Claims
- 1. A bidirectional voltage-to-current converter system, comprising:
- a) a first voltage-to-current converter and a second voltage-to-current converter, said first voltage-to-current converter having a first input and a first output and said second voltage-to-current converter having a second input and a second output;
- b) an input terminal electrically coupled to said first input of said first voltage, to-current converter and to said second input of said second voltage-to-current converter;
- c) an output terminal electrically coupled to said first output of said first voltage-to-current converter and to said second output of said second voltage-to-current converter; and
- d) said first voltage-to-current converter supplying a current at said output terminal when a voltage at said input terminal is greater than a reference voltage, and said second voltage-to-current converter sinking a current at said output terminal when said voltage at said input terminal is less than said reference voltage.
- 2. The bidirectional voltage-to-current converter system of claim 1, wherein
- (a) said first voltage-to-current converter is comprised of first differential amplifier with a first input, a second input, and an output, said first input of said first differential amplifier electrically coupled to said first input of said first voltage-to-current converter, said output of said first differential amplifier driving a gate of a first transistor, said gate of said first transistor of a first conductivity type, and a gate of a second transistor, said gate of said second transistor of said first conductivity type, said second input of said first differential amplifier electrically selectably coupled to a supply voltage via said first transistor and to said reference voltage via a resistive load, and said output terminal electrically selectably coupled to said supply voltage via said second transistor; and
- (b) said second voltage-to-current converter is comprised of second differential amplifier with a first input, a second input, and an output, said first input of said second differential amplifier electrically coupled to said second input of said second voltage-to-current converter, said output of said second differential amplifier driving a gate of a third transistor, said gate of said third transistor of a second conductivity type, and a gate of a fourth transistor, said gate of said fourth transistor of said second conductivity type, said second input of said second differential amplifier electrically selectably coupled to said reference voltage via a second resistive load and to ground via said third transistor, and said output terminal electrically selectably coupled to ground via said fourth transistor.
- 3. The bidirectional voltage-to-current converter system of claim 2, wherein said first conductivity type is p-type and said second conductivity type is n-type, and said first transistor, said second transistor, said third transistor, and said fourth transistor are field effect transistors.
- 4. A voltage to current convertor system, comprising:
- (a) an input;
- (b) an output;
- (c) a power supply voltage source;
- (d) a first differential amplifier having a first input, a second input, and a first output, said first input coupled to said input;
- (e) a first transistor having a first source, a first gate, and a first drain, said first source coupled to said first power supply voltage source, said first gate coupled to said output of said first differential amplifier, said first gate of a first conductivity type, and said first drain coupled to said second input of said first differential amplifier;
- (f) a second transistor having a second source, a second gate, and a second drain, second source coupled to said first power supply voltage, said second gate coupled to said output of said first differential amplifier, said second gate of said first conductivity type, and said second drain coupled to said output;
- (g) a first resistive element coupled between said first drain of said first transistor and a reference voltage; and
- (h) a second differential amplifier having a first input, a second input, and a second output, said first input of said second differential amplifier coupled to said input;
- (i) a third transistor having a third source, a third gate, and a third drain, said third source coupled to a second power supply voltage, said third gate coupled to said output of said first differential amplifier, said third gate of a second conductivity type, said second conductivity type opposite from said first conductivity type,and said third drain coupled to said second input of said first differential amplifier;
- (j) a fourth transistor having a fourth source, a fourth gate, and a fourth drain, said fourth source coupled to a second power supply voltage, said fourth gate coupled to said output of said first differential amplifier, said fourth gate of a second conductivity type, and said fourth drain coupled to said output; and
- (k) a second resistive element coupled between said third drain of said third transistor and a reference voltage.
- 5. The voltage-to-convertor system of claim 4, wherein said first conductivity type is p-type and said second conductivity type is n-type, and said first transistor, said second transistor, said third transistor, and said fourth transistor are field effect transistors.
- 6. The voltage-to-convertor system of claim 4, wherein said first transistor and said second transistor have differing gate dimensions and said third transistor and said fourth transistor have differing gate dimensions.
- 7. The voltage-to-convertor system of claim 4, wherein said first power supply voltage is greater than said second power supply voltage.
- 8. The voltage-to-convertor system of claim 4, wherein said first and second differential amplifiers comprises an operational amplifier circuit.
