A low distortion transconductance amplifier provides current to a grounded load using a virtual ground input stage, a pair of current mirrors, and a bias current source. The virtual ground input stage may include transistors arranged as a Darlington pair. The low distortion transconductance amplifier can function as a voltage-controlled AC current source that is operable at high frequencies.

An amplifier arrangement comprising first and second power amplifiers (T1, T2) having drains connected to positive and negative drive voltages, respectively, and gates connected to an input signal. The arrangement further comprises first and second current sensors (1, 2) for detecting first and second drain currents from the power amplifiers, processing circuitry (3) adapted to identify the smallest drain current, and a feedback control loop (5) and means for driving a bias current dependent on a feedback signal through a resistor connected between the input signal and the gate of an inactive one of the first and second power amplifiers. The control loop will keep the idle current constant in the transistor with the lowest current (the inactive transistor). Thereby, the current running in the transistor which does not deliver current to the load will be fixed at a desired value.

According to an embodiment, an operational amplifier includes a first amplifier stage coupled between an input node and an intermediate node, a second amplifier stage coupled between the intermediate node and an output node, a compensation capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the intermediate node and a second terminal, and a compensation amplifier coupled between the output node and the second terminal. The compensation amplifier has a positive gain greater than one.

Disclosed herein are envelope detectors with high input impedance, and related methods and systems. In some embodiments, an envelope detector with high input impedance may include: a swinging stage including first, second, and third transistors, wherein the third transistor and an active transistor are arranged as a differential pair, the first transistor is the active transistor when an input to the envelope detector is positive, and the second transistor is the active transistor when the input to the envelope detector is negative; and a feedback circuit, coupled to the swinging stage, to provide an output signal representative of a rectification of the input.

Disclosed herein are envelope detectors with high input impedance, and related methods and systems. In some embodiments, an envelope detector with high input impedance may include: a swinging stage including first, second, and third transistors, wherein the third transistor and an active transistor are arranged as a differential pair, the first transistor is the active transistor when an input to the envelope detector is positive, and the second transistor is the active transistor when the input to the envelope detector is negative; and a feedback circuit, coupled to the swinging stage, to provide an output signal representative of a rectification of the input.

A driver that drives an optical device, such as laser diode (LD) and/or optical modulator, is disclosed. The driver includes a variable gain amplifier (VGA) and a post amplifier. The post amplifier amplifies an output of the VGA to a preset amplifier as varying the gain of the VGA. The VGA includes two differential pairs each amplify the input signal oppositely in phases thereof and outputs of the differential pairs are compositely provided to the post amplifier. The gain of the VGA is varied by adjusting contribution of the second differential pair to the output of the VGA.

An amplifier arrangement comprising first and second power amplifiers (T1, T2) having drains connected to positive and negative drive voltages, respectively, and gates connected to an input signal. The arrangement further comprises first and second current sensors (1, 2) for detecting first and second drain currents from the power amplifiers, processing circuitry (3) adapted to identify the smallest drain current, and a feedback control loop (5) and means for driving a bias current dependent on a feedback signal through a resistor connected between the input signal and the gate of an inactive one of the first and second power amplifiers. The control loop will keep the idle current constant in the transistor with the lowest current (the inactive transistor). Thereby, the current running in the transistor which does not deliver current to the load will be fixed at a desired value.

An amplifier includes first through sixth transistors. The first transistor is of a first polarity type and has a control terminal and first and second terminals. The second transistor is of a second polarity type and has a control terminal and first and second terminals. The third transistor is of the first polarity type and has a control terminal and first and second terminals. The second terminal of the third transistor is coupled to the first terminal of the second transistor. The fourth transistor is of the second polarity type and has a control terminal and first and second terminals. The first terminal of the fourth transistor is coupled to the second terminal of the second transistor. The fifth transistor has a control terminal coupled to the control terminal of the third transistor. A sixth transistor has a control terminal coupled to the control terminal of the fourth transistor.

A variable gain amplifier includes a control unit to acquire set gain information related to a setting of a gain, and, on the basis of the set gain information, output a current to a first reference current transistor and a second reference current transistor in such a manner that the sum of the value of a current to the first reference current transistor and the value of a current to the second reference current transistor becomes constant, and output, to a first variable impedance circuit and a second variable impedance circuit, a voltage obtained by multiplying the absolute value of the difference between the value of a current to the first reference current transistor and the value of a current to the second reference current transistor by a coefficient.

Technologies are provided to calculate a logarithm of an input current to a logarithmic transimpedance amplifier device at a particular temperature. The logarithm of the current is calculated in digital domain based on sampling of analog signals that are internal to the logarithmic transimpedance amplifier device. The sampling can be performed, in some cases, by an analog-to-digital converter device integrated into the logarithmic transimpedance amplifier device. The calculation in digital domain is performed by one or more processor external to the logarithmic transimpedance amplifier device. The calculation includes a determination of a temperature compensation factor based on an internal analog signal indicative of temperature of the logarithmic transimpedance amplifier device. The temperature compensation factor permits removing temperature dependence from a logarithmic output voltage originating from the input current. Operating in the digital domain permits applying corrections that account for residual leakage current and an emitter-resistance correction at high input currents.