Amplifier systems for driving a wide range of loads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10756676-B2
Application number	US-201816162858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2018
Priority date	Oct 17, 2018
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

Amplifier systems for driving a wide range of loads are provided herein. In certain embodiments, an amplifier system includes a voltage output amplifier and a current output amplifier that are electrically coupled in parallel with one another between an input terminal and an output terminal. The amplifier system further includes a control circuit operable to control whether or not the voltage output amplifier and/or current output amplifier drive the output terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An amplifier system with controllable load driving characteristics, the amplifier system comprising:
an output terminal configured to connect to a load;
a first output switch and a second output switch;
a voltage output amplifier having a voltage output electrically connected to the output terminal through the first output switch;
a current output amplifier having a current output electrically connected to the output terminal through the second output switch; and
a control circuit configured to control the first output switch to selectively connect the voltage output of the voltage output amplifier to the output terminal, and to control the second output switch to selectively connect the current output of the current output amplifier to the output terminal.

2. The amplifier system of claim 1 , wherein the voltage output amplifier is an operational amplifier and the current output amplifier is a transconductance amplifier.

3. The amplifier system of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is operable in a first mode in which the operational amplifier drives the output terminal and the transconductance amplifier is disabled, a second mode in which the transconductance amplifier drives the output terminal and the operational amplifier is disabled, and a third mode in which both the operational amplifier and the transconductance amplifier drive the output terminal.

4. The amplifier system of claim 2 , further comprising a first feedback switch controlled by the control circuit and electrically connected between the voltage output and an inverting input of the operational amplifier, and a second feedback switch controlled by the control circuit and electrically connected between the current output and an inverting input of the transconductance amplifier.

5. The amplifier system of claim 2 , further comprising an auxiliary input switch controlled by the control circuit and electrically connected between a reference voltage and an inverting input of the transconductance amplifier.

6. The amplifier system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to disable the voltage output amplifier when the first output switch is opened, and to disable the current output amplifier when the second output switch is opened.

7. The amplifier system of claim 1 , further comprising a first input switch controlled by the control circuit and coupled between an input terminal and an input of the voltage output amplifier, and a second input switch controlled by the control circuit and coupled between the input terminal and an input to the current output amplifier.

8. The amplifier system of claim 7 , further comprising a feedback amplifier including an input coupled to the output terminal and an output configured to generate a feedback signal for controlling the input terminal.

9. The amplifier system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the voltage output amplifier or the current output amplifier has an adjustable power level controlled by the control circuit.

10. The amplifier system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive digital data over an interface, and to control the first output switch and the second output switch based on the digital data.

11. An electronic module with controllable load driving characteristics, the electronic module comprising:
a module substrate; and
an amplifier die attached to the module substrate, the amplifier die comprising:
an output pin configured to provide an output signal to a load;
a voltage output amplifier;
a current output amplifier electrically connected in parallel with the voltage output amplifier; and
a control circuit configured to control the amplifier die to selectively drive the output pin with the voltage output amplifier and to selectively drive the output pin with the current output amplifier.

12. The electronic module of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is operable in a first mode in which the voltage output amplifier drives the output pin and the current output amplifier is disabled, a second mode in which the current output amplifier drives the output pin and the voltage output amplifier is disabled, and a third mode in which both the voltage output amplifier and the current output amplifier drive the output pin.

13. The electronic module of claim 11 , further comprising a processing die attached to the module substrate and configured to provide an input signal to an input pin of the amplifier die.

14. The electronic module of claim 13 , wherein the amplifier die further comprises a feedback amplifier including an input coupled to the output pin and an output that generates an analog feedback signal.

15. The electronic module of claim 14 , wherein the processing die includes an ADC configured to generate digital input data based on the analog feedback signal, a digital processing circuit configured to process the digital input data to generate digital output data, and a DAC configured to generate the input signal based on the digital output data.

16. A method of electronic amplification with controllable load driving characteristics, the method comprising:
receiving a control signal as an input to an amplifier system, the control signal indicating a selected mode of the amplifier system chosen from a plurality of modes including a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode;
controlling an output terminal of the amplifier system with a voltage output amplifier in response to the control signal indicating the selected mode is the first mode;
controlling the output terminal with a current output amplifier in response to the control signal indicating the selected mode is the second mode; and
controlling the output terminal with both the voltage output amplifier and the current output amplifier in response to the control signal indicating the selected mode is the third mode.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising disabling the current output amplifier in the first mode, and disabling the voltage output amplifier in the second mode.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising controlling an adjustable power level of at least one of the voltage output amplifier or the current output amplifier based on the control signal.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising receiving the control signal as digital data over an interface.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising controlling an amount of local feedback to at least one of the voltage output amplifier or the current output amplifier based on the control signal.

Assignees

• Analog Devices Global Unlimited Co

Inventors

• Kusuda Yoshinori
• Basilico Simon Nicholas Fiedler
• Kowalik Sean Patrick
• Peje Joseph Leandro Balais
• Coln Michael C W

Classifications

• H03F2200/481

  A resistor being used as sensor · CPC title

• H03F2200/462

  the current being sensed · CPC title

• H03F2200/432

  Two or more amplifiers of different type are coupled in parallel at the input or output, e.g. a class D and a linear amplifier, a class B and a class A amplifier · CPC title

• H03F2200/417

  A switch coupled in the output circuit of an amplifier being controlled by a circuit · CPC title

• H03F2200/414

  A switch being coupled in the output circuit of an amplifier to switch the output on/off · CPC title