Relaxation oscillator

• US 9,118,274 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Princeton Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Princeton Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Tsao, Ming-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): KINKEAD, ARNOLD M
• Application Number:
  US14/056,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20150109065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 331/111, 331/143, 331/113.R, 327/291, 327/72
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/011 Modifications of generator to compensate for variations in physical values, e.g. voltage, temperature to maintain energy constant H03K3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/0231 Astable circuits H03K3/0315 takes precedence

Abstract

A relaxation oscillator includes a first amplifier having a first input terminal receiving an output voltage signal, a second input terminal receiving a reference voltage signal, and an output terminal comparing the output voltage signal and the reference voltage signal and in response thereto outputting a control signal; a second amplifier having a first input terminal receiving the output voltage signal, a second input terminal connected to the output terminal of the first amplifier for receiving the control signal, and an output terminal connected to the first input terminal of the first amplifier and the first input terminal of the second amplifier for comparing the control signal and the output voltage signal and in response thereto outputting the output voltage signal; and a sensing capacitor for generating the output voltage signal by charging/discharging operations by the output terminal of the second amplifier.

Claims

1. A relaxation oscillator, comprising:

a first amplifier having a first input terminal receiving an output voltage signal, a second input terminal receiving a reference voltage signal, and an output terminal for comparing the output voltage signal with the reference voltage signal and in response thereto outputting a control signal;

a second amplifier having a first input terminal receiving the output voltage signal, a second input terminal connected to the output terminal of the first amplifier for receiving the control signal, and an output terminal connected to the first input terminal of the first amplifier and the first input terminal of the second amplifier for comparing the control signal with the output voltage signal and in response thereto outputting the output voltage signal; and

a switch assembly connected to the second input terminal of the first amplifier for being driven by the control signal to selectively connect a first reference voltage or a second reference voltage to the second input terminal of the first amplifier as the reference voltage signal,

wherein the output voltage signal is a periodic oscillating signal having a non-sinusoidal waveform.

2. The relaxation oscillator according to claim 1 wherein the first reference voltage has a different level with the second reference voltage.

3. The relaxation oscillator according to claim 1 further comprising:

a sensing capacitor connected between the output terminal of the second amplifier and a ground terminal for being driven by the output terminal of the second amplifier to charge and discharge, thereby generating the output voltage signal.

4. The relaxation oscillator according to claim 1 wherein the first amplifier comprises an operational amplifier, and the second amplifier comprises an operational amplifier.

5. The relaxation oscillator according to claim 1 wherein the first amplifier comprises an operational transconductance amplifier, and the second amplifier comprises an operational amplifier.

6. The relaxation oscillator according to claim 1 wherein the first amplifier comprises an operational amplifier, and the second amplifier comprises an operational transconductance amplifier.

7. The relaxation oscillator according to claim 1 wherein the first amplifier comprises an operational transconductance amplifier, and the second amplifier comprises an operational transconductance amplifier.

8. A relaxation oscillator, comprising:

a first amplifier having a first input terminal receiving an output voltage signal, a second input terminal receiving a reference voltage signal, and an output terminal for comparing the output voltage signal with the reference voltage signal and in response thereto outputting a control signal, wherein the first input terminal of the first amplifier is a non-inverting input terminal and the second input terminal of the first amplifier is an inverting input terminal; and

a second amplifier having a first input terminal receiving the output voltage signal, a second input terminal connected to the output terminal of the first amplifier for receiving the control signal, and an output terminal connected to the first input terminal of the first amplifier and the first input terminal of the second amplifier for comparing the control signal with the output voltage signal and in response thereto outputting the output voltage signal, wherein the first input terminal of the second amplifier is a non-inverting input terminal and the second input terminal of the second amplifier is an inverting input terminal,

wherein the output voltage signal is a periodic oscillating signal having a non-sinusoidal waveform.

9. The relaxation oscillator according to claim 8, further comprising a switch assembly connected to the second input terminal of the first amplifier for being driven by the control signal to selectively connect a first reference voltage or a second reference voltage to the second input terminal of the first amplifier as the reference voltage signal.

10. The relaxation oscillator according to claim 9, wherein the first reference voltage has a different level with the second reference voltage.

11. The relaxation oscillator according to claim 8, further comprising a sensing capacitor connected between the output terminal of the second amplifier and a ground terminal for being driven by the output terminal of the second amplifier to charge and discharge, thereby generating the output voltage signal.

12. The relaxation oscillator according to claim 8, wherein the first amplifier comprises an operational amplifier, and the second amplifier comprises an operational amplifier.

13. The relaxation oscillator according to claim 8, wherein the first amplifier comprises an operational transconductance amplifier, and the second amplifier comprises an operational amplifier.

14. The relaxation oscillator according to claim 8, wherein the first amplifier comprises an operational amplifier, and the second amplifier comprises an operational transconductance amplifier.

15. The relaxation oscillator according to claim 8, wherein the first amplifier comprises an operational transconductance amplifier, and the second amplifier comprises an operational transconductance amplifier.