Cross-differential amplifier

• US 8,362,839 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Hajimiri, Seyed-Ali, Kee, Scott D., Aoki, Ichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Choe, Henry
• Application Number:
  US13/194,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20120176200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 330/51, 330/146, 330/285, 330/296, 330/297, 330/298
• US Class Current: 330/297
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0211 with control of the supply voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/507 A switch being used for switching on or off a supply or supplying circuit in an IC-block amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/537 A transformer being used as coupling element between two amplifying stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/541 Transformer coupled at the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45464 the CSC comprising one or more coils
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45704 the LC comprising one or more parallel resonance circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45731 the LC comprising a transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/04 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/191 Tuned amplifiers H03F3/193, H03F3/195 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/217 Class D power amplifiers; Switching amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2176 Class E amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45475 using IC blocks as the active amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/605 Distributed amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/68 Combinations of amplifiers, e.g. multi-channel amplifiers for stereophonics power amplifiers using a combination of several semiconductor amplifiers H03F3/211; combinations of amplifiers using coupling networks with distributed constants H03F3/602

Abstract

A cross-differential amplifier is provided. The cross-differential amplifier includes an inductor connected to a direct current power source at a first terminal. A first and second switch, such as transistors, are connected to the inductor at a second terminal. A first and second amplifier are connected at their supply terminals to the first and second switch. The first and second switches are operated to commutate the inductor between the amplifiers so as to provide an amplified signal while limiting the ripple voltage on the inductor and thus limiting the maximum voltage imposed across the amplifiers and switches.

Claims

1. A method for operating an amplifier circuit comprising:

operating a first device and a second device as amplifiers to generate an output in a first mode of operation;

operating a third device and a fourth device to commutate an inductor in the first mode of operation;

operating the first device and the second device to commutate the inductor in a second mode of operation; and

operating the third device and the fourth device as amplifiers to generate the output in the second mode of operation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first device is operated at a radio frequency.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second devices are operated at a radio frequency.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first, second and third devices are operated at a radio frequency.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first device and the second device are operated as one of class A amplifiers, class A/B amplifiers, class B amplifiers, class C amplifiers, class E amplifiers, inverse F amplifiers, or class E/F amplifiers.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the third device and the fourth device are operated as one of class A amplifiers, class A/B amplifiers, class B amplifiers, class C amplifiers, class E amplifiers, inverse F amplifiers, or class E/F amplifiers.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the first device and the second device are operated in opposition to the third device and the fourth device.

5. A method for operating an amplifier circuit comprising:

operating a first device and a second device as amplifiers to generate an output in a first mode of operation;

operating the first device and the second device as switches to commutate an inductor in a second mode of operation;

operating a third device and a fourth device to commutate an inductor between the first device and the second device in the first mode of operation; and

operating the third device and the fourth device as amplifiers to generate the output in the second mode of operation.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first device is operated at a radio frequency.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the first and second devices are operated at a radio frequency.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the first, second and third devices are operated at a radio frequency.

15. The method of claim 5 wherein the first device and the second device are operated as one of class A amplifiers, class A/B amplifiers, class B amplifiers, class C amplifiers, class E amplifiers, inverse F amplifiers, or class E/F amplifiers.

16. The method of claim 5 wherein the third device and the fourth device are operated as one of class A amplifiers, class A/B amplifiers, class B amplifiers, class C amplifiers, class E amplifiers, inverse F amplifiers, or class E/F amplifiers.

20. The method of claim 5 wherein the first device and the second device are operated in opposition to the third device and the fourth device.

9. A method for operating an amplifier circuit comprising:

operating a first device and a second device as amplifiers to generate an output in a first mode of operation;

operating a third device and a fourth device as switches to commutate an inductor between the first device and the second device in the first mode of operation;

operating the first device and the second device as switches to commutate the inductor between the third device and the fourth device in a second mode of operation; and

operating the third device and the fourth device as amplifiers to generate the output in the second mode of operation.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first device is operated at a radio frequency.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the first and second devices are operated at a radio frequency.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the first, second and third devices are operated at a radio frequency.

17. The method of claim 9 wherein the first device and the second device are operated as one of class A amplifiers, class A/B amplifiers, class B amplifiers, class C amplifiers, class E amplifiers, inverse F amplifiers, or class E/F amplifiers.

18. The method of claim 9 wherein the third device and the fourth device are operated as one of class A amplifiers, class A/B amplifiers, class B amplifiers, class C amplifiers, class E amplifiers, inverse F amplifiers, or class E/F amplifiers.