A dc coupled amplifier includes a pre-driver, and amplifier and a bias control circuit. The pre-driver is configured to receive one or more input signals and amplify the one or more input signals to create one or more pre-amplified signals. The amplifier has cascode configured transistors configured to receive and amplify the one or more pre-amplified signals to create one or more amplified signals, the amplifier further having an output driver termination element. The bias control circuit is connected between the pre-driver and the amplifier, the bias control circuit receiving at least one bias current from the output driver termination element of the amplifier, wherein the pre-driver, the amplifier and the bias control circuit are all formed on a same die.

An envelope tracking supply modulator includes an amplifier circuit and a zero peaking circuit. The amplifier circuit receives an envelope input, generates a modulated supply voltage according to the envelope input, and provides the modulated supply voltage to a power amplifier. The zero peaking circuit is coupled to the amplifier circuit, and applies zero peaking to the amplifier circuit, where the zero peaking inserts a zero at a frequency.

A receiver signal path includes a programmable flat gain stage configured to provide an amplified differential pair of signals based on a first frequency response having a selectable flat gain and a differential input pair of signals received on an input differential pair of nodes. The receiver signal path includes a peaking gain stage configured to generate a second amplified differential pair of signals based on the amplified differential pair of signals according to a second frequency response including a first peak gain at or near a carrier frequency in a first pass band. The first peak gain occurs just prior to a first cutoff frequency of the peaking gain stage. The programmable flat gain stage and the peaking gain stage are configured as a variable peaking gain stage. The selectable flat gain is selectively programmed based on a predetermined power consumption of a receiver path.

A method of controlling bandwidth and peaking over gain in a variable gain amplifier (VGA) device and structure therefor. The device includes at least three differential transistor pairs configured as a cross-coupled differential amplifier with differential input nodes, differential bias nodes, differential output nodes, a current source node, and two cross-coupling nodes. The cross-coupled differential amplifier includes a load resistor coupled to each of the differential output nodes and one of the cross-coupling nodes, and a load inductor coupled to the each of the cross-coupling nodes and a power supply rail. A current source is electrically coupled to the current source node. The cross-coupling configuration with the load resistance and inductance results in a lower bandwidth and lowered peaking at low gain compared to high gain. Further, the tap point into the inductor can be chosen as another variable to tune the bandwidth and peaking in a communication system.

A dual-mode signal amplifying circuit includes: a first and a second input terminals for receiving differential input signals; two output terminals for providing differential output signals; a first through a third current sources; a first switch positioned between the first current source and a first node, and controlled by the first input terminal; a second switch positioned between the first current source and a second node, and controlled by the second input terminal; a third switch positioned between the first node and a fixed-voltage terminal, and controlled by a third node; a fourth switch positioned between the second node and a fixed-voltage terminal and controlled by the third node; a fifth switch positioned between the second current source and a fixed-voltage terminal, and controlled by the first node; and a sixth switch positioned between the third current source and a fixed-voltage terminal, and controlled by the second node.

A dual-mode signal amplifying circuit includes: a first and a second input terminals for receiving differential input signals; two output terminals for providing differential output signals; a first through a third current sources; a first switch positioned between the first current source and a first node, and controlled by the first input terminal; a second switch positioned between the first current source and a second node, and controlled by the second input terminal; a third switch positioned between the first node and a fixed-voltage terminal, and controlled by a third node; a fourth switch positioned between the second node and a fixed-voltage terminal and controlled by the third node; a fifth switch positioned between the second current source and a fixed-voltage terminal, and controlled by the first node; and a sixth switch positioned between the third current source and a fixed-voltage terminal, and controlled by the second node.

A differential pair of transistors receives input voltages. Current mirror transistors and cascode transistors are coupled to the differential pair of transistors. The differential pair of transistors is coupled between the cascode transistors and a tail transistor that draws a first bias current from a tail node, the first bias current having a magnitude equal to a product of a total bias current and a constant that is less than one. A first current source transistor draws a second bias current from a node between the differential pair and cascode transistors so the second bias current bypasses one transistor of the differential pair of transistors. The second bias current has a magnitude equal to a product of the total bias current and a value equal to one minus the constant. An output stage is biased by an output at node between the cascode transistors and the current mirror transistors.

In certain aspects, an amplifier includes a first transistor including a gate, a drain, and a source, wherein the gate of the first transistor is coupled to a first input of the amplifier. The amplifier also includes a second transistor including a gate, a drain, and a source, wherein the gate of the second transistor is coupled to a second input of the amplifier. The amplifier further includes a first signal path coupled between the first input of the amplifier and the source of the second transistor, a second signal path coupled between the second input of the amplifier and the source of the first transistor, a first load coupled to the drain of the first transistor, and a second load coupled to the drain of the second transistor.

A receiver includes an amplifier that receives a transmission signal and amplifies a first voltage difference between the transmission signal and a reference signal to generate a first output signal and a second output signal at a first node and a second node. An equalizer is provided, which is connected to the first node and the second node and receives the transmission signal. The equalizer compensates a common-mode offset between the first output signal and the second output signal based on a second voltage difference between an average voltage level of the transmission signal and the reference signal.

Disclosed herein are signal amplifiers having a plurality of amplifier cores. Individual amplifier cores can be designed for particular gain modes to enhance particular advantages while reducing other disadvantages. The signal amplifier can then switch between amplifier cores when switching gain modes to achieve desired performance characteristics (e.g., improving noise figure or linearity). Examples of signal amplifiers disclosed herein include amplifier architectures with a high gain amplifier core that reduces the noise figure and a linearity boost amplifier core that increases linearity (e.g., for lower gain modes). The disclosed signal amplifiers have a first active core with amplification chains for each of a plurality of inputs and a second active core with a single amplification chain to amplify signals received at the plurality of inputs.