An audio amplifier and a warning sound amplifier are connected in parallel to each other, relative to a voice coil of a loudspeaker. A resistor having an impedance greater than an impedance of the voice coil is connected to the voice coil and is also connected to the warning sound amplifier. An audio signal from the warning sound amplifier is input to the voice coil via the resistor. Thus, since the warning sound amplifier is connected to the resistor having the impedance greater than the impedance of the voice coil of the loudspeaker, even in a case where only the audio amplifier is operated, a large current is prevented from flowing into the warning sound amplifier.

An audio amplifier and a warning sound amplifier are connected in parallel to each other, relative to a voice coil of a loudspeaker. A resistor having an impedance greater than an impedance of the voice coil is connected to the voice coil and is also connected to the warning sound amplifier. An audio signal from the warning sound amplifier is input to the voice coil via the resistor. Thus, since the warning sound amplifier is connected to the resistor having the impedance greater than the impedance of the voice coil of the loudspeaker, even in a case where only the audio amplifier is operated, a large current is prevented from flowing into the warning sound amplifier.

Radio Frequency (RF) amplifiers with voltage limiting using non-linear feedback are presented herein. According to one aspect, an RF amplifier comprises an amplifier circuit having an input terminal and an output terminal and a non-linear feedback circuit having an input terminal and an output terminal. The input terminal of the non-linear feedback circuit is connected to the output terminal of the amplifier circuit and the output terminal of the non-linear feedback circuit is connected to the amplifier circuit to reduce the gain of the amplifier circuit when an RF voltage swing present at the input terminal of the non-linear feedback circuit exceeds a predefined threshold. In one embodiment, the output terminal of the non-linear feedback circuit is connected to the input terminal of the amplifier circuit. In another embodiment, the output terminal of the non-linear feedback circuit is connected to a bias circuit of the amplifier circuit.

Apparatus and methods for overload protection of low noise amplifiers (LNAs) are provided herein. In certain configurations, an LNA system includes an input switch having an analog control input that controls an impedance of the input switch, an LNA that amplifies a radio frequency (RF) input signal received from the input switch, and an overload protection circuit that provides feedback to the input switch's analog control input based on detecting a signal level of the LNA. The overload protection circuit detects whether or not the LNA is overloaded. Additionally, when the overload protection circuit detects an overload condition, the overload protection circuit provides feedback to the analog control input of the switch to increase the impedance of the switch and reduce the magnitude of the RF input signal received by the LNA.

Provided is an input voltage endurance protection architecture applied to a high-voltage operational amplifier with high input amplitude and high linearity. The input voltage endurance protection architecture includes three parts: a main operational amplifier, an auxiliary operational amplifier and an input stage voltage endurance protection circuit. The main operational amplifier is a high-voltage general-purpose operational amplifier, the auxiliary operational amplifier is a single-stage differential amplifier, and the single-stage differential operational amplifier is connected to a degeneration resistor Rbias. In addition, the auxiliary operational amplifier has a same connection method as the main operational amplifier at a positive input terminal and a negative input terminal, and both the positive input terminal and the negative input terminal are protected by an input stage voltage endurance protection circuit and receive and process input signals simultaneously.

Disclosed is a voltage protection circuit for preventing power amplifier burnout in an electronic device. The electronic device includes a power amplifier (PA) configured to amplify a transmission signal, a switch configured to set a path of a signal outputted from the PA, a bias control circuit configured to control the supply of a bias current driving the PA, and a voltage protection circuit configured to provide a main control signal for turning off the PA earlier than turning off the switch based on a battery voltage providing a driving power of the electronic device, and forward the main control signal to the bias control circuit, wherein, in response to receiving the main control signal instructing to turn off the PA from the voltage protection circuit, the bias control unit stops the supply of the bias current driving the PA.

An operational amplifier includes a first output transistor and a second output transistor connected in series between two power nodes, the second output transistor having a semiconductor type opposite to the first output transistor, the first output transistor and the second output transistor being electrically coupled at an output node, and gates of the first output transistor and the second output transistor being connected to a first drive node and a second drive node respectively; and a decoupling capacitor circuit electrically connected between the first drive node and the second drive node.

In an example, a device includes a semiconductor substrate having a top surface. The device also includes a P-doped well formed in the semiconductor substrate and extending downwardly from the top surface. The device includes a cathode of a diode formed by an N-doped region in the P-doped well. The device also includes an anode of the diode formed by a P-doped region, the P-doped region spaced away from the N-doped region in the P-doped well. The device includes a deep N-type buried layer (DNBL) formed in the semiconductor substrate, the P-doped well formed between the top surface and the DNBL. The device also includes an N-doped well extending from the top surface to the DNBL.

This description relates, generally, to protecting a circuit from an input voltage. Various examples include an apparatus including one or more circuits to draw current from, or provide current to, a pair of connectors for an input circuit. The connectors may be for electrical coupling to first and second terminals of a twisted pair. The one or more circuits may be at least partially responsive to positive and negative biasing signals. The apparatus may additionally include an operational amplifier to generate the positive and negative biasing signals. The operational amplifier may include: a first input terminal at least partially responsive to a reference voltage and a second input terminal at least partially responsive to a common-mode voltage of the input circuit. Related systems and methods are also disclosed.

Herein disclosed in some embodiments is a fault detector for power amplifiers of a communication system. The fault detector can detect a portion of the power amplifiers that are in fault condition and can prevent or limit current flow to the power amplifiers in fault condition while allowing the rest of the power amplifiers to operate normally. The fault detector can further indicate which power amplifiers are in fault condition and/or the cause for the power amplifiers to be in fault condition. Based on the indication, a controller can direct communications away from the power amplifiers in fault condition and/or perform operations to correct the fault condition.