In order to conserve energy in electronic circuits, particularly in battery-operated electronics, it is preferable to use bias currents which are no larger than necessary. Therefore, because the minimum required bias current tends to depend on signal amplitude, it is often desirable to use actual bias currents which are dependent on the amplitude of the signal. An additional advantage of amplitude-dependent biasing is that, if the bias current is only as large as needed, it will produce the least possible amount of noise (e.g., shot noise). These advantages have been discussed in the electronics literature with respect to at least one specific log-domain circuit. D. R. Frey and Y. P. Tsividis, “Syllabically Companding Log Domain Filter Using Dynamic Biasing,” Electronics Letters, vol. 33, no. 5, Aug. 28, 1997. Amplitude-dependent biasing can used in other circuits, e.g., amplifiers. However, one potential problem is that the bias can, in some cases, interact with the signal. Accordingly, there is a need for circuits in which the bias control and the signal properties are “orthogonal”—i.e., do not interact with each other.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a circuit which can accommodate signals of various amplitudes in an energy-efficient manner.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a circuit which can accommodate signals of various amplitudes while maintaining a high signal-to-noise ratio.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a circuit which can accommodate signals of various amplitudes while avoiding excessive interaction between the bias control and the signal.
These and other objects are accomplished by a circuit having a bias which can be adjusted according to a signal which is received, generated, or transmitted by the circuit.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a signal is processed using an apparatus comprising: (1) a selected one of a class-AB circuit and a class-B circuit, the selected one having at least one input and at least one bias, the at least one input being adapted to receive at least one input signal, and the selected one being configured to process the at least one input signal to thereby generate at least one output signal related to the at least one input signal by an input-output characteristic having a crossover region which exhibits distortion; and (2) an amplitude detector configured to perform the operations of: (a) receiving the at least one input signal; (b) detecting at least one amplitude of the at least one input signal, and (c) dynamically adjusting the at least one bias in accordance with the at least one amplitude, wherein the at least one bias controls a level of the at least one output signal such that the at least one output signal avoids the crossover region.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a signal is processed using a filter having at least one input and at least one bias, wherein the at least one input comprises: (1) a first input for receiving a first input signal; and (2) a second input for receiving a second input signal, wherein the filter is configured to perform the steps of: (a) applying a first filtering operation to the first input signal, thereby generating a first output signal which is communicated to at least one output of the filter, the first filtering operation having a first frequency characteristic in which low frequencies are suppressed, and (b) applying a second filtering operation to the second input signal, the second input signal controlling the at least one bias, the second filtering operation having a second frequency characteristic in which low frequencies are passed, and the second input signal being adjusted in accordance with an amplitude of the first input signal.
In accordance with an additional aspect of the invention, a signal is processed using a filter having at least one input and first and second biases, wherein the at least one input comprises first and second inputs, the first input being adapted to receive a first input signal and a first bias signal related to an amplitude of at least one of the first and second input signals, the first bias signal being for controlling the first bias, the second input being adapted to receive a second input signal and a second bias signal, the second bias signal being for controlling the second bias, the second bias signal being approximately equal to the first bias signal, and the filter being configured to filter a difference of first and second input signals, thereby generating a filter output signal.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a signal is processed using a combined filter comprising: (1) a first filter having a first filter configuration, a first bias input for receiving a first bias, a first input for receiving a first input signal, and a first output for providing a first output signal; (2) a second filter having a second filter configuration, a second bias input for receiving a second bias, a second input for receiving a second input signal, and a second output for providing a second output signal, the second filter configuration matching the first filter configuration, the first bias and the second bias being adjusted in accordance with at least one amplitude of at least one of the first input signal and the second input signal, and the first bias and the second bias being adjusted to be approximately equal; and (3) a combined filter output configured to provide a combined output signal comprising a difference of the first output signal and the second output signal.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a signal is processed using an apparatus comprising: (1) a first transistor, comprising a first signal-receiving terminal, a first current-carrying terminal adapted to be connected to a voltage source, and a second current-carrying terminal connected to the first signal-receiving terminal; (2) a second transistor, comprising: a second signal-receiving terminal connected to the first signal-receiving terminal, a third current-carrying terminal adapted to be connected to the voltage source, and a fourth current-carrying terminal; (3) a first adjustable current source in communication with the second current-carrying terminal and allowing a first bias current to flow through the second current-carrying terminal; (4) a second adjustable current source in communication with the fourth current-carrying terminal and allowing a second bias current to flow through the fourth current-carrying terminal, the second bias current being approximately equal to the first bias current, and the first and second adjustable current sources being adjusted in accordance with an amplitude of a first input signal coupled into at least one of the second current-carrying terminal and the fourth current-carrying terminal; and (5) an output connected to the fourth current-carrying terminal.
