Driving circuit, driving apparatus, and method for adjusting output impedance to match transmission line impedance by using current adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9509286-B2
Application number	US-201514667710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2015
Priority date	Jan 14, 2015
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A driving circuit used in a transmission line includes an operational amplifier and an output circuit. The operational amplifier is used for receiving a voltage signal to generate an output. The output circuit is coupled to the operational amplifier and used for receiving the output of the operational amplifier and determining current(s) passing through the output circuit to generate an output signal of the driving signal so as to adjust the output impedance of the driving circuit to match the transmission line; the output impedance of driving circuit is adjustable and determined by the current(s) passing through the output circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driving circuit used in a transmission line, comprising:
an operational amplifier, configured for receiving a voltage signal to generate an output;
an output circuit, coupled to the operational amplifier, configured for receiving the output of the operational amplifier and determining a current passing through the output circuit to generate an output signal of the driving circuit to thereby adjust an output impedance of the driving circuit;
an error amplifier, having a first input terminal of the output circuit, a second input terminal coupled to a reference voltage, and an output terminal; and
a controlling circuit, coupled to the output terminal of the error amplifier, configured for receiving an output of the error amplifier to adjust the current passing through the output circuit to thereby adjust the output impedance of the driving circuit;
wherein the output impedance of the driving circuit is adjustable and determined by the current passing through the output circuit; the reference voltage is inputted to the operational amplifier to be used as an input signal of the operational amplifier when the controlling circuit adjusts the current passing through the output circuit.

2. The driving circuit of claim 1 , wherein the output circuit comprises:
a resistor network; and
a current adjusting circuit, coupled to the resistor network, configured for adjusting a current passing through the current adjusting circuit, to generate the output signal of the driving circuit to thereby adjust the output impedance of the driving circuit.

3. The driving circuit of claim 2 , wherein the current adjusting circuit comprises:
a first transistor, having a first terminal coupled to a reference level, a second terminal coupled to the resistor network, and a control terminal coupled to the output of the operational amplifier; and
a plurality of second transistors, respectively having a first terminal coupled to the reference level, a second terminal coupled to the resistor network, and a control terminal coupled to the output of the operational amplifier;
wherein the current adjusting circuit is arranged to adjust a number of conductive transistor(s) within the plurality of second transistors, to determine the current passing through the current adjusting circuit.

4. A driving apparatus used in a transmission line, comprising:
a digital-to-analog converter, configured for receiving an input current signal to correspondingly generate an output voltage signal;
an amplifier, coupled to the digital-to-analog converter, configured for amplifying the output voltage signal to generate an amplified output voltage signal; and
a driving circuit, coupled to amplifier, configured for determining a current passing through the driving circuit according to the amplified output voltage signal to generate an output signal of the driving circuit to thereby adjust an output impedance of the driving apparatus, wherein the output impedance is adjustable and determined by the current passing through the driving circuit;
the driving circuit comprises:
an operational amplifier, configured for receiving the amplified output voltage signal to generate an output;
a resistor network;
a first transistor, having a first terminal coupled to a reference level, a second terminal coupled to the resistor network, and a control terminal coupled to the output of the operational amplifier;
a plurality of second transistors, respectively having a first terminal coupled to the reference level, a second terminal coupled to the resistor network, and a control terminal coupled to the output of the operational amplifier;
an error amplifier, having a first input terminal coupled to the resistor network, a second input terminal coupled to a reference voltage, and an output terminal; and
a controlling circuit, coupled to the output terminal of the error amplifier, configured for receiving an output of the error amplifier to adjust current passing through the plurality of second transistors to thereby adjust the output impedance of the driving circuit;
wherein the driving circuit is arranged to adjust a number of conductive transistor(s) within the plurality of second transistors to determine the current passing through the driving circuit to thereby adjust the output impedance; the reference voltage is inputted to the operational amplifier to be used as an input signal of the operational amplifier when the controlling circuit is arranged to adjust the current passing through the second transistors.

5. A driving method used in a transmission line, comprising:
providing an operational amplifier to receive a voltage signal to generate an output;
receiving the output of the operational amplifier and determining a passing current to generate an output signal to thereby adjust an output impedance to match the transmission line;
providing an error amplifier having a first input terminal coupled to the output circuit, a second input terminal coupled to a reference voltage, and an output terminal; and
receiving an output of the error amplifier to adjust the passing current to thereby adjust the output impedance to match the transmission line;
wherein the output impedance is determined by the passing current and is adjustable; the reference voltage is inputted to the operational amplifier to be used as an input signal of the operational amplifier when the passing current passing through the output circuit is adjusted.

6. The driving method of claim 5 , wherein the step of determining the passing current comprises:
providing a resistor network; and
providing a current adjusting circuit to adjust the current passing through the current adjusting circuit to generate the output signal to thereby adjust the output impedance.

7. The driving method of claim 6 , wherein the step of adjusting the current passing through the current adjusting circuit comprises:
providing a first transistor having a first terminal coupled to a reference level, a second terminal coupled to the resistor network, and a control terminal coupled to the output of the operational amplifier;
providing a plurality of second transistors each respectively has a first terminal coupled to the reference level, a second terminal coupled to the resistor network, and a control terminal coupled to the output of the operational amplifier; and
adjusting a number of conductive transistor(s) within the plurality of second transistors to determine the current passing through the current adjusting circuit.

8. A method for a driving apparatus used in a transmission line, comprising:
using a digital-to-analog converter for receiving an input current signal to correspondingly generate an output voltage signal;
amplifying the output voltage signal to generate an amplified output voltage signal, the step of generating the output signal of the driving apparatus according to the amplified output voltage signal comprises:
using an operational amplifier for receiving the amplified output voltage signal to generate an output;
providing a resistor network;
providing a first transistor having a first terminal coupled to a reference level, a second terminal coupled to the resistor network, and a control terminal coupled to the output of the operational amplifier;
providing a plurality of second transistors each respectively having a first terminal coupled to the reference level, a second terminal coupled to the resistor network, and a control terminal coupled to the output of the operational amplifier; and
adjusting a number of conductive transistor(s) within the plurality of second transistors, to determine a current passing through the plurality of second transistors to thereby adjust the output impedance of the driving app

Assignees

• Tsai Shan-Ju
• Faraday Tech Corp

Inventors

• Tsai Shan-Ju

Classifications

• H03H11/28 Primary

  Impedance matching networks · CPC title

• H03F2200/255

  Amplifier input adaptation especially for transmission line coupling purposes, e.g. impedance adaptation · CPC title

• H03F3/45076

  characterised by the way of implementation of the active amplifying circuit in the differential amplifier · CPC title

• H03F2203/45116

  Feedback coupled to the input of the differential amplifier · CPC title

• H03F2203/45151

  At least one resistor being added at the input of a dif amp · CPC title