Electronic Circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9407219-B2
Application number	US-201314048152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2013
Priority date	Oct 29, 2012
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

An electronic circuit for amplifying a wanted signal, comprising: a comparator having a first input, a second input and an output, wherein a connection is provided, which leads the wanted signal to the first input; a first driver stage comprising an input and an output, wherein the first driver stage includes at least a first push pull end stage; a low-pass filter having an input and an output, wherein the output of the first driver stage leads to the input of the low pass filter; a first feedback network; and a second feedback network.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A self-oscillating electronic circuit for amplifying a wanted signal in a wanted frequency band, comprising:
a comparator having a first input, a second input and an output, wherein a connection is provided, which leads the wanted signal to the first input;
at least a first driver stage comprising an input and an output, wherein the first driver stage includes at least a first push pull end stage, the output of said comparator leads to the input of said first driver stage;
a low-pass filter having an input and an output, wherein the output of said first driver stage leads to the input of said low pass filter;
a first feedback network, which connects the output of said first driver stage with the second input of said comparator; and
a second feedback network, which connects the output of said low-pass filter with the second input of said comparator, wherein:
said first feedback network and said second feedback network form together with said comparator said self-oscillating electronic circuit,
said first feedback network and said second feedback form a total feedback network and said total feedback network has 360° phase shift and an amplification of 1,
amplifying said wanted signal comprises a phase shift of about 180° with a countercoupling, which acts as an amplifier in said wanted frequency band, and
the first and second feedback networks provide a part of the feedback before the low-pass filter, so that a stable control becomes possible.

2. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said first driver stage comprises at least two gates connected in parallel.

3. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
at least a second driver stage having an input and an output, wherein said second driver stage is connected between said comparator and said first driver stage; and
said second driver stage includes at least a second push pull end stage.

4. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said first driver stage and/or said second driver stage are digital gates.

5. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said first driver stage and/or said second driver stage are/is embodied in CMOS technology.

6. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the inputs of said first and/or said second driver stage comprises a Schmitt trigger.

7. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
said second driver stage is operated with a supply voltage smaller than or equal to the supply voltage of said first driver stage.

8. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
said second driver stage has a smaller driver power than said first driver stage.

9. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the distortion-free operating range of the electronic circuit comprises a limited region, of the supply voltage of said second driver stage.

10. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said first feedback network comprises at least one series resistor.

11. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said second feedback network comprises at least one series capacitor and a grounded capacitor.

12. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said first feedback network includes supplementally at least one series capacitor.

13. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said low-pass filter comprises an LC unit.

14. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the propagation time of said comparator amounts to 5% to 30% of the reciprocal of the limit frequency of said low-pass filter.

15. The electronic circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the electronic circuit is so designed that it drives a power of less than 30 mW.

16. The electronic circuit for amplifying a wanted signal, comprising:
a comparator having a first input, a second input and an output, wherein a connection is provided, which leads the wanted signal to the first input;
at least a first driver stage comprising an input and an output, wherein the first driver stage includes at least a first push pull end stage, the output of said comparator leads to the input of said first driver stage;
a low-pass filter having an input and an output, wherein the output of said first driver stage leads to the input of said low pass filter;
a first feedback network, which connects the output of said first driver stage with the second input of said comparator;
a second feedback network, which connects the output of said low-pass filter with the second input of said comparator, and
a subcircuit, comprising:
an operational amplifier with a first input, a second input and an output, wherein a connection leads the wanted signal to said second input of said operational amplifier, and
the output of said operational amplifier leads via at least one resistor to said second feedback network after the grounded capacitor; and
a voltage divider connected between the output of said low-pass filter and ground and having a center node,
wherein said center node of said voltage divider leads to said first input of said operational amplifier.

17. A self-oscillating electronic circuit for amplifying a wanted signal, comprising:
a comparator having a first input, a second input and an output, wherein a connection is provided, which leads the wanted signal to the first input;
at least a first drive stage comprising an input and an output, wherein the first driver stage includes at least a first push pull end stage, the output of said comparator leads to the input of said first driver stage;
a low-pass filter having an input and an output, wherein the output of said first driver stage leads to the input of said low pass filter;
a first feedback network, which connects the output of said first driver stage with the second input of said comparator;
a second feedback network, which connects the output of said low-pass filter with the second input of said comparator; and
a subcircuit comprising: an operational amplifier with a first input, a second input and an output, wherein a connection leads the wanted signal to said second input of said operational amplifier; and the output of said operational amplifier leads via at least one resistor to said second feedback network after the grounded capacitor; and a voltage divider connected between the output of said low-pass filter and ground and having a centernode, wherein:
said center node of said voltage divider leads to said first input of said operational amplifier; and said first feedback network and said second feedback network form together with said comparator said self-oscillating circuit.

Assignees

• Endress + Hauser Conducta Ges Für Mess-Und Regeltechnik Mbh + Co Kg
• Endress & Hauser Conducta Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Haase Bjorn
• Pilz Stefan

Classifications

• H03F3/217 Primary

  Class D power amplifiers; Switching amplifiers · CPC title

• H03F3/45179 Primary

  using MOSFET transistors as the active amplifying circuit (H03F3/45278 takes precedence) · CPC title