Offset correction circuit

• US 6,037,823 A
• Filed: 03/23/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nara, Masaaki, Seyama, Hiroki, Arai, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, TOAN V
• Application Number:
  US09/046,221
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 327/307, 327/362, 327/363
• US Class Current: 327/307
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/087 with IC amplifier blocks H03F3/085 takes precedence

Abstract

A current to voltage conversion circuit is formed of a differential amplifier circuit (1) with a negative input terminal connected to a light receiving element (3) and a register (4) which feeds back an output signal to the negative input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit (1) thereof. The variable gain amplifier circuit (5) amplifies the output voltage of the current to voltage conversion circuit to detect the bottom value of the output signal thereof. The comparator circuit (7) compares the bottom value with the reference value Vr1 so that current flowing through the resistor (4) can be adjusted according to the difference between the bottom value and the reference value Vr1. The offset of the output signal from the variable gain amplifier circuit (5) supplied through the output terminal OUT is thereby adjusted. Since the peak value of the output signal of the variable gain amplifier circuit (5) is detected and the gain of the variable gain amplifier circuit (5) is controlled according to the difference between the peak value and the reference value Vr2, an output signal of a predetermined level can be obtained.

Claims

1. An offset correction circuit that corrects an offset of an output voltage from a current to voltage circuit that converts an input current into a voltage, comprising:

a first level detection circuit for detecting a level of an output voltage in the absence of said input current based on said output voltage of said current to voltage conversion circuit, and

a correction circuit for correcting the output voltage of said current to voltage conversion circuit according to the level of said output voltage detected by said first level detection circuit, wherein said current to voltage conversion circuit comprises a differential amplifier having a positive input terminal and a negative input terminal, and a feedback resistor for feeding back the output voltage from said differential amplifier to said negative input terminal, wherein said correction circuit corrects the output voltage of said current to voltage conversion circuit by adjusting a current flowing through said feedback resistor.

2. The offset correction circuit, defined in claim 1, wherein said correction circuit comprises a comparator circuit for comparing the level of an output voltage in the absence of the input current detected by said first level detection circuit with a first reference voltage predetermined, whereby a current flowing through said feedback resistor is adjusted according to the output of said comparator circuit.

3. An offset correction circuit that corrects an offset of an output voltage from a current to voltage circuit that converts an input current into a voltage, comprising:

a first level detection circuit for detection circuit for detecting a level of an output voltage in the absence of said input current based on said output voltage of said current to voltage conversion circuit;

a correction circuit for correcting the output voltage of said current to voltage conversion circuit according to the level of said output voltage detected by said first level detection circuit;

a variable gain amplifier circuit arranged between said current to voltage conversion circuit and said first level detection circuit for amplifying the output voltage of said current to voltage conversion circuit with a variable gain thereof and supplying the result to said first level detection circuit;

a second level detection circuit for detecting a level of the output signal of said variable gain amplifier circuit in the presence of said input current based on the output signal of said variable gain amplifier circuit;

a gain control circuit for controlling the gain of said variable gain amplifier circuit according to the level detected by said second level detection circuit and wherein said current to voltage conversion circuit comprises a differential amplifier having a positive input terminal and a negative input terminal, and a feedback resistor for feeding back the output voltage from said differential amplifier to said negative input terminal, wherein said correction circuit corrects the output voltage of said current to voltage conversion circuit by adjusting a current flowing through said feedback resistor.

4. The offset correction circuit defined in claim 3, wherein said correction circuit comprises a comparator circuit for comparing the level of an output voltage in the absence of the input current detected by said first level detection circuit with a first reference voltage predetermined, whereby a current flowing through said feedback resistor is adjusted according to the output of said comparator circuit.