An amplifier comprising a differential amplifier configured to be provide a comparator function, and a gain trimming circuit is electrically configured to provide gain trimming using a T-network comprising a varistor element. In addition, a method of trimming the gain of a differential amplifier, comprising the steps of a first step, (a) providing the differential amplifier comprising resistors in both of its paths, a second step, (b) providing a varistor in a T-network between both said paths; and lastly, a third step, (c) trimming the gain of the differential amplifier by adjusting the varistor's resistance.

A differential amplifier comprises: a long tailed pair transistor configuration comprising a differential pair of transistors and a tail transistor; and a replica circuit configured to vary a feedback current in the replica circuit to match a replica voltage to a reference voltage, wherein varying the feedback current in the replica circuit provides a bias voltage to the tail transistor in the long tailed pair which controls a tail current through the tail transistor to determine a common mode voltage in the long tailed pair.

A current-bootstrap comparator includes a receiving unit, a first current generation unit and a second current generation unit. The receiving unit receives a load voltage signal, a low threshold voltage and a high threshold voltage. The first current generation unit generates a first current. The second current generation unit generates a second current having a magnitude substantially same as a magnitude of the first current and a direction reverse to the first current. The first current and the second current are supplied to a next-stage circuit as a source current and a corresponding sink current, respectively, when the level of the load voltage signal is higher than the high threshold voltage or lower than the low threshold voltage. The magnitudes of the first current and the second current substantially equal zero when the level of the load voltage signal is between the high threshold voltage and the low threshold voltage.

An integrated circuit (IC) chip can include an operational amplifier with adjustable operational parameters. The IC chip can also include a trimming module configured to measure an output voltage of the operational amplifier in response to at least one of detecting that the operational amplifier has a positive supply voltage set to a level greater than a predetermined level and detecting a given common mode voltage at inverting and non-inverting inputs of the operational amplifier. The trimming module can also be configured to adjust the operational parameters of the operational amplifier based on the output voltage to trim the operational amplifier.

An integrated circuit (IC) chip can include an operational amplifier with adjustable operational parameters. The IC chip can also include a trimming module configured to measure an output voltage of the operational amplifier in response to at least one of detecting that the operational amplifier has a positive supply voltage set to a level greater than a predetermined level and detecting a given common mode voltage at inverting and non-inverting inputs of the operational amplifier. The trimming module can also be configured to adjust the operational parameters of the operational amplifier based on the output voltage to trim the operational amplifier.

A chopper amplifier and method of operation are described. The chopper amplifier comprises a first chopper arranged to modulate an input signal using a first chopper signal having a chopper frequency. An amplification stage has an input arranged to receive the chopped signal and an output, and supplies an amplified signal at the output. An output chopper is arranged to integrate the amplified signal using a second chopper signal having the chopper frequency to generate an amplified output signal. The amplification stage is further configured to filter the chopped signal to attenuate signal components having frequencies lower than the chopper frequency.

An operational amplifier based circuit has an operational amplifier, a feedback circuit, and a compensation circuit block. The feedback circuit is coupled between an output port and an input port of the operational amplifier. The compensation circuit block has circuits involved in stability compensation of the operational amplifier, wherein there is no stability compensation circuit driven at the output port of the operational amplifier.

A semiconductor device includes an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) with a matched pair of transistors including a first transistor and a second transistor, and configuration units that include a first set of switches, a second set of switches, and an input transistor. Gain adjustment circuitry is coupled to adjust gain of the OTA. Measurement circuitry is coupled to measure offset in the OTA. Control logic is configured to operate the first and second sets of switches to couple input transistors of a first group of the configuration units to the first transistor of the matched pair of transistors, and to couple input transistors of a remaining group of the configuration units to the second transistor of the matched pair of transistors. Settings of the first and second sets of switches are selected to minimize the offset.

An amplifier comprising a differential amplifier configured to be provide a comparator function, and a gain trimming circuit is electrically configured to provide gain trimming using a T-network comprising a varistor element. In addition, a method of trimming the gain of a differential amplifier, comprising the steps of a first step, (a) providing the differential amplifier comprising resistors in both of its paths, a second step, (b) providing a varistor in a T-network between both said paths; and lastly, a third step, (c) trimming the gain of the differential amplifier by adjusting the varistor's resistance.

A semiconductor device includes an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) with a matched pair of transistors including a first transistor and a second transistor, and configuration units that include a first set of switches, a second set of switches, and an input transistor. Gain adjustment circuitry is coupled to adjust gain of the OTA. Measurement circuitry is coupled to measure offset in the OTA. Control logic is configured to operate the first and second sets of switches to couple input transistors of a first group of the configuration units to the first transistor of the matched pair of transistors, and to couple input transistors of a remaining group of the configuration units to the second transistor of the matched pair of transistors. Settings of the first and second sets of switches are selected to minimize the offset.