Electrical charge transfer apparatus

• US 5,349,303 A
• Filed: 07/02/1993
• Issued: 09/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cirque Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cirque Corporation
• Inventors: Gerpheide, George E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abraham, Fetsum
• Application Number:
  US08/087,500
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 330/148, 330/257, 330/260, 307/490, 307/494
• US Class Current: 330/257
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/24 by varying capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/24 Arrangements for measuring quantities of charge

Abstract

A charge transfer circuit includes an input terminal for receiving an input electrical charge, a transconductance amplifier having first and second inputs including an inverting input, and first and second differential current outputs, and a multiple output stage circuit responsive to the differential current outputs for producing two or more electrical current output signals whose values are related to the values of the differential current outputs and to each other. Also included is a feedback loop for delivering one of the electrical current output signals to the inverting input of the transconductance amplifier, and an integrator for integrating another of the electrical current output signals to produce an output electrical charge whose value is related to the value of the input electrical charge.

Claims

1. A charge transfer circuit comprising

an input terminal for receiving an input electrical charge,

transconductance amplifier means having at least an inverting input, and at least one differential current output, the input being coupled to the input terminal,

means responsive to the differential current output for producing two or more electrical current output signals whose values are linearly related to the value of the differential current output and to each other, and

feedback means for delivering one of the electrical current output signals to the input of the amplifier means.

2. A circuit as in claim 1 further comprising

means for integrating another of the electrical current output signals to produce an output electrical charge whose value is related to the value of the input electrical charge.

3. A circuit as in claim 2 wherein, for a positive input electrical charge, the differential current output is positive, and wherein said one electrical current output signal is negative.

4. A circuit as in claim 2 wherein said integrating means comprises a capacitor.

5. A circuit as in claim 1 wherein said electrical current output producing means comprises a plurality of current mirrors for producing multiple current outputs whose values are related to the values of the differential current outputs, and to each other.

6. Differential charge transfer apparatus comprising

first and second individual charge transfer circuits for receiving first and second input charges respectively, each of said charge transfer circuits including

a transconductance amplifier having an inverting input for receiving the respective input charge, arid a differential current output,

a multiple output stage means for developing at least three current output signals whose magnitudes are related to one another and are determined by the magnitude of the differential current output, and

a feedback loop for supplying a first current output signal to said inverting input of the transconductance amplifier,

first means for summing a second current output signal from the multiple output stage means of the first individual charge transfer circuit and a third current output signal from the multiple output stage means of the second individual charge transfer circuit, to produce a first summed current signal, and

second means for summing a third current output signal from the multiple output stage means of the first individual charge transfer circuit and a second current output signal from the multiple output stage means of the second individual charge transfer circuit, to produce a second summed current signal.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 further comprising

first and second integrator means for producing first and second charges which are proportional to the first and second summed signals respectively.

8. Apparatus as in claim 7 further including

first switch means for supplying the first and second input charges alternately to the first and second individual charge transfer circuits respectively and to the second and first individual charge transfer circuits respectively, and

second switch means for supplying the first and second summed current signals alternately to the first and second integrator means respectively and to the second and third integrator means respectively.