A current feed-back instrumentation amplifier (CFIA) comprises a differential pair with degeneration for amplifying small differential voltages in the presence of large common-mode voltages. The CFIA includes input and feedback transconductors and a chopping modulator circuit that continuously swaps tail current sources between the transconductors. This tail current swapping reduces the contribution to the CFIA's gain error caused by random mismatch between the tail currents of the input and feedback transconductors. The modulator circuit operates on a clock cycle to periodically swap the tail current sources. As a result, even if the tail currents are mismatched, on average the tail currents (transconductor gains) will approximately equal out, and the contribution of the tail current difference to the gain error is canceled out.

A power amplifier circuit for broadband data communication over a path in a communication network can reduce or avoid gain compression, provide low distortion amplification performance, and can accommodate a wider input signal amplitude range. A dynamic variable bias current circuit can be coupled to a common emitter bias node of a differential pair of transistors to provide a dynamic variable bias current thereto as a function of an input signal amplitude of an input signal. Bias current is increased when input signal amplitude exceeds a threshold voltage established by an offset or level-shifting circuit. The frequency response of the bias current circuit can track the frequency content of the input signal. A delay in the signal path to the differential pair can phase-align the bias current to the amplification by the differential pair. A dynamic variable supply voltage can be based on an envelope of the input signal.

An operational amplifier, a driving interface, a measurement and control device, a driving circuit and a driver are provided. The operational amplifier is used as at least one of an input interface and output interface, and when the operational amplifier corresponds to one transistor (Q), an external circuit of the transistor further includes: a first port (Vdj), connected with a base (B) of the transistor (Q) through a first resistor (Rb); a second port (I/Oe), connected with an emitter E of the transistor (Q); a third port (I/Oc), connected with a collector (C) of the transistor (Q); and a fourth port (GND), connected with the emitter (E) of the transistor (Q) through a second resistor and used as a public port for signal input and signal output.

In one example an amplifier includes a bias circuit, an open-loop gain stage including a first PMOS having a gate coupled to a first node, a source coupled to a second node, a drain coupled to a third node, and a bulk coupled to the bias circuit, a second PMOS having a gate coupled to a ground node, a source coupled to the second node, a drain coupled to a fourth node, and a bulk coupled to the bias circuit, a first NMOS having a drain and a gate coupled to the third node and a source coupled to a fifth node, a second NMOS having a drain coupled to the fourth node, a gate coupled to the third node, and a source coupled to the fifth node, an adjustable resistor coupleable between the third and fourth nodes, and a buffer stage coupled to the open-loop gain stage.

Techniques for monitoring a distortion signal of a power amplifier circuit, where the output of a distortion monitoring circuit includes little or no fundamental signal and closely represents the actual distortion of the amplifier circuit of a wired communications system. The power amplifier circuit can generate a distortion feedback signal that does not affect the power amplifier's output power capability, e.g., no inherent loss in the fundamental output of the amplifier. That is, using a distortion monitor circuit, the power amplifier circuit can resolve a distortion feedback signal from the intended output signal of the output power amplifier circuit.

A variable gain amplifier capable of stabilizing an average output potential of a differential output signal, improving power efficiency over a wide range of an amplitude of the differential input signal, and suppressing deterioration of a distortion rate is provided. The variable gain amplifier includes an amplifying circuit configured to amplify a differential input signal with a gain according to a gain control signal, and a current control circuit. The amplifying circuit has a first current source supplying a source current. The current control circuit adjusts a magnitude of the source current of the first current source according to a magnitude of the gain control signal.

A voltage-to-current converter that reduces third harmonic distortion. An amplifier includes an input stage. The input stage includes a first voltage-to-current conversion stage and a second voltage-to-current conversion stage. The first voltage-to-current conversion stage is configured to provide an input to output gain with compressive nonlinearity. The second voltage-to-current stage is cascaded with the first voltage-to-current conversion stage. An input of the second voltage-to-current stage is connected to an output of the first voltage-to-current conversion stage. The second voltage-to-current conversion stage is configured to provide an input to output gain with expansive nonlinearity.

An optical modulator driver circuit (1) includes an amplifier (50, Q10, Q11, R10-R13), and a current amount adjustment circuit (51) capable of adjusting a current amount of the amplifier (50) in accordance with a desired operation mode. The current amount adjustment circuit (51) includes at least two current sources (IS10) that are individually ON/OFF-controllable in accordance with a binary control signal representing the desired operation mode.

A differential pair circuit includes a first branch and a second branch having a common first node. Each of the first and second branches includes at least one transistor having a conduction node directly connected to the common first node. A third branch couples the common first node to a power supply node. The third branch includes a current source in series with a resistive element.

A differential tuned inductor and a multilayer tunable transformer for an integrated circuit device for microwave and RF applications are disclosed. The tunable inductor can be used in differential artificial delay lines to achieve delay tuning while preserving impedance matching. The tunable transformer can also be used for mixer drives to achieve wider operational performance.