Abstract:
A read and analog-to-digital data conversion channel comprising preamplifying circuits (Pre-Amp), automatic gain control circuits (VGA), harmonics filters (MRA), equalizing low pass filters (LPF), a time interleaved analog-to-digital converter (INTERLEAVED ATOD) including a pair of identical analog/digital converters (ATOD_EVEN, ATOD_ODD) functioning in parallel and at a half clock frequency, subdividing the signal path into two parallel paths through said two identical converters, one for even bits and the other for odd bits, and a digital post-processing block (DIGITAL Post Processing) fed by two output streams of said time interleaved converter (INTERLEAVED ATOD) and outputting a reconstructed data stream (DATA) and controlling said circuits, through dedicated digital-to-analog converters (DAC_VGA, DAC_MRA, DAC_FC, DAC_BOOST), means for compensating the offset of the digital-to-analog converters contained in said pair of identical analog-to-digital converters (ATOD_EVEN, ATOD_ODD) of said time interleaved converter (INTERLEAVED ATOD), controlled by said post-processing block (DIGITAL Post Processing) through a digital-to-analog converter, further comprises two distinct offset compensating circuits, each composed of an offset compensating stage (OFFSET_EVEN_STAGE, OFFSET_ODD_STAGE) independently controlled by said digital post-processing block through a dedicated digital-to-analog converter (DAC_OFF_E, DAC_OFF_O), preventing appearance of spurious patterns in frequency domain.
Abstract:
An amplifier with programmable gain and input linearity, comprising an input stage (10), which is suitable to receive a voltage signal (V + , V - ) and perform current conversion thereof with compression, and an output stage (30), which is connected to the input stage (10) and is suitable to decompress the signal in output from the input stage, producing gain amplification thereof; the particularity of the amplifier is the fact that it further comprises at least one current amplifier stage (20) which is interposed between the input stage (10) and the output stage (30) and comprises at least one bipolar transistor (21, 22) which is series-connected to a load diode (23, 24) and to a current source (2I 2 ); programmable means (I 2 , I 2 *) for reducing the transconductance of the load diode (23, 24) being provided in the at least one amplifier stage (20) to determine a programmable amplification factor for the gain of the amplifier.