In accordance with an additional aspect of the invention, a signal is processed using an apparatus comprising: (1) a dynamically biased signal-processing circuit having an input and an output; and (2) a feedback path providing a feedback signal from the output to the input.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a signal size is detected by a detector comprising: (1) a differencing block configured to perform the operations of: (a) receiving a first input signal, (b) receiving a second input signal, and (c) generating a difference signal comprising a difference of the first and second input signals; (2) an exponentiator configured to exponentiate a signal comprising the difference signal, thereby generating an exponentiated signal, wherein an output signal of the detector comprises the exponentiated signal; and (3) a filter configured to perform low-pass filtering of a signal comprising the difference signal, thereby generating a filtered signal, wherein the output signal further comprises the filtered signal, and wherein the second input signal comprises the output signal.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a signal size is detected by a detector comprising: (1) first, second, third, fourth, and fifth nodes, wherein an input signal is received by the first node; (2) a first transistor, comprising: (a) a first signal-receiving terminal connected to the second node, (b) a first current-carrying terminal connected to the third node, and (c) a second current-carrying terminal adapted to receive a first bias current; (3) a second transistor, comprising: (a) a second signal-receiving terminal connected to the fourth node, (b) a third current-carrying terminal connected to the third node, and (c) a fourth current-carrying terminal adapted to receive a second bias current, the fourth current-carrying terminal being connected to the fourth node; (4) a high-frequency shunt connected between the fourth node and a first voltage node, the first voltage node being adapted to be connected to a first voltage source; (5) a third transistor, comprising: (a) a third signal-receiving terminal connected to the fourth node, (b) a fifth current-carrying terminal connected to the fifth node, and (c) a sixth current-carrying terminal adapted to receive a third bias current; and (6) a fourth transistor, comprising: (a) a fourth signal-receiving terminal adapted to be connected to a second voltage source, (b) a seventh current-carrying terminal connected to the fifth node, and (c) an eighth current-carrying terminal connected to the first node.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures showing illustrative embodiments of the invention, in which:
a is a schematic diagram illustrating a first-order log-domain filter in accordance with the invention;
b is a schematic diagram illustrating a replica of the circuit of
a is a block diagram illustrating a circuit having a differential output in accordance with the invention;
b is a block diagram illustrating a circuit having a single-ended output in accordance with the invention;
a is a graph of input current, and the envelope thereof, being received by a circuit in accordance with the invention;
b is a graph of differential output of a circuit in accordance with the invention;
c is a graph of voltage at a node within a circuit in accordance with the invention, wherein the circuit is dynamically biased;
d is a graph of voltage at a node within a circuit in accordance with the invention, wherein the circuit has a constant bias;
e is a graph of noise current of a circuit in accordance with the invention, wherein the circuit is dynamically biased;
f is a graph of noise current in a circuit in accordance with the invention, wherein the circuit has a constant bias;
a is a block diagram illustrating a linear, lossy-low-pass filter;
b is a block diagram illustrating a companding low-pass filter having input-output characteristics similar to those of the filter of
a is a schematic diagram illustrating a band-pass filter;
b is a schematic diagram illustrating a band-pass filter having an auxiliary input for the introduction of dynamic bias in accordance with the invention;
a is a block diagram illustrating a log-domain filter;
b is a block diagram illustrating a log-domain filter with an input stage omitted;
Throughout the figures, unless otherwise stated, the same reference numerals and characters are used to denote like features, elements, components, or portions of the illustrated embodiments. Moreover, while the subject invention will now be described in detail with reference to the figures, and in connection with the illustrative embodiments, changes and modifications can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the true scope and spirit of the subject invention as defined by the appended claims.
