Disclosed herein are transconductance circuits, as well as related methods and devices. In some embodiments, a transconductance circuit may include an amplifier having a first input coupled to a voltage input of the transconductance circuit, and a switch coupled between an output of the amplifier and a second input of the amplifier.

In one embodiment, a femtowatt sensitivity optical detector is provided using one or more photodiodes, intended as a replacement for the photomultiplier based photon counting unit.

A capacitive trans-impedance amplifier comprising a voltage amplifier having an inverting input terminal for connection to an input current source. A feed-back capacitor is coupled between the inverting input terminal and the output terminal to accumulate charges received from the input current source and to generate a feed-back voltage accordingly. A calibration unit includes a calibration capacitor electrically coupled, via a calibration switch, to the inverting input terminal and electrically coupled to the feed-back capacitor. The calibration unit is operable to switch the calibration switch to a calibration state permitting a discharge of a quantity of charge from the calibration capacitor to the feed-back capacitor. The capacitive trans-impedance amplifier is arranged to determine a voltage generated across the feed-back capacitor while the calibration switch is in the calibration state and to determine a capacitance value (C=Q/V) for the feed-back capacitor according to the value of the generated voltage (V) and the quantity of charge (Q).

A reference voltage generating circuit includes: an operational amplifier including a first input terminal connected to a first node and a second input terminal connected to a second node; a first transistor connected between a ground terminal and the first node, wherein a first current flows in the first transistor; a second transistor connected to the ground terminal; and a first variable resistor connected between the second transistor and the second node, wherein the first variable resistor has a first resistance value for adjusting the first current, based on a change in a current characteristic of the first transistor caused by a variation in a process of forming the first transistor. The reference voltage generating circuit provides a reference voltage, based on a voltage of the first node and a voltage across the first variable resistor.

A trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) includes a first circuit, a second circuit, and a third circuit. Both the first circuit and the second circuit are coupled to a current source, an operational amplifier, and the third circuit. The first circuit is configured to receive a first current, provide a third voltage to the third circuit, perform shape filtering on the first current, and convert the shape filtered first current to a first voltage for output. The second circuit is configured to receive a second current, provide a fourth voltage to the third circuit, perform shape filtering on the second current, and convert the shape filtered second current to a second voltage for output. The third circuit is configured to cooperate with the first circuit and the second circuit in performing shape filtering. The operational amplifier is configured to provide a small-signal virtual ground point to the first circuit.

Systems and devices for enabling the use of SIP subsystems to make a configurable system having a unique interconnecting scheme creates appropriate connections between the SIP components and/or subsystems such that desired characteristics and features for the configurable system are provided.

An apparatus with hall sensor common mode voltage adjustment includes: a bias provider configured to provide a bias current to the hall sensor; a first voltage regulator configured to vary a first voltage difference between the hall sensor and the bias provider, based on the bias current; and a second voltage regulator configured to vary a second voltage difference between the hall sensor and a ground, based on the bias current. The first and second voltage differences are variable such that a difference between the first voltage difference and the second voltage difference corresponds to a difference between a common mode voltage of first and second hall sensor output terminals of the hall sensor and a reference voltage.

Systems and methods are provided for amplifying multiple input signals to generate multiple output signals. An example system includes a first channel, a second channel, and a third channel. The first channel is configured to receive one or more first input signals, process information associated with the one or more first input signals and a first ramp signal, and generate one or more first output signals. The second channel is configured to receive one or more second input signals, process information associated with the one or more second input signals and a second ramp signal, and generate one or more second output signals. The first ramp signal corresponds to a first phase. The second ramp signal corresponds to a second phase. The first phase and the second phase are different.

A current sense loop includes an attenuator circuit, which has an embedded input chopper circuit, and an amplifier circuit, which has an output chopper circuit. The embedded input chopper has a first chopper input that is coupled to a first attenuator input, a first chopper output that is coupled to a first attenuator output, a second chopper input that is coupled to a second attenuator input, and a second chopper output that is coupled to a second attenuator output. An amplifier has a first input coupled to the first attenuator output and a second input coupled to the second attenuator output. An NFET has a gate coupled to the amplifier output, a source coupled to a ground plane, and a drain coupled to the second attenuator input.

A chopper switch is connected appropriately to multistage amplifiers.

A semiconductor circuit includes a plurality of amplifiers that is connected in series and individually amplify and supply a signal on an input side thereof to an output side thereof. A first chopper switch is connected to an input side of a first amplifier connected first among the plurality of amplifies, and a second chopper switch is connected to an output side of the first amplifier. The first and second chopper switches act in synchronism with a first chopper clock. A third chopper switch is connected to an input side of a second amplifier connected second or later among the plurality of amplifiers, and a fourth chopper switch is connected to an output side of the second amplifier. The third and fourth chopper switches act in synchronism with a second chopper clock. A phase compensation capacitor is connected at one end thereof to an input portion of the third chopper switch.