Frequency modulated integrator circuit

• US 5,459,464 A
• Filed: 01/13/1994
• Issued: 10/17/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Industries Incorporated (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Gervais, Michel, Beneteau, Lionel
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Brian K.
• Application Number:
  US08/182,877
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 341/143, 341/152, 341/144, 341/155, 341/166, 320/21, 333/172, 333/174
• US Class Current: 341/143
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/161 with pulse modulation, e.g. modulation of amplitude, width, frequency, phase or form pulse modulators H03K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/186 using an operational amplifier comprising a capacitor or a resistor in the feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/60 with intermediate conversion to frequency of pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 3/34 by chopping
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 3/376 Prevention or reduction of switching transients, e.g. glitches
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 3/43 the quantiser being a single bit one
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 3/456 the modulator having a first order loop filter in the feedforward path

Abstract

A modulated integrator circuit frequency modulates an input signal and has an integrator comprised of an amplifier (31) and an intregrating capacitor (35) connected across an input and an output of the amplifier. The circuit further comprises a storage capacitor (36) in addition to any switching capacitors (C) associated with the modulation of the input signal if present. The storage means (36) is connectable between the input and the output of the amplifier in parallel with the integrating capacitor. The storage capacitor stores a charge associated with the voltage of the output of the amplifier and transfer such charge to the integrating capacitor to enable reversal of the charge of the integrating capacitor in synchronism with the frequency modulation of the input signal.

Claims

1. A modulated integrator circuit comprising:

means for frequency modulating an input signal;

integrator means comprising an amplifier and an integrating capacitor switchingly connected across an input and an output of the amplifier;

storage means switchingly connected between the input and the output of the amplifier and in parallel with the integrating capacitor, said storage means being operable to store charge associated with a voltage of the output of the amplifier and to transfer said charge to the integrating capacitor to reverse the charge of the integrating capacitor in synchronism with the frequency modulation of the input signal.

2. A modulated integrator circuit as claimed in claim 1 in which the storage means has a capacitance twice as large as a capacitance for the integrating capacitor, the storage capacitor being charged simultaneously with a first terminal of the integrating capacitor and depositing the charge at the other terminal of the integrating capacitor to effectively reverse the polarity of the charge on the integrating capacitor.

3. A modulated integrator circuit as claimed in claim 1 in which the plate of the integrating capacitor having the largest parasitic capacitance is connected to the output of the amplifier.

4. A modulated integrator circuit as claimed in claim 1 in which the storage means comprises a storage capacitor, and in which a first plate of the storage capacitor having the smallest parasitic capacitance is alternately connectable to input and output plates of the integrating capacitor, the other plate of the storage capacitor being connected to ground.

5. A modulated integrator circuit as claimed in claim 1 in which the storage means comprises a storage capacitor having a capacitance equal to twice a capacitance of said integrating capacitor minus a parasitic capacitance of the storage capacitor.

6. A modulated integrator circuit as claimed in claim 5 in which the means for modulating the input signal comprises a switching capacitor arrangement to modulate the input signal.

7. A sigma-delta analogue to digital converter including a modulated integrator circuit as claimed in claim 6.

8. A multiplier circuit comprising two sigma-delta converters, in which one or both include a modulated integrator circuit as claimed in claim 1.

9. An electricity metering device using a multiplier circuit as claimed in claim 8 to calculate a product of the voltage and a current.

10. A circuit for integrating an input signal that has been modulated with a second signal, comprising:

an amplifier having an input and an output, said input for receiving the modulated input signal;

an integrating capacitor having a first terminal connected to the input of the amplifier and a second terminal connected to the output of the amplifier; and

storage means connected in parallel to said integrating capacitor across the input and output of the amplifier, said storage means inverting a charge on said integrating capacitor in synchronism with said second signal;

wherein a signal at the output of the amplifier equals an integrated modulated input signal.

11. The integrating circuit as set forth in claim 10, wherein said storage means is capable of storing twice as much charge as said integrating capacitor.

12. The integrating circuit as set forth in claim 10, wherein said storage means comprises:

a storage capacitor having one terminal connected to ground;

a first switch for connecting a second terminal of said storage capacitor to the output of the amplifier during a first time period; and

a second switch for connecting the second terminal of said storage capacitor to input of the amplifier and to the first terminal of the integrating capacitor during a second time period.

13. The integrating circuit as set forth in claim 10, wherein said integrating capacitor comprises a CMOS capacitor having a top conductive plate connected to the output of said amplifier.

14. The integrating circuit as set forth in claim 10, wherein said storage means comprises a CMOS capacitor having a bottom conductive plate connected to ground.

15. The integrating circuit as set forth in claim 10, wherein said storage means has a storage capacitor and switching means, said switching means connecting said storage capacitor to said integrating capacitor so as to reduce said charge in said integrating capacitor by an amount sufficient to invert said charge in said integrating capacitor.