Low noise, high CMRR and PSRR input buffer

• US 8,330,537 B1
• Filed: 03/18/2011
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ghorpade, Gururaj, Srinivas, Theertham, Aslan, Mehmet, Kumar, D V J Ravi, Mahesh, K. Krishna
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PATRICIA T
• Application Number:
  US13/051,929
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 330/69, 330/51, 330/253, 330/136, 330/9, 330/255
• US Class Current: 330/9
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0277 Selecting one or more amplifiers from a plurality of amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/261 Amplifier which being suitable for instrumentation applications
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/331 Sigma delta modulation being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/411 the output amplifying stage of an amplifier comprising two power stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/78 A comparator being used in a controlling circuit of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45366 the AAC comprising multiple transistors parallel coupled at their gates only, e.g. in a cascode dif amp, only those forming the composite common source transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45396 the AAC comprising one or more switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45614 the IC comprising two cross coupled switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45616 the IC comprising more than one switch, which are not cross coupled
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45644 the LC comprising a cross coupling circuit, e.g. comprising two cross-coupled transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45726 the LC comprising more than one switch, which are not cross coupled
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/7221 the gated amplifier being switched on or off by a switch at the output of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/7236 the gated amplifier being switched on or off by putting into parallel or not, by choosing between amplifiers by (a ) switch(es)
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/38 DC amplifiers with modulator at input and demodulator at output; Modulators or demodulators specially adapted for use in such amplifiers switched capacitor amplifiers H03F3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/393 with field-effect devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45183 Long tailed pairs H03F3/4521, H03F3/45237 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45192 Folded cascode stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45695 by using feedforward means H03F3/45744 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/72 Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/1004 without interrupting normal operation, e.g. by providing an additional component for temporarily replacing components to be tested or calibrated H03M1/1009, H03M1/1071 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/122 : Shared using a single converter or a part thereof for multiple channels, e.g. a residue amplifier for multiple stages

Abstract

A rail-to-rail buffer receiving a differential input signal and generating a differential output signal includes first and second amplifier circuits configured in a pseudo differential buffer structure and first and second comparators coupled to compare the respective part of the differential input signal and a first voltage and to generate select signals. Each of the first and second amplifier circuits includes first and second complementary differential input stages and the first and second comparators generate respective select signals to turn on only one of the first or the second differential input stage in each amplifier circuit depending on a value of the respective part of the differential input signal. In operation, the first and second complementary differential input stages of each amplifier circuit not being turned on at the same time.

Claims

1. A circuit, comprising:

a first amplifier circuit coupled to receive a first part of a differential input signal and a first feedback signal and to generate a first part of a differential output signal being the first feedback signal;

a first comparator coupled to compare the first part of the differential input signal and a first voltage and to generate a first pair of select signals, the comparator having a comparison threshold with hysteresis;

a second amplifier circuit coupled to receive a second part of the differential input signal and a second feedback signal and to generate a second part of the differential output signal being the second feedback signal;

a second comparator coupled to compare the second part of the differential input signal and the first voltage, the comparator having a comparison threshold with hysteresis,

wherein each of the first and second amplifier circuits comprises first and second complementary differential input stages, each of the first and second complementary differential input stages being configured to receive the respective first or second part of the differential input signal and the respective first or second feedback signal, and

wherein the first and second comparators generate respective first and second pairs of select signals to turn on only one of the first or the second differential input stage in each amplifier circuit depending on a value of the respective part of the differential input signal, the first and second complementary differential input stages of each amplifier circuit not being turned on at the same time.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein in each of the first and second amplifier circuits:

the first differential input stage comprises first and second PMOS transistors having their source terminals connected together to a first node receiving a first tail current, their gate terminals coupled to receive the respective part of the differential input signal and the respective feedback signal, and their drain terminals coupled to a first pair of switches, the switches being controlled by a first select signal of the pair of select signals generated by the respective comparator to activate or deactivate the first differential input stage; and

the second differential input stage comprises first and second NMOS transistors having their source terminals connected together to a second node receiving a second tail current, their gate terminals coupled to receive the respective part of the differential input signal and the respective feedback signal, and their drain terminals coupled to a second pair of switches, the switches being controlled by a second select signal of the pair of select signals generated by the respective comparator to activate or deactivate the second differential input stage.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second amplifier circuits further comprises a gain stage for receiving an intermediate differential output signal from the first or second differential input stage and generating the differential output signal of the respective amplifier circuit.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second comparators receives a first clock signal, the respective comparator circuit being configured to generate the pair of select signal clocked by the first clock signal.

5. The circuit of claim 3, wherein each of the first and second amplifier circuits further comprises a first chopper circuit coupled to the first and second complementary differential input stage to modulate the respective part of the differential input signal and the respective feedback signal and a second chopper circuit coupled to the gain stage to modulate a diode connection and a biasing point of the gain stage, the first and second chopper circuit being controlled by a pair of non-overlapping clock signals.

6. The circuit of claim 2, wherein when the respective part of the differential input signal is less than the first voltage, the respective comparator generates the respective pair of select signals to activate the first differential input stage comprising first and second PMOS transistors and to deactivate the second differential input stage comprising first and second NMOS transistors.

7. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the pair of select signals is operative to close the first pair of switches to activate the first differential input stage and to open the second pair of switches to deactivate the second differential input stage.

