A class-D amplifier includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to generate a first digital signal based on an analog input signal and a feedback signal received at an input node. A loop filter is configured to modify the first digital signal by moving an error of the ADC out of a predetermined frequency band, and a compensation filter is configured to further modify the first digital signal by introducing one or more poles or zeros, thereby generating a second digital signal. An output circuit is configured to generate an output signal at an output node based on the second digital signal, and the feedback signal is generated from the output signal.

A Class-D amplifier having a low power dissipation mode includes first and second independent output stages that receive respective first and second level power supply voltages for driving a load coupled to the amplifier output during respective first and second operating modes. Bypass switches are controllable to disconnect the second output stage from the output during the first operating mode and to connect the second output stage to the output during the second operating mode. The operating modes are selected based on the amplifier output power level. First and second independent pre-driver stages receive the respective first and second level power supply voltages for driving the respective first and second independent output stages. During the second operating mode the first pre-driver stage is placed into a low power dissipation state and during the first operating mode the second pre-driver stage is placed into a low power dissipation state.

Aspects disclosed herein eliminate audible disturbances that may occur when an audio amplifier is activated and deactivated. A feedback circuit is used to maintain a closed loop when transistors of a power output stage are activate or deactivated, thereby enabling the charge to build or dissipate without causing an audible disturbance. Further, in certain implementations, the power output stage may remain in an enable state for a period of time after deactivation of the audio amplifier regardless of whether an audio input signal is received enabling dissipation of charge without causing an audible disturbance.

A Class-D amplifier includes a plurality of power rails, a quantizer, and a driver stage. The quantizer and the driver stage have a combined gain. For each power rail of the plurality of power rails, the Class-D amplifier senses a voltage value for the power rail and determines a ramp amplitude based on the sensed voltage value. The Class-D amplifier concurrently switches from the driver stage using a first power rail to a second power rail of the plurality of power rails and switches from the quantizer using the ramp amplitude associated with the first power rail to using the ramp amplitude associated with the second power rail so that the combined gain is constant.

A Class-D amplifier that includes a driver stage operable in a plurality of modes having different respective output impedances, a loop filter having an output, and a circuit configured to sense a current at a load of the Class-D amplifier, determine, based on the sensed current, an IR drop for a respective output impedance of the driver stage, and add the IR drop to the loop filter output to compensate for the respective output impedance of the driver stage to reduce distortion.

A transconductance circuit comprises a first transistor, a second transistor, a first source-degeneration device, a second source-degeneration device, a first feedback device, and a second feedback device. The gate node of the first transistor is coupled to a source node of the second transistor via the first feedback device. The gate node of the second transistor is coupled to a source node of the second transistor via the second feedback device. The source node of the first transistor is coupled to a reference voltage via the first source-degeneration device. The source node of the second transistor is coupled to the reference voltage via the second source-degeneration device.

A system may include a forward signal path having a forward gain and configured to receive an input signal at an input and generate an output signal at an output as a function of the input signal, a feedback signal path having a feedback gain and coupled between the output and the input, and a control subsystem configured to operate the forward signal path and the feedback signal path in at least two modes comprising a first mode in which the forward gain is a first forward gain and the feedback gain is a first feedback gain and a second mode in which the forward gain is a second forward gain smaller than the first forward gain and the feedback gain is a second feedback gain larger than the first feedback gain. The control subsystem may cause operation in the first mode when signal content is present in the input signal and may cause operation in the second mode when signal content is absent from the input signal.

A power amplifier, for a transmitter circuit is disclosed, which comprises at least one field-effect transistor having a gate terminal and a bulk terminal. The at least one field-effect transistor is configured to receive an input voltage at the gate terminal and a dynamic bias voltage at the bulk terminal. The power amplifier comprises a bias-voltage generation circuit configured to generate the dynamic bias voltage as a nonlinear function of an envelope of input signal. The input voltage is a linear function of the input signal. The bias-voltage generation circuit comprises a rectifier circuit configured to generate a rectified input voltage and an amplifier circuit, operatively connected to the rectifier circuit, configured to generate the dynamic bias voltage based on the rectified input voltage. The amplifier circuit is a variable-gain amplifier circuit and the power amplifier comprises a control circuit configured to tune the gain of the amplifier circuit.

A capacitive-coupled chopper instrumentation amplifier includes a first chopper, a first gain stage, a capacitive isolation stage electrically coupled between inputs of the first gain stage and the first chopper, a second gain stage, a second chopper electrically coupled between outputs of the first gain stage and inputs of the second gain stage, clamping circuitry electrically coupled between the inputs of the first gain stage and a reference voltage rail, and a controller. The controller is configured to (a) detect a change in a first common-mode voltage exceeding a threshold value, the first common-mode voltage being a common-mode voltage at the inputs of the amplifier, and (b) in response to detecting the change in the first common-mode voltage exceeding the threshold value, cause the clamping circuitry to clamp the inputs of the first gain stage to the reference voltage rail.

In a Class-D amplifier, first/second ratios and first/second RC time constants are sequentially matched by trimming. An integrator is coupled to differential first/second paths. The first/second ratios are of a feedback resistor to an input resistor in the first/second paths. R's of the first/second RC time constants are the resistors of the first/second matched ratios. C's of the first/second RC time constants are integrating capacitors in the first/second path. For each of multiple power rails, a ramp amplitude is determined based on a sensed voltage. Concurrently, the driver stage is switched from first to second power rails and quantizer switched from first to second ramp amplitudes to achieve constant combined quantizer/driver stage gain. Based on a sensed load current, an IR drop is determined for a respective output impedance of the driver stage and added to a loop filter output to compensate for the respective output impedance.