In the circuit of
If the transconductance of the bipolar transistors is much larger than 1/R106, the transconductance of the stage, Io/Vi, becomes approximately equal to 1/R106, independently of IE. Accordingly, IE can be set at the minimum value required for a given signal. Specifically, a high value of IE can be used for large signals, and a low value of IE can be used for small signals.
In order to establish the most suitable bias of a signal processing circuit—such as, for example, a transconductor, an amplifier, or a filter—it can be desirable to base the bias upon a signal representing the amplitude or envelope of the signal being processed. The amplitude or envelope signal can be received from an external source, or can be generated using an envelope detector. A low-pass-filtered rectifier, well-known for use in many other applications, is one example of a circuit which can be used as an envelope detector.
It is to be noted that the circuit of
The technique of the invention can also be employed in the output stage of an amplifier, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 2. The output stage of
One method of feeding a signal into a circuit is through alternating current (“AC”) coupling—for example, through a capacitor, as illustrated in FIG. 2. However, other techniques can also be used. In the circuit of
In accordance with the invention, dynamically biased circuits can be designed as shown in FIG. 3. In the circuit of
In particular, when the bias of the dynamically biased circuit 306 is changed, the output tends to change. However, the changed output y3, through the negative feedback loop 308 and the gain stage 304, causes a change in the input w3 of the dynamically biased circuit 306 in such a manner as to counteract the influence of the bias 310 and restore the output y3 to its original value. An advantage of the circuit of
There are several ways in which one may configure dynamically biased circuit topologies. For example, a low-pass class B or class AB circuit can be dynamically biased to avoid the crossover region, where large distortion usually occurs. An exemplary voltage characteristic of such a circuit is illustrated in FIG. 4. In this example, the average value of the input signal Vin is varied, so that Vin(t) always stays clear of the high-distortion region of the voltage characteristic. By this technique, the bias is controlled to be sufficient to preserve the linearity of the circuit, but otherwise to be as small as possible so that low power dissipation—and in some circuits, low noise—is achieved.
Additional examples of circuits in accordance with the invention are illustrated in
a and 17b illustrate an example of a type of filter, in this case a band-pass filter, which can be dynamically biased using a low-pass input in accordance with the invention.
In the illustrated amplifier 175, transistor Q2402 and resistor RE2 form an emitter follower stage having a gain of 1. The base of Q2402 receives the amplified voltage VC2401 from the collector of Q2401. The collector of Q2402 is connected to voltage source VL24. The emitter of Q2402 is connected to voltage source VH24 through resistor RE2. The output voltage VO24 of the emitter follower—which is also the output voltage of the entire amplifier 175—is the voltage at the collector of Q2402.
The gain −k of the amplifier 175 does not strongly depend on the bias currents IE2401 and IE2402 flowing through Q2401 and Q2402, respectively. However, the bias currents IE2401 and IE2402 affect the size of the input voltage Vi24 that can be accommodated by the amplifier 175. Furthermore, a direct current (“DC”) voltage component VinDC of the input voltage Vi24 can affect the bias currents IE2401 and IE2402, as is demonstrated below.
The bias current IE2401 flowing the Q2401 is:
IE2401=(VinDC−Vbe24)/RE1,
where Vbe24 is the base-emitter voltage of the transistors Q2401 and Q2402 The bias current IE2402 flowing through Q2402 is:
IE2402=[(VinDC−Vbe24)RL1/RE1−Vbe24]/RE2.
It can thus be seen that the bias currents IE2401 and IE2402 of the amplifier 175 can be controlled by adjusting the DC component VinDC of the input voltage Vi24 received by the amplifier 175. For example, VinDC can be reduced if the AC amplitude of Vi24 is small, thereby reducing the bias currents IE2401 and IE2402. Because of the reduced bias currents IE2401 and IE2402, the amplifier 175 has reduced power consumption.
For the application of dynamic biasing to the circuit of
If a circuit comprises a low-pass circuit 602, as illustrated in
An example of such a biquad circuit is illustrated in FIG. 19. The circuit receives an input voltage u19 and generates a band-pass output voltage ybp and a low-pass output voltage ylp. The input signal u19 is fed through an input resistor R1904 to the negative input terminal of a first amplifier 1918, which produces the band-pass output voltage ybp. A feedback circuit including a resistor R1902 and a capacitor C1914, connected in parallel, provide coupling between the output and negative input of the first amplifier 1918. The band-pass output signal ybp is fed through a resistor R1912 into the negative input of a second amplifier 1920, which generates the low-pass output voltage ylp. A feedback capacitor C1916 connects the output and negative input of the second amplifier 1920.
