal; and
a second output voltage terminal connected to the drain terminal of the fourth transistor and the drain terminal of the second transconductor, wherein a second output voltage is tapped from the second output voltage terminal,
in which the amplified voltage corresponds to the difference between the first output voltage and the second output voltage.
4. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein the first transconductor and the second transconductor are N-Channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor (NMOS) transistors.
5. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein the first, the second, the third, the fourth transistor, the fifth transistor and the sixth transistor are P-Channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor (PMOS) transistors.
6. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein the first transistor, the second transistor, the third transistor, the fourth transistor, the fifth transistor, the sixth transistor, the first transconductor and the second transconductor comprise at least one of a Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT), Heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT), a Metal Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MESFET), a Junction gate Field Effect Transistor (JFET), a Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET), and a Pseudomorphic High Electron Mobility Transistor (pHEMT).
7. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein the fifth and the sixth transistor operate as a current mirror by mirroring a current flowing in the first transistor and the third transistor respectively and providing the rectified current at the output terminal.
8. A multi-stage rectification and amplification circuit comprising a plurality of stages of rectification and amplification circuits, each rectification and amplification circuit generating a rectified current and an amplified voltage, the rectification and amplification circuit of each stage comprising:
a first transconductor and a second transconductor configured to:
receive a first input voltage V in — a and a second input voltage V in — b ; convert a differential voltage between the first input voltage and the second input voltage to intermediate currents, the sum of intermediate currents having a magnitude of a tail current being provided by a first current source and a second current source connected to the first transconductor and the second transconductor respectively;
a rectifying means configured to convert the differential voltage (V in — a −V in — b ) into the intermediate currents and selectively sum the intermediate currents to obtain the rectified current; and
an amplifying means configured to amplify the differential voltage (V in — a −V in — b ) to the amplified voltage, wherein the amplified voltage corresponds to the difference between a first output voltage and a second output voltage (V out — a −V out — b ), wherein
the rectified currents of the rectification and amplification circuit of the each stage being aggregated to provide a total rectified current; and
the first output voltage and the second output voltage of the rectification and amplification circuit of the each stage being provided as the first input voltage V in — a and the second input voltage V in — b to the rectification and amplification circuit of a subsequent stage.