8. The circuit of claim 2, wherein when the respective part of the differential input signal is greater than the first voltage, the respective comparator generates the respective pairs of select signals to deactivate the first differential input stage comprising first and second PMOS transistors and to activate the second differential input stage comprising first and second NMOS transistors.

9. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the pair of select signals is operative to open the first pair of switches to deactivate the first differential input stage and to close the second pair of switches to activate the second differential input stage.

10. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first voltage comprises half of a positive power supply voltage.

11. The circuit of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second amplifier circuits further comprises a first input chopper circuit coupled to the first differential input stage and a second input chopper circuit coupled to the second differential input stage, the respective comparator generating respective select signals to turn on only one of the first and second input chopper circuits to process the respective part of the differential input signal, the selected input chopper circuit operative to modulate the respective part of the differential input signal and the respective feedback signal, the first and second input chopper circuits further being controlled by a pair of non-overlapping clock signals.

12. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a modulator coupled to receive the first part of the differential output signal from first amplifier, and the second part of the differential output signal from the second amplifier;

the modulator generating a digital output signal representative of the differential output signal.

13. A circuit, comprising:

first and second amplifiers receiving a differential input signal formed by a first input signal and a second input signal, and generating a differential output signal formed by a first output signal and a second output signal;

the first amplifier receiving the first input signal and a first feedback signal and generating the first output signal, which corresponds to the first feedback signal;

a first comparator coupled to compare the first input and a first voltage and to generate a first pair of select signals;

the second amplifier receiving the second input signal and a second feedback signal and generating the second output signal, which corresponds to the second feedback signal;

a second comparator coupled to compare the second input signal and the first voltage,

wherein each of the first and second amplifiers comprises first and second complementary differential input stages, each of the first and second complementary differential input stages being configured to receive the respective first or second input signal and the respective first or second feedback signal, and

wherein the first and second comparators generate respective first and second pairs of select signals to activate only one of the first or the second differential input stage in each amplifier depending on a value of the respective first or second input signal, the first and second complementary differential input stages of each amplifier not being activated at the same time.

14. The circuit of claim 13, wherein, in each of the first and second amplifiers:

the first differential input stage comprises first and second PMOS transistors having their source terminals connected together to a first node receiving a first tail current, their gate terminals coupled to receive the respective first or second input signal and the respective feedback signal, and their drain terminals coupled to a first pair of switches, the switches being controlled by a first select signal of the pair of select signals generated by the respective comparator to activate or deactivate the first differential input stage; and

the second differential input stage comprises first and second NMOS transistors having their source terminals connected together to a second node receiving a second tail current, their gate terminals coupled to receive the respective first or second input signal and the respective feedback signal, and their drain terminals coupled to a second pair of switches, the switches being controlled by a second select signal of the pair of select signals generated by the respective comparator to activate or deactivate the second differential input stage.

15. The circuit of claim 14, wherein each of the first and second amplifiers further comprises a gain stage for receiving an intermediate differential output signal from the first or second differential input stage and generating the differential output signal of the respective amplifier.

16. The circuit of claim 13, wherein each of the first and second comparators each has a comparison threshold with hysteresis.

17. The circuit of claim 13, wherein each of the first and second comparators receives a first clock signal, the respective comparator circuit being configured to generate the pair of select signal clocked by the first clock signal.

18. The circuit of claim 15, wherein each of the first and second amplifiers further comprises a first chopper circuit coupled to the first and second complementary differential input stage to modulate the respective first or second input signal and the respective feedback signal and a second chopper circuit coupled to the gain stage to modulate a diode connection and a biasing point of the gain stage, the first and second chopper circuit being controlled by a pair of non-overlapping clock signals.

19. The circuit of claim 14, wherein when the respective first or second input signal is less than the first voltage, the respective comparator generates the respective pair of select signals to activate the first differential input stage comprising first and second PMOS transistors and to deactivate the second differential input stage comprising first and second NMOS transistors.

20. The circuit of claim 19, wherein the pair of select signals is operative to close the first pair of switches to activate the first differential input stage and to open the second pair of switches to deactivate the second differential input stage.

21. The circuit of claim 14, wherein when the respective first or second input signal is greater than the first voltage, the respective comparator generates the respective pairs of select signals to deactivate the first differential input stage comprising first and second PMOS transistors and to activate the second differential input stage comprising first and second NMOS transistors.

22. The circuit of claim 21, wherein the pair of select signals is operative to open the first pair of switches to deactivate the first differential input stage and to close the second pair of switches to activate the second differential input stage.

23. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the first voltage comprises half of a positive power supply voltage.

24. The circuit of claim 13, wherein each of the first and second amplifier circuits further comprises a first input chopper circuit coupled to the first differential input stage and a second input chopper circuit coupled to the second differential input stage, the respective comparator generating respective select signals to turn on only one of the first and second input chopper circuits to process the respective part of the differential input signal, the selected input chopper circuit operative to modulate the respective part of the differential input signal and the respective feedback signal, the first and second input chopper circuits further being controlled by a pair of non-overlapping clock signals.

25. The circuit of claim 13, further comprising:

a modulator coupled to receive the first output signal from first amplifier, and the second output signal from the second amplifier;

the modulator generating a digital output signal representative of the differential output signal.