CURRENT MIRROR AND CURRENT CANCELLATION CIRCUIT

• US 20120194264A1
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chamakura, Anand
• Granted Patent: US 8,384,443 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/538
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/10 Regulating voltage or current G05F1/02 takes precedence; for electric railways B60M3/02
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/262 using field-effect transistors only

Abstract

Techniques are described to mirror currents and subtract currents accurately. In an implementation, a circuit includes a first current source coupled to a first node to provide a current IPD1 and a current mirror coupled to the first node through a first switch T1 to provide a current IREF1. In a closed configuration, the current IREF1 flows from the current mirror into the first node. A sigma delta modulator controls the switch T1 such that over a period of time an average current flowing from the current mirror into the first node is equal to the current IPD1 flowing out of the first node. The sigma delta modulator generates a digital output to control switch T2 to allow a current IREF2 into a second node, thus subtracting a portion of a current IPD2 at the second node over a period of time.

Claims

1. A circuit comprising:

a first node and a second node;

a first current source coupled to the first node, the first current source configured to provide a first current source current;

a second current source coupled to the second node, the second current source configured to provide a second current source current;

a first current mirror coupled to a supply voltage, the first current mirror configured to provide a first current mirror reference current;

a second current mirror coupled to the supply voltage, the second mirror configured to provide a second current mirror reference current;

a first switch coupled to the first current mirror and the first node, the second switch configured to have a switch configuration;

a second switch coupled to the second current mirror and the second node and is configured to have the switch configuration;

a delta sigma modulator having an input and an output, the input coupled to the first node and the output configured to provide a discrete pulse density modulated output to control the switch configuration of the first switch and the second switch,

wherein an average value of the discrete pulse density modulated output represents at least the first current source current as a function of the first current mirror reference current and the density modulated output is configured to control the second switch such that an equivalent current at the second node is a difference of the first current source current and the second current source current when the first current mirror current is at least approximately equal to the second current mirror current.

2. The circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein the equivalent current is generated by at least one of the first current mirror or the second current mirror.

3. The circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein the switch configuration comprises at least one of an open configuration or a closed configuration.

4. The circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein the first current mirror and the second current mirror utilize dynamic element matching to provide the first current mirror reference current to the first node during a first clock cycle and the second current mirror reference current to the first node during a second clock cycle.

5. The circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein the first current mirror includes at least a first transistor and a second transistor and the second current mirror includes at least a third transistor and a fourth transistor.

6. The circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein the delta sigma modulator further comprises:

an integrator having an input and an output, the input of integrator coupled to the input of the delta sigma modulator and configured to integrate the first current source current and provide an integrated signal to the output of the integrator; and

a comparator having an input and an output, the input of the comparator coupled to the output of the integrator and the output of the comparator coupled to the output of the delta sigma modulator, the comparator configured to compare the integrated signal to a reference signal and generate the discrete pulse density modulated output based upon the comparison.

7. The circuit as recited in claim 1, the first current mirror reference current and the second current mirror reference current comprises a current value ranging from approximately 1 pA to approximately 100 pA.

8. A circuit comprising:

a first node and a second node;

a dark diode coupled to the first node, the dark diode configured to provide a first dark current;

a photo sensor diode coupled to the second node, the photo sensor diode configured to provide a second dark current;

a first current mirror coupled to a supply voltage, the first current mirror configured to provide a first current mirror reference current;

a second current mirror coupled to the supply voltage, the second current mirror configured to provide a second current mirror reference current;

a first switch coupled to the first current mirror and the first node, the first switch configured to have a switch configuration;

a second switch coupled to the second current mirror and the second node, the second switch configured to have the switch configuration;

a sigma delta modulator having an input and an output, the input coupled to the first node and the output configured to provide a discrete pulse density modulated output to control the switch configuration of the first switch and the second switch,

wherein an average value of the discrete pulse density modulated output represents at least the first dark current as a function of the first current mirror reference current and the density modulated output is configured to control the second switch such that an equivalent current at the second node is a difference of the first dark current and the second dark current when the first current mirror current is at least approximately equal to the second current mirror current.

9. The circuit as recited in claim 8, wherein the equivalent current is generated by at least one of the first current mirror or the second current mirror.

10. The circuit as recited in claim 8, wherein the switch configuration comprises at least one of an open configuration or a closed configuration.

11. The circuit as recited in claim 8, wherein the first current mirror and the second current mirror utilize dynamic element matching to provide the first current mirror reference current to the first node during a first clock cycle and the second current mirror reference current to the first node during a second clock cycle.

12. The circuit as recited in claim 8, wherein the first current mirror includes at least a first transistor and a second transistor and the second current mirror includes at least a third transistor and a fourth transistor.

13. The circuit as recited in claim 8, wherein the delta sigma modulator further comprises:

an integrator having an input and an output, the input of integrator coupled to the input of the delta sigma modulator and configured to integrate the first dark current and provide an integrated signal to the output of the integrator; and

a comparator having an input and an output, the input of the comparator coupled to the output of the integrator and the output of the comparator coupled to the output of the delta sigma modulator, the comparator configured to compare the integrated signal to a reference signal and generate the discrete pulse density modulated output based upon the comparison.

14. The circuit as recited in claim 8, the first current mirror reference current and the second current mirror reference current comprises a current value ranging from approximately 1 pA to approximately 100 pA.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a first current source current at a first node;

receiving a first current mirror reference current through a first switch at the first node;

receiving a signal second current mirror reference current through a second switch at a second node;

controlling a switch configuration of the first switch and the second switch via a discrete pulse density modulated output generated by a sigma delta modulator;

receiving a second current source current at the second node,

wherein the second current mirror reference current subtracts at least a portion of the second current source current at the second node.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising generating an equivalent current at the second node, where the equivalent current is a difference of the first current source current and the second current source current when the first current mirror current is at least approximately equal to the second current mirror current.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the switch configuration comprises at least one of an open configuration or a closed configuration.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first current source current is a dark current generated by a dark diode.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the second current source current is a second dark current generated by a photo sensor diode.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first current mirror and the second current mirror utilize dynamic element matching to provide the first current mirror reference current to the first node during a first clock cycle and the second current mirror reference current to the first node during a second clock cycle.