Current amplifier having a low input impedance

• US 6,181,207 B1
• Filed: 10/22/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Stikvoort, Eduard F., Chevallier, Gilles
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benny
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Patricia T.
• Application Number:
  US09/425,656
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 330/252, 330/260, 330/291, 330/305, 455/150.1
• US Class Current: 330/291
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/294 the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA]
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/372 Noise reduction and elimination in amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/343 with semiconductor devices only

Abstract

A current amplifier A1 includes two transistors Q1 and Q2 whose emitters are interconnected via a resistor R1. The input of the current amplifier is constituted by the emitter of the first transistor Q1, whose collector is connected to the output terminal of the amplifier A1 via a second resistor R2, and to the first resistor R1 via the main current path of the second transistor Q2. The current amplifier A1 has a simple structure and a low input impedance, as well as an easily controllable gain.

Claims

1. A current amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal for receiving and supplying an input current and an output current, respectively, comprising a first and a second transistor each having a bias terminal, a transfer terminal and a reference terminal, the reference terminals of the first and second transistors being interconnected via a first resistor,

characterized in that, the bias terminal of the first transistor receives a voltage of a predetermined value, the transfer terminal of the first transistor is connected to the output terminal of the amplifier via a second resistor, the reference terminal of the first transistor constituting the input terminal of the amplifier, and the bias and transfer terminals of the second transistor being connected to the transfer terminal of the first transistor and to a positive power supply terminal, respectively.

2. The current amplifier as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first and second resistors have substantially equal nominal values.

5. An apparatus for receiving radio signals, comprising:

an antenna and filtering system for receiving an electromagnetic signal having a frequency, referred to as radio frequency, selected within a range of given frequencies, and and for transforming the selected electromagnetic signal into an electronic signal referred to as radio signal;

a mixer for mixing the radio signal and a signal from a local oscillator having a tunable oscillation frequency, said mixer supplying an output current having a fixed frequency which is equal to a difference between the radio frequency and the oscillation frequency; and

a low-noise amplifier for receiving the output current from the mixer and for supplying an amplified signal which is representative of the selected electromagnetic signal,

characterized in that the low-noise amplifier comprises an input stage constituted by a current amplifier as claimed in claim 1.

3. A current amplifier having a first and a second input terminal for receiving a differential input current, and a first and a second output terminal for supplying a differential output current, said current amplifier comprising a first, a second, a third and a fourth transistor each having a bias terminal, a transfer terminal and a reference terminal, the reference terminals of the first and second transistors being interconnected via a first resistor, the reference terminals of the third and fourth transistors being interconnected via a second resistor, the bias terminals of the first and third transistors receiving a voltage of a predetermined value, the transfer terminals of the first and third transistors being respectively connected to the reference terminals of the fourth and second transistors, the transfer terminals of the fourth and second transistors being connected to the first and second output terminals of the amplifier via a third and a fourth resistor, respectively, the reference terminals of the first and third transistors constituting the first and second input terminals of the amplifier, and the bias and transfer terminals of the second and fourth transistors being connected to the transfer and bias terminals of the fourth and second transistors, respectively.

4. The current amplifier as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the first and second resistors have nominal values substantially equal to a first nominal value, and the third and fourth resistors have nominal values substantially equal to a second nominal value, said second nominal value being half the first nominal value.