Oscillator amplitude control network

• US 8,035,455 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: McMenamy, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/540,216
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 331/183, 331/182, 331/109, 331/160, 331/158
• US Class Current: 331/109
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 5/00 Automatic control of voltage, current, or power

Abstract

An amplitude control circuit (100) can include a peak level detect circuit (102) that generates a peak voltage signal (Vpeak′) based on a peak level of signal Xosc. An amplitude bias control circuit (104) can generate a bias voltage Vbc that can correspond to a peak amplitude of a received oscillator signal Xosc, and can change according to variations in a transistor threshold voltage due to process, operating conditions and voltage.

Claims

1. An amplitude control circuit, comprising:

a first peak detector circuit configured to generate a first peak voltage signal corresponding to a first peak voltage of an input signal, wherein the first peak voltage of the input signal is a largest difference between the input signal and a first reference potential;

a second peak detector circuit configured to generate a second peak voltage signal corresponding to a second peak voltage of the input signal, wherein the second peak voltage is a largest difference between the input signal and a second reference potential; and

an output differential amplifier comprising a differential pair of output drive transistors of a first conductivity type, each output drive transistor having a drain coupled to a power supply node by a diode connected transistor of a second conductivity type, a first of the output drive transistors having a gate coupled to the first peak voltage signal and at least a first amplitude setting current source.

2. The amplitude control circuit of claim 1, wherein:

the at least first peak detector circuit includes a positive peak detector section comprising an input differential pair that includes

a first input transistor having a gate coupled to receive the input signal,

a second input transistor having a gate coupled to a first terminal of a first hold capacitor, and

a peak leveling device that creates a current path between the first terminal of the first hold capacitor and a power supply node in response to the potential at the drain of the first input transistor.

3. The amplitude control circuit of claim 2, wherein:

the first and second input transistors comprise p-channel insulated gate field effect transistors; and

the peak level device comprises an n-channel transistor having a gate coupled to the drain of the first input transistor and a drain coupled to the gate of the second input transistor.

4. The amplitude control circuit of claim 2, wherein:

the at least first peak detector further includes a negative peak detector section comprising an input differential pair that includes

a third input transistor having a gate coupled to receive the input signal,

a fourth input transistor having a gate coupled to a first terminal of a second hold capacitor, and

a peak level device that creates a current path between the first terminal of the second hold capacitor and a power supply node in response to the potential at the drain of the first input transistor.

5. The amplitude control circuit of claim 4, further including:

a first buffer amplifier that buffers a potential at the first terminal of the first hold capacitor; and

a second buffer amplifier that buffers a potential at the first terminal of the second hold capacitor.

6. The amplifier control circuit of claim 1, wherein:

an amplitude selection section, comprising

an amplitude control transistor having a drain coupled to a first power supply node, a source coupled to the peak voltage signal, and

a plurality of resistors coupled in series between the gate of amplitude control transistor and a source of the amplitude control transistor.

9. The amplitude control circuit of claim 1, wherein:

at least a first current source that provides the amplitude setting current source.

10. The amplitude control circuit of claim 9, wherein:

the at least first current source comprises a current digital-to-analog converter.

7. The amplitude control circuit of 6, wherein:

the amplitude control transistor comprises an n-channel transistor, and the first power supply node is a high power supply node.

8. The amplitude control circuit of 6, wherein:

the amplitude control transistor comprises a p-channel transistor, and the first power supply node is a low power supply node.

11. An amplitude control circuit, comprising:

an amplifier drive current source that provides a drive current in response to a control signal at a control node;

an output drive amplifier that generates the control signal in response to an amplitude bias signal;

an amplitude setting circuit, comprising

at least a first current source that provides a first current, the control node voltage change in response to changes in the first current;

a first peak detector circuit that generates a first output voltage at a first hold node corresponding to a first peak voltage of an input signal, the first peak voltage being a largest difference between the input signal and a first reference potential; and

second peak detector circuit that generates a second output voltage at a second hold node corresponding to a second peak voltage of the input signal, the second peak voltage being a largest difference between the input signal and a second reference potential.

12. The amplitude control circuit of claim 11, wherein:

the output drive amplifier comprises a differential pair of output drive transistors of one conductivity type, each output drive transistor having a drain coupled to one of the power supply nodes by a diode connected transistor of another conductivity type, a first of the output drive transistors having a gate coupled to receive the amplitude bias signal, a second of the output drive transistors having a drain that provides the control signal; and

the drive current source comprises a drive transistor having a gate coupled to receive the control signal.

13. The amplitude control circuit of claim 11, wherein:

the first peak voltage is coupled to a second peak voltage by a resistance.

14. The amplitude control circuit of claim 11, wherein:

the amplitude setting circuit further includes

the first current source being coupled to the first hold node, and

a second current source coupled to the second hold node.

15. The amplitude control circuit of claim 11, wherein:

the first peak detector circuit and second peak detector each includes a differential amplifier output stage.

16. The amplitude control circuit of claim 11, wherein:

the amplitude setting circuit further includes an offset current source coupled to the control node.

17. An amplitude control circuit, comprising:

at least a first peak level detect means for detecting a peak voltage of an input signal;

amplitude bias means for generating an amplitude bias voltage from a plurality of resistors coupled between a gate and a source of an amplitude bias transistor; and

means for generating a current control voltage across a diode connected transistor based on amplitude bias voltage.

18. The amplitude control circuit of claim 17, wherein:

the means for generating a current control voltage includes differential amplifying means for amplifying the bias voltage to generate the current control voltage.

19. The amplitude control circuit of claim 17, further including:

negative feedback means for reducing the current control voltage in response to increasing in the current control voltage and increasing the current control voltage in response to decreases in the current control voltage.

20. The amplitude control circuit of claim 17, further including:

the peak level detect means includes differential transistors of a first conductivity type; and

level shifting means for level shifting a peak voltage signal from the peak level detect means from an input signal generated across a load transistor of a second conductivity type, to an output signal generated across a load transistor of the first conductivity type.