Finally, a feedback circuit connects the low-pass output ylp with the negative input terminal of the first amplifier 1918. The feedback circuit includes a third amplifier 1922 and three resistors R1910, R1908, and R1906. Resistor R1910 connects the low-pass output ylp with the negative input of the third amplifier 1922. The output of the third amplifier 1922 is connected, through R1906, to the negative input of the first amplifier 1918. Resistor R1908 connects the output and negative input of the third amplifier 1922. It is to be noted that any or all of the amplifiers 1918, 1920, and 1922 shown in
In accordance with the invention, a dynamic bias can be applied to the band-pass output —which can also serve as a low-pass input—of the circuit of FIG. 19. Such a technique allows adjustment of the low-pass portion of the circuit (which includes the second amplifier 1920), thereby providing benefits such as increased energy efficiency, reduced noise, and increased dynamic range, as discussed above.
In some filters it may not be possible to adequately control multiple points within a filter from a single bias input, because the individual transfer functions of various portions of the circuit may be different. In such a case, it can be beneficial to use an auxiliary circuit such as shown in
It may be desirable to use two matching versions of a signal-processing circuit, each fed by different polarity signals, with the outputs of the two versions being subtracted so that the bias component cancels out, as described in Arther detail below with respect to a particular log-domain circuit. In another embodiment, the signal and bias can be fed to one circuit, while the second circuit receives only the bias.
In accordance with an additional embodiment of the invention, an externally linear time-invariant filter—which can be internally non-linear—can be biased dynamically (i.e., variably) in accordance with the signal so that large signals do not overload the filter, and small signals are not buried under noise. For example, a log-domain filter can be biased in such a manner, and dynamic biasing can be used for other types of filters as well.
a illustrates an example of a first-order, log-domain, low-pass filter. Such a filter generally operates by performing a logarithm operation upon an input signal, filtering the resulting logarithmic signal, and performing an exponential (i.e., anti-logarithm) operation upon the filtered signal to restore the filtered, logarithmic signal to an output signal which is linearly related to the input signal. A log-domain filter is considered a “companding” filter because it first compresses the signal and then expands it. Generally, companding filters are internally non-linear, yet they can be designed to be externally linear—ie., the output being linear with respect to the input.
The concept of companding is further illustrated by
which generally describes a low-pass filter having a bandwidth of α rad/s.
In the case of the circuit of
Vb2p=Vbe2p+Vt ln[(iin+Ibias)/Is],
where Vt is the thermal voltage of Q2p and Is is the saturation current of Q2p.
The filter uses transistor Q3p to send the logarithmic component of Vb2p into the base of transistor Q4p. At low frequencies, the output portion of the circuit, formed by transistor Q4p, produces a current i4p, into the collector of Q4p, which is exponentially related to the base voltage of Q4p:
i4p=K exp{ln [(iin+Ibias)/Is]}=K[(iin+Ibias)/Is],
where K is a constant.
Accordingly, the relationship between the input signal iin and the output signal ioutp is ultimately linear. Low-pass filtering is provided by a high-frequency shunt—in this case, the capacitor C1p—which shorts out high-frequency signals at the base of Q4p. Ideally, in a log-domain filter, the relationship between the large signal currents i1p and i4p in the input and output transistors Q1p and Q4p, respectively, is linear and time invariant—assuming that i1p is always positive. Assuming that the base currents of Q2p and Q3p are negligible, i1p is the sum of an AC input signal iin and a bias current Ibias. Ibias is typically constant. The output ioutp is obtained by subtracting (I2p/I3p)Ibias from i4p. I2p/I3p is the DC gain of the filter.
In accordance with the invention, dynamic biasing can be applied to circuits such as the filter of
Dynamic biasing also alters the “gain” from the input current to the internal voltages. Gain alteration has also been used for syllabic companding, which involves slowly varying the gain of an input amplifier in order to accommodate varying signal sizes and to maintain a relatively constant-amplitude output signal. However, dynamic biasing is simpler to implement than syllabic companding. On the other hand, in dynamic biasing systems, the time varying Ibias is filtered along with the input signal, and is also included in the output signal. Accordingly, ioutp is no longer merely a filtered version of iin, but also includes a filtered version of Ibias. Consequently, it can be preferable to use a compensation circuit for some applications, in order to compensate for the presence of the filtered Ibias signal in the output signal.
