A tunable impedance multiplier with high multiplication factor is described. A single externally connected resistor is used and the multiplier is free of passive elements. The circuit can realize a positive or a negative impedance multiplier. Applications of the design to low and high pass filters are also presented. The simulation and experimental results show that the new design enjoys a multiplication factor above 400 at 2 Hz-to 7 MHz.

This application relates to circuitry for monitoring for instability of an amplifier. The amplifier (100) has a first signal path between an amplifier input (IN.sub.N) and an amplifier output (V.sub.OUT) and a feedback path from the output to form a feedback loop with at least part of the first signal path. A comparator (212) has a first input configured to receive a first signal (IN.sub.N) derived from a first amplifier node which is part of said feedback loop and a second input configured to receive a second signal (IN.sub.P) derived from a second amplifier node which varies with the signal at the amplifier input but does not form part of said feedback loop. The comparator is configured to compare the first signal to the second signal and generate a comparison signal (COMP), wherein in the event of amplifier instability the comparison signal comprises a characteristic indicative of amplifier instability.

A tunable impedance multiplier with high multiplication factor is described. A single externally connected resistor is used and the multiplier is free of passive elements. The circuit can realize a positive or a negative impedance multiplier. Applications of the design to low and high pass filters are also presented. The simulation and experimental results show that the new design enjoys a multiplication factor above 400 at 2 Hz-to 7 MHz.

An amplifying circuit including a first gain circuit, a second gain circuit, a Miller capacitor, a positive feedback circuit and a feedforward gain circuit. The second gain circuit is configured to receive a first gain signal from the first gain circuit and generate a second gain signal. The Miller capacitor, the positive feedback circuit and the feedforward gain circuit are electrically coupled between an input terminal and an output terminal of the second gain circuit. The positive feedback circuit is configured to feedback the signal of the output terminal of the second gain circuit to the input terminal of the second gain circuit. The feedforward gain circuit is configured to amplify the first gain signal to output a third gain signal to the output terminal of the second gain circuit.

This application provides an operational amplifier that increases the stability and settling speed of a common-mode feedback circuit. The operational amplifier includes N stages of amplifiers connected in series and M common-mode feedback circuits, where N and M are integers, N≥3, and N≥M>1. An i.sup.th common-mode feedback circuit in the M common-mode feedback circuits is configured to: detect a common-mode output voltage of a (j+b).sup.th stage of amplifier, and regulate an electrical parameter of at least one of the j.sup.th stage of amplifier to the (j+b).sup.th stage of amplifier, to stabilize the common-mode output voltage of the (j+b).sup.th stage of amplifier. An M.sup.th common-mode feedback circuit is configured to detect and stabilize a common-mode output voltage of an N.sup.th stage of amplifier. Herein i, j, and b are integers, M≥i≥1, N≥j≥1, i≥j, j+b≤N, and b≥0.

A tunable impedance multiplier with high multiplication factor is described. A single externally connected resistor is used and the multiplier is free of passive elements. The circuit can realize a positive or a negative impedance multiplier. Applications of the design to low and high pass filters are also presented. The simulation and experimental results show that the new design enjoys a multiplication factor above 400 at 2 Hz-to 7 MHz.

An amplifier circuit including an input amplifier, an output amplifier and a diode device is provided. The output amplifier includes a PMOSFET and an NMOSFET. The PMOSFET has a gate electrode serving as a first input end and a drain coupled to an output end. The NMOSFET has a gate electrode serving as a second input end and a drain coupled to the output end. The output amplifier outputs an output voltage at the output end, and is coupled to the input amplifier via at least one of the first and second input ends. The diode device is coupled between the output end and the at least one of the first and second input ends of the output amplifier. When a voltage difference between the output end and the at least one of the first and second input ends of the output amplifier is greater than a barrier voltage of the diode device, the diode device is turned on, and an overshoot of the output voltage is reduced.

A multi-stage amplifier with a high signal-to-noise ratio is introduced. Multiple amplification stages are cascaded between an input terminal and an output terminal of the amplifier. A controller switches the output stage among the multiple amplification stages from a normal mode to an attenuation mode in response to the amplifier input being lower than the threshold. In the attenuation mode, the output stage provides an attenuation resistor coupled in series with the load resistor of the amplifier. Noise is successfully attenuated by the attenuation-mode output stage.

A dynamically stabilizable amplifier drives an output current into an RLC load. A driver stage generates the output current, and a control circuit compares a current level of the amplifier output with a threshold and selectively enables a stabilizing resistor (to selectively shunt the load or dampen in series with the load, depending on RLC load type) at the driver stage output based on the comparison so that the amplifier is stable across a range of the output current level. The control circuit disables the resistor when the output current is above the highest threshold and enables it when below. The control circuit may control the resistor to have one of multiple resistance values based on a comparison with multiple thresholds. The output current level may be determined by replicating the output current level or by an input current level that sets the output current level independent of the load.

An apparatus includes an amplifier. The amplifier has two inputs, and an output. The amplifier has a pole in its transfer function. The frequency of the pole depends on the output current of the amplifier. The amplifier further includes a pole frequency tracking (PFT) circuit. The PFT circuit includes a source follower circuit.