- 9. A voltage-to-current convertor system, comprising:
- (a) an input;
- (b) an output;
- (c) a power supply voltage source;
- (d) a plurality of comparator pairs, each comparator of each comparator pair of said plurality of comparators pairs having a first input coupled to said input, a second input, and an output;
- (e) a first plurality of transistor pairs, each transistor of said first plurality of transistors pairs having a first gate, a first drain, and a first source, said first gate of one transistor of each transistor pair of said first plurality of transistor pairs coupled to one output of one comparator of said plurality of comparator pairs and said first gate of another transistor of each transistor pair of said first plurality of transistor pairs coupled to another output of another comparator of said plurality of comparator pairs, said drain of one transistor of each transistor pair of said first plurality of transistor pairs coupled to said power supply voltage source via a first resistive load and to said second input of said second input of one comparator of said plurality of comparator pairs and said drain of another transistor of each transistor pair of said first plurality of transistor pairs coupled to a first reference voltage, said source of one transistor of each transistor pair of said first plurality of transistor pairs coupled a second reference voltage and said source of another transistor of each transistor pair of said first plurality of transistor pairs coupled to said power supply voltage source via a second resistive load and to said second input of said second input of another comparator of said comparator pair of said plurality of comparator pairs; and
- (f) a second plurality of transistor pairs, each transistor of said first plurality of transistors pairs having a second gate, a second drain, and a second source, said second gate of one transistor of each transistor pair of said second plurality of transistor pairs coupled to one output of one comparator of said plurality of comparator pairs and said second gate of another transistor of each transistor pair of said second plurality of transistor pairs coupled to another output of another comparator of said plurality of comparator pairs, said second drain of one transistor of each transistor pair of said second plurality of transistor pairs coupled to said output, said drain of another transistor of each transistor pair of said second plurality of transistor pairs coupled to said first reference voltage, and said source of one transistor of each transistor pair of said first plurality of transistor pairs coupled to said second reference voltage and said source of another transistor of each transistor pair of said first plurality of transistor pairs coupled to said output.
- 10. The voltage-to-convertor system of claim 9, wherein said first reference voltage is ground and said second reference voltage is equal to V.sub.DD.
- 11. The voltage-to-current convertor system of claim 9, wherein said plurality of comparators comprise
- (d1) a first differential amplifier having a first input, a second input, and a first output, said first input coupled to said input;
- (d2) a second differential amplifier having a first input, a second input, and a second output, said first input of said second differential amplifier coupled to said input; and said first plurality of transistors comprise
- (e1) a first transistor having a first source, a first gate, and a first drain, said first source coupled to said first power supply voltage source, said first gate coupled to said output of said first differential amplifier, said first gate of a first conductivity type, and said first drain coupled to said second input of said first differential amplifier;
- (e2) a second transistor having a second source, a second gate, and a second drain, said second source coupled to said first power supply voltage, said second gate coupled to said output of said first differential amplifier, said second gate of a second conductivity type, said second conductivity type opposite from said first conductivity type, and said second drain coupled to said second input of said first differential amplifier;
- (f1) a third transistor having a third source, a third gate, and a third drain, third source coupled to said first power supply voltage, said third gate coupled to said output of said first differential amplifier, said third gate of said first conductivity type, and said third drain coupled to said output; and
- (f2) a fourth transistor having a fourth source, a fourth gate, and a fourth drain, said fourth source coupled to said first power supply voltage, said fourth gate coupled to said output of said first differential amplifier, said fourth gate of a second conductivity type, and said fourth drain coupled to said output.
- 12. The voltage-to-convertor system of claim 11, wherein said first and second comparators comprises an operational amplifier circuit.
- 13. The voltage-to-convertor system of claim 11, wherein said first conductivity type is p-type and said second conductivity type is n-type, and said first transistor, said second transistor, said third transistor, and said fourth transistor are field effect transistors.
- 14. The voltage-to-convertor system of claim 9, wherein each transistor of each transistor pair of said first plurality of transistor pairs and said second plurality of transistor pairs have differing gate dimensions.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/122,037, filed on Sep. 13, 1993, now abandoned, which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 870,187, filed Apr. 10, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,887, which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 710,218, filed Jun. 4, 1991, now abandoned, which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 198,163, filed May 24, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,730.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
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61-234110 |
Oct 1986 |
JPX |
Continuations (4)
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122037 |
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710218 |
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198163 |
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