An example of such a compensation circuit is illustrated in FIG. 22. The circuit of
The compensation circuit receives, into the collector of Q2201, the envelope IE of iin, rather than iin itself. For larger amplitude input signals, IE increases, causing an increase in the current flowing through Q2203. The increased current in Q2203 causes an increase in the current Ix which flows into node 82 of the filter of
If the amplitude of iin decreases, IE decreases, which reduces Ix. The voltage at node 82 drops, thereby decreasing the bias current flowing through Q4p. Consequently, power consumption and shot noise are reduced for input signals having smaller amplitudes.
Moreover, there is an additional method for distortionless dynamic biasing. In accordance with the invention, a single-ended filter such as the circuit illustrated in
The duplicate circuit, an example of which is illustrated in
i4p(t)=(iin(t)+Ibias(t))*h(t);i4n(t)=(−iin(t)+Ibias(t))*h(t), (1)
where h(t) is the impulse response of each filter (i.e., the impulse response between i1p and i4p, and between i1n and i4n, where all base currents are assumed to be zero or negligible) and “*” denotes convolution. In the differential output iout=i4p−i4n, the bias dependent term Ibias (t) * h(t) cancels out, giving the result: Iout(t)=2iin(t) * h(t). The relation between iout and iin is therefore linear and time invariant, and is the same (except for a factor of 2) as that between ioutp and iin in the original log-domain filter (the circuit of
In accordance with the invention, a dynamically biased log-domain filter can be operated pseudo-differentially to cancel the effects of time varying bias, as illustrated in
In addition to cancellation of the bias dependent terms, pseudo-differential operation has benefits such as cancellation of even-order non-linearities and common mode interferences. For example, if the elements of a circuit are non-ideal—e.g., if the transistors in a log-domain filter have characteristics which deviate from ideal logarithms and exponentials—the input and bias signals can interact with the non-idealities to generate harmonics, especially even-order harmonics. Because even-order harmonics have the same sign and approximately the same values in both halves of a pseudo-differential circuit, these harmonics cancel, thereby providing improved signal quality.
Furthermore, if Ibias contains noise, approximately the same noise signal, with the same sign, is present in each half of the circuit. Consequently, noise signals introduced by Ibias are cancelled in the differential output. In contrast, the input signal iin is present with opposite signs in the respective halves of the circuit. Therefore, the input signal is not canceled in the differential output. As a result, the circuit of
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the scheme shown in
The linear time-invariant relation between the input and output transistor currents in a log-domain filter enables the cancellation of time varying bias components at the output. In contrast, if time varying gains are placed before and after a classical linear filter, pseudo-differential operation does not result in a linear time-invariant system.
The base emitter voltage of Q1p in
Vbelp2=Vt ln[α(iin1+Ibias1)/Is]=Vt ln[(iin1+Ibias1)/Is+Vt ln(α)=Vbelp1+Vt ln(α).
It can thus be seen that Vbelp undergoes only a DC shift equal to Vt ln (α), Because of the linearity between i1p and i4p, it can be seen that Vbe4p also undergoes only a DC shift. Therefore, the AC signal applied to the voltage-mode filter 802 between the input and output transistors (enclosed by dashed lines in
The difference current up−un is the input to the filter, and the difference current yp−yn is the output. The filter can operate in a class-AB mode in which the left half of the circuit handles positive portions of the input signal—i.e., when up is positive and un is negative—and the right half handles negative portions of the input signal—i.e., when up is negative and un is positive.
