Method and system for wide range amplitude detection

• US 7,701,259 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pan, Meng-An
• Primary Examiner(s): TRA, ANH QUAN
• Application Number:
  US11/690,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20080136458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 327 58- 60, 327/63, 327/65, 327/67, 327560-563, 330/257
• US Class Current: 327/58
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/04 Measuring peak values or amplitude or envelope of ac or of pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/78 A comparator being used in a controlling circuit of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45522 the FBC comprising one or more potentiometers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45591 the IC comprising one or more potentiometers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45686 the LC comprising one or more potentiometers, which are not shunting potentiometers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45179 using MOSFET transistors as the active amplifying circuit H03F3/45278 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/30 in amplifiers having semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 7/00 Volume compression or expansion in amplifiers frequency dependent H03G9/00

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for wide range amplitude detection are provided. In this regard, many electronic systems may require amplitude detection of a variety of signals with widely varying amplitudes. Aspects of the invention may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code to perform amplitude detection and may be easily configured to accommodate a wide range of amplitudes. In this regard, the configuration of the amplitude detector may be performed via simple design changes and/or may be dynamically configured by suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code. Accordingly, multiplexing a single instance of the wide range amplitude detector and/or multiplexing multiple instances of the wide range amplitude detector may result in reduced design time, reduced circuit size, and/or reduced cost.

Claims

1. A method for processing signals, the method comprising

selecting one of a plurality of signals for processing by an amplitude detector, wherein said amplitude detector comprises a multiple-input-single-ended-output amplifier, a configurable feedback circuit, and a plurality of configurable attenuator circuits coupled, respectively, to a plurality of positive inputs of said multiple-input-single-ended-output amplifier;

configuring said feedback circuit and said plurality of attenuator circuits based on which one of said plurality of signals is selected;

and

generating from an output of said multiple-input-single-ended-output amplifier, a DC voltage representative of an amplitude of said selected signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising filtering said generated output of said multiple-input-single-ended-output amplifier.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising attenuating said selected one of said plurality of signals.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising varying said attenuation of said selected one of said plurality of signals based on which one of said plurality of signals is selected.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising programmably controlling said variation of said attenuation of said selected one of said plurality of signals.

6. The method according to 1, comprising varying a gain of said feedback circuit.

7. The method according to 6, comprising programmably controlling said variation of said gain of said feedback circuit.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising coupling each of a plurality of phases of said selected one of said plurality of signals to a corresponding one of said plurality of positive inputs.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising, in instances that said selected one of said plurality of signals comprises a single phase, coupling a bias voltage to a first one of said plurality of inputs and coupling said selected one of said plurality of signals to a second one of said plurality of positive inputs.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising controlling an equivalent amplification of said amplitude detector utilizing said feedback circuit.

11. A system for processing a signal, the system comprising:

one or more circuits comprising an amplitude detector that comprises a multiple-input-single-ended-output amplifier, a configurable feedback circuit, and a plurality of configurable attenuator circuits coupled, respectively, to a plurality of positive inputs of said multiple-input-single-ended-output amplifier, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to;

select one of a plurality of signals for processing by said amplitude detector;

configure said feedback circuit and said plurality of attenuator circuits based on which one of said plurality of signals is selected; and

generate from an output of said multiple-input-single-ended-output amplifier, a DC voltage representative of an amplitude of said selected signal.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to filter said generated output of said multiple-input-single-ended-output amplifier.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to attenuate said selected one of said plurality of signals.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to vary said attenuation of said selected one of said plurality of signals based on which one of said plurality of signals is selected.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to programmably control said variation of said attenuation of said selected one of said plurality of signals.

16. The system according to 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to vary a gain of said feedback circuit.

17. The system according to 16, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to programmably control said variation of said gain of said feedback circuit.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits is operable to couple each of a plurality of phases of said selected one of said plurality of signals to a corresponding one of said plurality of positive inputs.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to, in instances that said selected one of said plurality of signals comprises a single phase, couple a bias voltage to a first one of said plurality of inputs and couple said selected one of said plurality of signals to a second one of said plurality of positive inputs.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits enables controlling an equivalent amplification of said amplitude detector utilizing said feedback circuit.