20V to 50V high current ASIC PIN diode driver

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9948291-B1
Application number	US-201715637221-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 29, 2017
Priority date	Aug 14, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus includes a first circuit, a second circuit and a third circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a plurality of second signals by a voltage translation of a plurality of first signals. The second circuit may be configured to switch the second signals to generate a plurality of third signals. The second signals are generally switched such that (i) all third signals are inactive before one of the third signals transitions from inactive to active while a switching condition is enabled and (ii) all third signals are switched inactive while the switching condition is disabled. The third circuit may be configured to amplify the third signals to generate a plurality of output signals. Each of the output signals generally has a current capacity to drive one or more of a plurality of diodes in a diode switch circuit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first circuit configured to generate a plurality of second signals by a voltage translation of a plurality of first signals;
a second circuit configured to switch said second signals to generate a plurality of third signals, wherein said second signals are switched such that (i) all of said third signals are inactive before one of said third signals transitions from inactive to active while a switching condition is enabled and (ii) all of said third signals are switched inactive while said switching condition is disabled; and
a third circuit configured to amplify said third signals to generate a plurality of output signals, wherein each of said output signals has a current capacity to drive one or more of a plurality of diodes in a diode switch circuit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein (i) said diodes are PIN diodes with a back bias voltage of at least 20 volts, (ii) said diode switch circuit is a PIN diode switch circuit, (iii) said current capacity sinks up to 200 milliamperes and (iv) said current capacity sources up to 100 milliamperes.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a fourth circuit configured to generate said first signals in response to a plurality of control signals, an enable signal and a select signal.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said switching condition is enabled while said enable signal is active.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said switching condition is enabled while said select signal is active and at least one of said control signals is inactive.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said switching condition is enabled while said select signal is inactive and at least one of said control signals is active.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said first circuit, said second circuit, said third circuit and said fourth circuit form part of a driver circuit, said apparatus further comprises an additional driver circuit configured to generate a plurality of additional output signals having said current capacity to drive said one or more diodes in said diode switch circuit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said driver circuit and said additional driver circuit are configured to control said diode switch circuit in response to said control signals and said enable signal.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said diode switch circuit comprises one of (i) a single-pole three-throw diode switch circuit or (ii) a single-pole four-throw diode switch circuit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said first circuit, said second circuit and said third circuit are implemented in an application specific integrated circuit.

11. A method for driving a plurality of diodes, comprising the steps of:
generating a plurality of second signals by a voltage translation of a plurality of first signals in a circuit;
switching said second signals to generate a plurality of third signals, wherein said second signals are switched such that (i) all of said third signals are inactive before one of said third signals transitions from inactive to active while a switching condition is enabled and (ii) all of said third signals are switched inactive while said switching condition is disabled; and
amplifying said third signals to generate a plurality of output signals, wherein each of said output signals has a current capacity to drive one or more of said diodes in a diode switch circuit.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein (i) said diodes are PIN diodes with a back bias voltage of at least 20 volts, (ii) said diode switch circuit is a PIN diode switch circuit, (iii) said current capacity sinks up to 200 milliamperes and (iv) said current capacity sources up to 100 milliamperes.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
generating said first signals in response to a plurality of control signals, an enable signal and a select signal.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said switching condition is enabled while said enable signal is active.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said switching condition is enabled while said select signal is active and at least one of said control signals is inactive.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said switching condition is enabled while said select signal is inactive and at least one of said control signals is active.

17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said output signals are generated using a driver circuit, said method further comprising:
generating a plurality of additional output signals having said current capacity to drive said one or more diodes in said diode switch circuit using an additional driver circuit.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising the step of:
controlling said diode switch circuit using said driver circuit and said additional driver circuit in response to said control signals and said enable signal, wherein said diode switch circuit comprises one of (i) a single-pole three-throw diode switch circuit or (ii) a single-pole four-throw diode switch circuit.

Assignees

• Macom Tech Solutions Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Weigand Christopher D
• Liu Chengxin
• Ahlquist Nicholas J

Classifications

• H03K5/08

  by limiting; by thresholding; by slicing, i.e. combined limiting and thresholding (H03K5/07 takes precedence; comparing one pulse with another H03K5/22; providing a determined threshold for switching H03K17/30) · CPC title

• H03K17/567 Primary

  Circuits characterised by the use of more than one type of semiconductor device, e.g. BIMOS, composite devices such as IGBT · CPC title

• H03K19/017509

  Interface arrangements · CPC title

• H03K19/21

  EXCLUSIVE-OR circuits, i.e. giving output if input signal exists at only one input; COINCIDENCE circuits, i.e. giving output only if all input signals are identical · CPC title

• H03K19/018521

  of complementary type, e.g. CMOS · CPC title