a-10f illustrate the results of a simulation, in accordance with the invention, of an exemplary pseudo-differential configuration of the low-pass filters of
The technique of the invention provides several advantages over conventional circuits. First, compensation circuits used in conventional circuits require extra design effort, in some cases as much as for the main filter, and add to the power consumption and noise of the overall filter. In contrast, the method of the invention—illustrated by example in
A FET F2506 is used, in a feedback arrangement, to control the current flowing through Q2501. The FET F2506 serves as a regulated current source. The source terminal of F2506 is connected to a voltage source VL25. The drain of F2506 is connected to the emitter of Q2501. The gate of F2506 is connected to the collector of Q2501. If Q2501 is in a region of its operating characteristic—i.e., its current-voltage characteristic—in which its collector current would tend to exceed u2500, the collector voltage of Q2501 drops, causing the gate voltage of F2506 to drop. The drop in gate voltage causes the drain current of F2506 to decrease, which increases the emitter voltage of Q2501. The increase in emitter voltage decreases the base-emitter voltage Vbe2501 of Q2501, which tends to cause a decrease in the collector current of Q2501. If, on the other hand, Q2501 is in a region of its operating characteristic in which its collector current would tend to be less than u2500, the opposite result occurs: Vbe2501 is increased, which tends to cause an increase in the collector current of Q2501. In equilibrium, the collector current and base-emitter voltage Vbe2501 of Q2501 are thus regulated to maintain the transistor Q2501 in a region of its operating characteristic in which the collector current of Q2501 is exponentially dependent upon the base-emitter voltage Vbe2501, and in which the base-emitter voltage Vbe2501 is logarithmically related to the collector current of Q2501.
As a result, Q2501 performs a logarithm operation on u2500, thereby generating Vbe2501. Because the base voltage of Q2501 is fixed by V25bias, the resulting logarithm signal is present at the emitters of Q2501 and Q2503. Because the base and collector of Q2503 are connected together, Q2503 acts as a diode which communicates the logarithm signal to the base of Q2502. High-frequency signal components are suppressed by a high-frequency shunt—in this case, capacitor C2510—connected between the base of Q2502 and voltage source V25bias. Q2502 is biased by a current I2502. The collector current and base-emitter voltage of Q2502 are regulated by a FET F2508 which operates similarly to the FET F2506 which regulates the collector current and base-emitter voltage Vbe2501 of Q2501.
Transmitter Q2502 communicates the low-pass-filtered, logarithm signal from the base of Q2502 to the emitter of Q2502, this emitter being connected to the emitter of Q2504. Because the base voltage of Q2504 is fixed by voltage source V25bias, the filtered, logarithm signal is induced in the base-emitter voltage Vbe2504 of Q2504. Because the output signal y2500 is exponentially related to Vbe2504, transistor Q2504 exponentiates the filtered, logarithm signal which is present in Vbe2504, thereby restoring the signal to linearity. Consequently, y2500 is linearly related to u2500. The transfer function between y2500 and u2500 is:
H2500(s)=Y2500(s)/U2500(s)=(I2502/I2503)/(1+sC2510Vt/I2503),
where Vt is the thermal voltage of the various transistors in FIG. 25.
Even if the current gains of the transistors are finite, the only base current that significantly affects the operation of the circuit is that of Q2502. However, the base current of Q2502 is a constant I2502/β which is subtracted from I2503. Consequently, no significant additional nonlinearity is introduced into the circuit, and the only effect of the finite β—assuming that β is constant with respect to the collector currents—is a reduction of the bandwidth of the filter. If this bandwidth reduction is undesirable, it can be counteracted either by injecting a current I2502/β, as illustrated in
Instantaneous companding via class-AB or class-B operation is another technique which has been used to realize high dynamic range log-domain filters. In this technique, a differential filter receives an input signal which equals the difference of half-wave rectified or geometrically split currents.
However, the technique of the invention provides several advantages over class-AB instantaneous companding. For example, in a preprocessing circuit in accordance with the invention, the accuracy of the envelope detector is less important, provided that its output is larger than the actual envelope. In contrast, a class-AB splitter generally must accurately reproduce the input signal in the splitter's difference output in order to avoid added distortion. For at least this reason, the envelope detector of the invention is simpler to design than a class-AB splitter. Furthermore, in conventional circuits, mismatch of circuit elements can lead to distortion because of internal non-linearity (in class-AB filters) and incomplete cancellation of bias components (in dynamically biased filters). For example, various frequency components of the input signal can interact with circuit nonlinearities to cause internodulation distortion, i.e., spurious signals at various sum and difference frequencies of the various frequency components. In fact, in a conventional companding filter, if internal components deviate from their ideal nonlinear (e.g., ideal logarithm orideal exponential) characteristics, such deviation can also result in distortion. In contrast, circuits in accordance with the invention tend to produce slowly varying bias components which, in many cases, can be more acceptable than intermodulation distortion. In addition, noise from the envelope detector of the invention cancels at the output of the filter. In contrast, the two outputs of a conventional class-AB splitter contain noise in opposite phases of the input for large signals; such noise does not cancel at the filter's output, and the uncanceled noise can degrade the signal-to-noise ratio of the filter.
