Abstract:
A phase locked ring comprising a phase comparator, a charge pumping circuit, a loop filter and a voltage controlled oscillator, where the loop filter comprises two input terminals connected with two symmetric branches of the charge pumping circuit, each symmetric branch comprising a constant current generator and a pulsed current generator. Feedback paths are provided to control constant current generators through the voltage available on both loop filter terminals. According to the present invention, pulsed current generators (I7, I8) are separated from the respective loop filter terminals (N1 , N2) by circuit breaking switching means (S1, S2), said circuit breaking switching means (S1, S2) being controlled by phase signals (UP, DOWN) outputted from the phase comparator (2).
Abstract:
A full-wave rectifier for monitoring the amplitude of a differential analog signal (IN+, IN-) is composed of a differential Track&Hold stage (T&H) controlled by a first differential logic timing signal (TClk+, TClk-), tracking the differential analog input signal (IN+, IN-) during a tracking phase that corresponds to a high logic stage of the first differential timing signal (TClk+, TClk-), producing a differential output signal that is a replica of the input signal and storing it during a successive storing phase that corresponds to a low logic state of the first differential timing signal (TClk+, TClk-); a first differential output amplifier ( ) having inputs coupled to the output of the Track&Hold stage (T&H); a differential bistable circuit (LATCH-ECL), controlled by a second differential logic timing signal (DClk+, DClk-), having inputs coupled to the differential outputs of the first amplifier ( ) and producing a third differential logic control signal (S+, S-); a second multiplexed amplifier (Analog-Amp ), controlled by the third differential control signal (S+, S-), having inputs coupled to the output of the Track&Hold stage (T&H) and outputting a differential analog signal (OUT+, OUT-) of amplitude function of the amplitude of the differential input signal (IN+, IN-); a timing circuit (T C ) receiving at an input a differential logic synchronism signal (Clk+, Clk-) and generating the first differential timing signal (TClk+, TClk-) of said Track&Hold stage (T&H) and the second differential timing signal (DClk+, DClk-) of said bistable circuit (LATCH-ECL).
Abstract:
A method of delaying by a certain time interval (Δwp) a transition in a digital data stream (O) fed to a write head of a mass storage device when said transition occurs at a clock phase following the one during which a preceding transition has occurred, for pre-compensating intersymbolic nonlinear interference effects suffered when reading the stored data, comprises feeding to a first circuit (CC1) a digital data stream (I) to be stored and a clock signal (Ck) and outputting from said first circuit (CC1) a pair of digital streams (N, R), a first stream (N) assuming a first logic value every time a transition of said input stream occurs during a clock phase not successive to a clock phase during which a transition of said input stream (I) has occurred, the second stream (R) assuming said first logic value every time a transition of said input stream (I) occurs during a clock phase following a clock phase during which a transition has taken place in said input stream (I); feeding said two digital stream (N, R) and said clock signal (Ck) to as many inputs of a second circuit (DC1) and outputting from said second circuit said digital data stream (O) directed to the write head, in which the transitions immediately following a preceding transition are delayed by said pre-established time interval (Δwp), by sampling the two digital streams (N, R) with a pair of flip-flops (FN2, FR2), each of which is respectively timed by clock signals respectively delayed by a certain different time interval (Δn, Δr) and such that the difference between said different delay intervals is equal to said pre-established time interval ( Δn-Δr=Δwp ) and recombining the signals output from said pair of flip-flops (FN2, FR2) through an logic XOR gate (X1) into said digital data stream (O).
Abstract:
A flash analog-to-digital converter comprising a bank of comparators (COMPi) with a differential output, generating a thermometric code and a bank of three-input (A,B,C) logic NOR gates (NORj) for correcting errors in said thermometric code, has enhanced immunity to noise and reduced imprecisions, especially at high conversion rates upon occurence of metastability within the comparators, by providing for a passive interface constituted by a plurality of voltage dividers (Ra-Rb), each connected between the noninverted output (out_p) of a respective comparator (COMPi) and the inverted output (out_n) of the comparator of higher order (COMPi+1) of said bank; a corresponding logic NOR gate (NORj) of said bank having a first input (A) coupled to the inverted output (out_n) of said respective comparator (COMPi-1), a second input (B) coupled to the noninverted output (out_p) of said comparator (COMPi) of higher order and a third input (C) coupled to an intermediate tap of said voltage divider (Ra-Rb).