Programmable differential active voltage divider circuit

Details Programmable differential active voltage divider circuit Programmable differential active voltage divider circuit

2001-02-28

2002-07-23

Pascal, Robert (Department: 2817)

Amplifiers

With semiconductor amplifying device

Including differential amplifier

C330S252000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06424218

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to analog circuits in general, and in particular to voltage divider circuits. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a programmable differential active voltage divider circuit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Within an analog circuit design, there is usually a need for a voltage divider circuit to provide an output voltage that is a prescribed fraction of the voltage of an input source. Voltage divider circuits are typically produced by connecting at least two resistors in series, and the output is at the common connecting point of which part of the voltage applied to the serial resistors. As a rule, one end of the serial resistors is connected to an input signal whilst the other end of the serial resistors is connected to a common ground.
Referring now to the drawings and in particular to
FIG. 1
, there is depicted a schematic diagram of an analog voltage divider circuit according to the prior art. As shown, a voltage divider circuit
10
includes a transistor
11
, a transistor
12
, a variable resistor
13
, and a variable resistor
14
connected serially between a power supply
15
and a current source
15
. In addition, voltage divider circuit
10
includes an input
16
along with a complementary input
17
and an output
18
along with a complementary output
19
. In this arrangement, transistors
11
and
12
match with one another in a one-to-one ratio. Similarly, variable resistors
13
and
14
match with one another in a one-to-one ratio. Because of such symmetry, the output voltage appearing at outputs
18
,
19
tracks changes in the input voltage at inputs
16
,
17
.
One problem with voltage divider circuit
10
is its limited bandwidth. Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved voltage divider circuit with a higher bandwidth.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a voltage divider circuit includes a pair of complementary inputs separated by a common input signal node, a pair of complementary outputs, and a pair of divider circuits coupled between the pair of complementary inputs and the pair of complementary outputs. The pair of divider circuits divide input voltages at the pair of complementary inputs, and produces the divided input voltages appear at the pair of complementary outputs, respectively.
All objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.


REFERENCES:
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patent: 5221909 (1993-06-01), Cole
patent: 5465072 (1995-11-01), Atarodi
patent: 5631606 (1997-05-01), Tran
patent: 5703532 (1997-12-01), Shin et al.
patent: 5760647 (1998-06-01), Miller et al.
patent: 5874840 (1999-02-01), Bonaccio
patent: 5936469 (1999-08-01), Alexander et al.
patent: 5939904 (1999-08-01), Fetterman et al.
patent: 5994966 (1999-11-01), Stikvoort
patent: 6084439 (2000-07-01), Sculley

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