The bias Ibias in
To better understand the operation of the envelope detector of
The emitter voltage Ve121 of transistor Q121 in
Ve121=Verr−Vt ln(I121/Is),
where Is is the saturation current of Q121.
The circuit comprising transistors Q121, Q122, Q123, and Q124, the capacitor C126, and the bias sources I121, I122, and I123 acts as a low-pass filter governed by the following equation:
The last term in the above equation denotes the input to the low-pass filter. Verr appears in the argument of the exponential. This circuit can therefore perform the combined functions of the exponentiator 1102 and low-pass filter 1104 of
The output I124 is subtracted from the input Iin at the collector node of Q124. If Iin is larger than I124, the collector voltage of Q124 increases, and if Iin is smaller than I124, the collector voltage of Q124 decreases. The voltage swing at the collector of Q124 is limited by a voltage-limiter. In the particular circuit of
In order to tap the output, the bases of Q123a and Q124a are connected to the bases of Q123 and Q124, respectively. Transistor Q124a is fabricated with a cross-sectional area a times larger than Q124 in order to ensure a safety margin in the bias current fed to the log-domain filters. The term “cross-sectional area,” as used herein, can include the collector area and/or the emitter area of a transistor, depending on the particular device-fabrication technology used to form the transistors. PNP transistors Q127 and Q128 are used to mirror αI124 as required, thereby providing dynamically controlled bias currents for one or more nodes of a main circuit for which dynamic biasing is desired. An exemplary embodiment of the inverting amplifier A is illustrated in inset 1204 of FIG. 12. The amplifier A includes p-channel FETs F12a and F12b which form a current mirror, as well as amplifying n-channel FETs F12c and F12d. The sources of F12c and F12d are connected by a resistor R12a. The drain of F12c is connected to the bias voltage Vbias of the envelope detector through a resistor R12b which serves as an output load for the amplifier. FETs F12c and F12d are biased by bias currents IS12a and IS12b, respectively.
When the amplifier A is used as part of the envelope detector of
F11, I11, and Q11b emulate Ifb. F11 and I11 form a source follower with near-unity gain that simply translates the collector voltage to a suitable level for driving Q11b. The level-shifted voltage is converted into a current using the transistor Q11b. The circuit settles to a point where IC11=I12.
The current mirror of
In order to utilize the envelope detector of
The envelope detector of
An envelope detector such as the one illustrated in
An example of such a configuration is illustrated in
Transistor Qm1 has a cross-sectional area Ax1. Transistor Qm2 has an approximately equal cross-sectional area, and therefore produces approximately the same current, Ibias=αI124, as is pulled through Qm1. However, transistor Qm3 is designed to have a cross-sectional area (I2p/I3p)Ax1. Therefore, because the collector current of a bipolar transistor is generally proportional to the area of the transistor, Qm3 produces a current (I2p/I3p)Ibias which can be used to bias transistor Q4p of the filter of
In accordance with an additional embodiment of the invention, the input (i.e., compressing) stage of a companding filter can be eliminated, leaving only the frequency-dependent components and the expanding stage. An example of such a technique is illustrated by
In accordance with the invention, the input circuit 2002 can be eliminated, leaving only the output circuit 2004, as illustrated in
It has been demonstrated by the foregoing discussion that the design of syllabic companding log-domain filters can be greatly simplified by eliminating the compensation circuit in accordance with the invention. As discussed in detail above, the approach of the invention has numerous advantages over conventional methods involving syllabic companding and instantaneous companding log-domain filters.
Although the present invention has been described in connection with specific exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spiit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/777,831, entitled “Circuits with Dynamic Biasing,” which was filed on Feb. 5, 2000 abandoned which claims benefit of Ser. No. 60/180,311 filed on Feb. 4, 2000.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20030117212 A1 | Jun 2003 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60180311 | Feb 2000 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 09777831 | Feb 2001 | US |
Child | 10353200 | US |