D/A conversion circuit

• US 7,843,372 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2008
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawano, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Howard
• Application Number:
  US12/343,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 341/135, 341/136, 341/144, 330/257, 330/288, 323/315, 327/543
• US Class Current: 341/135
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/0678 using additional components or elements, e.g. dummy components
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/745 with weighted currents

Abstract

In an mode of this invention, a digital/analog conversion circuit, includes: a digital/analog conversion portion which outputs a first current according to an input digital signal; and a first current mirror circuit which generates a mirror current according to the first current and outputs the mirror current as an analog signal, the digital/analog conversion circuit converting the digital signal into the analog signal, and further including: a second current mirror circuit, which generates a first mirror current according to the first current; and a third current mirror circuit, which is connected to a reference voltage, and to which the first mirror current is input, and which generates a second mirror current equal to the first current, according to the first mirror current, between the digital/analog conversion portion and the second current mirror circuit.

Claims

1. A digital/analog conversion circuit, comprising:

a digital/analog conversion portion which outputs a first current according to an input digital signal; and

a first current mirror circuit which generates a mirror current according to the first current and outputs the mirror current as an analog signal,

the digital/analog conversion circuit converting the digital signal into the analog signal, and further comprising;

a second current mirror circuit, which generates a first mirror current according to the first current; and

a third current mirror circuit, which is connected to a reference voltage, and to which the first mirror current is input, and which generates a second mirror current equal to the first current, according to the first mirror current, between the digital/analog conversion portion and the second current mirror circuit,

wherein an input-side transistor of the third current mirror circuit is connected to the reference voltage, and an output-side transistor of the third current mirror is connected to the digital/analog conversion portion.

2. The digital/analog conversion circuit according to claim 1, wherein a single transistor is used as both an input-side transistor of the first current mirror circuit and as an input-side transistor of the second current mirror circuit.

3. The digital/analog conversion circuit according to claim 1, wherein current ratios of mirror currents of the second current mirror circuit and of the third current mirror circuit are substantially the same.

4. The digital/analog conversion circuit according to claim 1, wherein a conduction type of the transistors of the first and second current mirror circuits, and a conduction type of the transistor of the third current mirror circuit, are different.

5. The digital/analog conversion circuit according to claim 1, wherein the transistors of the first through third current mirror circuits are MOS type transistors or are bipolar type transistors.

6. The digital/analog conversion circuit according to claim 1, wherein the digital/analog conversion portion is configured as a current cell type circuit, or as a segment current type circuit, or as a circuit which combines a current cell type circuit and a segment current type circuit.

7. A digital/analog conversion circuit, comprising:

a digital/analog conversion portion which outputs a first current and a second current in a differential relationship according to input digital signals; and

first and fourth current mirror circuits which generate mirror currents according to the first and second currents for output as differential analog signals,

the digital/analog conversion circuit converting the digital signals into the analog signals, and further comprising;

a second current mirror circuit, which generates a first mirror current according to the first current;

a third current mirror circuit, which is connected to a reference voltage, and to which the first mirror current is input, and which generates a second mirror current equal to the first current, according to the first mirror current, between the digital/analog conversion portion and the second current mirror circuit;

a fifth current mirror circuit, which generates a third mirror current according to the second current; and

a sixth current mirror circuit, which is connected to the reference voltage, and to which the third mirror current is input, and which generates a fourth mirror current equal to the second current, according to the third mirror current, between the digital/analog conversion portion and the fifth current mirror circuit.

8. The digital/analog conversion circuit according to claim 7, wherein a single transistor is used as both an input-side transistor of the first current mirror circuit and as an input-side transistor of the second current mirror circuit.

9. The digital/analog conversion circuit according to claim 7, wherein the input-side transistor of the third current mirror circuit is connected to the reference voltage and an output-side transistor is connected to the digital/analog conversion portion, and the input-side transistor of the sixth current mirror circuit is connected to the reference voltage and the output-side transistor is connected to the digital/analog conversion portion.

10. The digital/analog conversion circuit according to claim 9, wherein the input-side transistors of the third and sixth current mirror circuits are connected to the same terminal supplying the reference voltage.

11. The digital/analog conversion circuit according to claim 9, wherein the input-side transistors of the third and sixth current mirror circuits are connected to first and second terminals, respectively, supplying the reference voltage.

12. The digital/analog conversion circuit according to claim 7, wherein current ratios of mirror currents of the second current mirror circuit and of the third current mirror circuit are substantially the same, and current ratios of mirror currents of the fifth current mirror circuit and of the sixth current mirror circuit are substantially the same.

13. The digital/analog conversion circuit according to claim 7, wherein a conduction type of the transistors of the first, second, fourth, and fifth current mirror circuits, and a conduction type of the transistors of the third and sixth current mirror circuits, are different.

14. The digital/analog conversion circuit according to claim 7, wherein the transistors of the first through sixth current mirror circuits are MOS type transistors or are bipolar type transistors.

15. The digital/analog conversion circuit according to claim 7, wherein the digital/analog conversion portion is configured as a current cell type circuit, or as a segment current type circuit, or as a circuit which combines a current cell type circuit and a segment current type circuit.