Switched capacitor circuit with reduced common-mode variations

• US 7,012,463 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Nairn, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mottola, Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US10/745,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20050134380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 330/9, 330/258, 330/259, 327/124, 327/307, 327/563
• US Class Current: 330/9
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/005 using switched capacitors, e.g. dynamic amplifiers; using switched capacitors as resistors in differential amplifiers H03F3/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/4565 Controlling the common source circuit of the differential amplifier

Abstract

A circuit with a common-mode dual output includes a feedback circuit connected to alternate the states of the dual output between an average output level and a desired common-mode level. The difference between the average and desired levels is proportional to a signal offset level. An impedance matching circuit is connected to the feedback circuit to adjust the signal offset level.

Claims

1. A circuit with a common-mode dual output comprising:

a common-mode circuit with an output portion;

a common-mode corrector circuit connected to alternate the states of said output portion between an average output level and a desired common-mode level, the difference between the average and desired levels being proportional to a signal offset level; and

an error correcting circuit connected to said common-mode corrector circuit to adjust the signal offset level;

wherein said common-mode corrector circuit further includes;

a common-mode voltage terminal connected to said output portion through a first pair of switches, said first pair of switches being responsive to alternating clock cycles which alternate the states of said output portion;

a bias terminal providing a bias level, said bias terminal being connected to a first control terminal in said common-mode circuit through a second pair of switches, said second pair of switches being responsive to the alternating clock cycles;

a precharging capacitor which stores the difference between the desired common-mode level and the bias level during a first clock cycle in the alternating clock cycles; and

a common-mode capacitor which stores the average output level during the first clock cycle, said common-mode capacitor and said precharging capacitor being connected in parallel during a second clock cycle in the alternating clock cycles.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein said error correcting circuit includes a first capacitor coupled to said comon-mode corrector circuit to reduce the difference between the average and desired levels.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein said first capacitor provides impedance matching to said bias terminal and control terminal during the first and second clock cycles, respectively.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein said error correcting circuit includes a second capacitor coupled to said bias terminal to reduce the difference between the average and desired levels.

5. The circuit of claim 2, wherein said error correcting circuit is configured to impedance match said bias terminal and control terminal with a terminal of said precharging capacitor.

6. The circuit of claim 1, wherein a capacitance of said precharging capacitor is chosen to be proportional to a capacitance of said first capacitor.

7. The circuit of claim 1, wherein said error correcting circuit includes a switch configured to reduce charge injection between said common-mode circuit and said common-mode corrector circuit.

8. The circuit of claim 1, wherein:

said precharging capacitor is coupled to said output portion; and

said common-mode circuit includes a differential amplifier pair of transistors and a current sinking transistor that includes said bias terminal and that sinks a current from said transistors.

9. The circuit of claim 8, wherein said error correcting circuit includes a transistor switch coupled between said bias terminal and said precharging capacitor to reduce charge injection errors during said first clock cycle.

10. The circuit of claim 1, wherein said error correcting circuit includes a first capacitor coupled to said precharging capacitor and to said common-mode capacitor to reduce the difference between the average and desired levels.

11. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a differential amplifier circuit with an output portion and a current sinking portion, said output portion including dual outputs which provide an average output level;

a common-mode feedback circuit coupled to said output portion, said feedback circuit providing a desired common-mode level in a first operational mode and generating a feedback signal proportional to the difference between the average output level and the desired common-mode level in a second operational mode, the feedback signal being coupled to said current sinking portion; and

an impedance matching circuit connected to said feedback circuit to adjust the feedback signal;

wherein the desired common-mode signal is provided to a precharging capacitor in the first operational mode, said precharging capacitor including a terminal coupled to said impedance matching circuit.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 11, wherein said impedance matching circuit is configured to reduce charge injection in said terminal when switching between the first and second operational modes.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 12, wherein said terminal is coupled to a bias terminal during the first operational mode and is coupled to said current sinking portion during the second operational mode.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein said impedance matching circuit is configured to impedance match said terminal with at least one of said bias terminal and said current sinking portion when switching between the first and second operational modes, respectively.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 14, further including a switch configured to provide charge balancing between said current sinking portion and said feedback circuit.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein an area of said switch is chosen to obtain a desired charge injection level through said switch.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein said switch includes a field effect transistor with a control terminal coupled with the first operational mode.

29. The integrated circuit of claim 11, wherein said current sinking portion responds to the feedback signal to adjust the average output signal.

18. A switched capacitor amplifier which provides an output signal in response to an input signal and corrects the average output level of the output signal in accordance with a desired common-mode level, said amplifier comprising:

a differential amplifier with an output portion and a current sinking portion, said output portion providing the output signal;

a switched capacitor common-mode feedback circuit coupled between said output portion and said current sinking portion, said feedback circuit being configured to alternate the states of said output portion between the average output level on a precharging capacitor and the desired common-mode level on a commonmode feedback capacitor in response to alternating clock cycles, the difference between the average and desired levels being proportional to a signal offset level;

an impedance matching circuit coupled to said feedback circuit to adjust the signal offset level, said impedance matching circuit including a charge balancing switch configured to reduce feedthrough between said differential amplifier and said feedback circuit.

19. The amplifier of claim 18, wherein said precharging capacitor is connected in parallel to said common-mode feedback capacitor during one cycle in the alternating clock cycles.

20. The amplifier of claim 18, wherein said impedance matching circuit includes a first capacitor configured to reduce a common-mode gain error in said differential amplifier.

21. The amplifier of claim 18, wherein a capacitance of said precharging capacitor is chosen to be in a range from one-half to one times a capacitance of said common-mode feedback capacitor.

22. The amplifier of claim 18, wherein said charge balancing switch includes a field effect transistor with a gate capacitance chosen to provide a desired feedthrough current.

23. The amplifier of claim 18, wherein a capacitance of said charge balancing switch is proportional to a desired charge injection level between said current sinking portion and said feedback circuit.

24. The amplifier of claim 18, wherein said impedance matching circuit includes a first capacitor coupled to a terminal of said precharging capacitor.

25. The amplifier of claim 24, wherein said first capacitor provides a balanced charge transfer between said terminal and a bias terminal during a first clock, cycle in the alternating clock cycles.

26. The amplifier of claim 25, wherein said first capacitor provides a balanced charge transfer between said terminal and said current sinking portion during a second clock cycle in the alternating clock cycles.

27. The amplifier of claim 26, wherein said impedance matching circuit includes a second capacitor coupled to said bias terminal, said second capacitor providing a balanced charge transfer between said bias terminal and said terminal when swi tching between the first and second clock cycles.

28. The amplifier of claim 27, wherein said second capacitor has a capacitance proportional to the sum of a capacitance of said current sinking portion and a capacitance of a bias circuit connected to said bias terminal.