A synchronous rectifier includes: an integrator configured to integrate a voltage across a secondary side winding of a transformer over an integral period having an expected zero integral value; a first comparator configured to detect an end of a demagnetization phase of the secondary side winding based on diode detection; and a digital circuit configured to adjust a channel gain of the synchronous rectifier based on an integration error at the end of the integral period, the integration error corresponding to the difference between the integrated voltage at the end of the integral period and the expected zero integral. Corresponding methods of gain tuning and a power converter are also described.

An electronic device may include wireless circuitry with a baseband processor, a transceiver circuit, a front-end module, and an antenna. The front-end module may include amplifier circuitry such as a low noise amplifier for amplifying received radio-frequency signals. The low noise amplifier is operable in a non-carrier-aggregation (NCA) mode and a carrier aggregation (CA) mode. The low noise amplifier may include a first input stage, a second input stage, a complementary degeneration transformer, and an input impedance compensation circuit. During the NCA mode, the first input stage is turned on while the second input stage is turned off, the degeneration transformer is controlled to provide maximum inductance, and the compensation circuit is turned on to provide input matching. During the CA mode, the first and second input stages are turned on, the degeneration transformer is adjusted to provide less inductance, and the compensation circuit is turned off.

A clamping circuit that may be used to provide efficient and effective voltage clamping in an RF front end. The clamping circuit comprises two series coupled signal path switches and a bypass switch coupled in parallel with the series coupled signal path switches. A diode is coupled from a point between the series coupled signal path switches to a reference potential. In addition, an output selection switch within an RF front end has integrated voltage clamping to more effectively clamp the output voltage from the RF front end. Additional output clamping circuits can be used at various places along a direct gain signal path, along an attenuated gain path and along a bypass path.

Disclosed are systems and methods for a variable-gain differentiator in series with at least two non-inverting amplifiers. The variable-gain differentiator is connected to a voltage-controlled source at its non-inverting input and to its output at its inverting input. The output is connected to the non-inverting input of the first non-inverting amplifier. The output of the first non-inverting amplifier is connected to the input of the second non-inverting amplifier. The output of the second non-inverting amplifier is connected to a series of three integrators. Each integrator is connected to its output by a feedback path. Varying the gain of the voltage-controlled amplifier varies the gain of the differentiator at the output of the third integrator, thereby varying the output of the system.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to devices, wireless communication apparatuses, methods, and circuitry implementing a low noise amplifier (LNA) with phase-shifting circuitry to achieve a continuous phase at the output of the LNA. One aspect is an amplifier including a high gain active path comprising active circuitry, and a low gain path comprising passive circuitry and phase-shifting circuitry. In one or more aspects, the phase-shifting circuitry is configured to shift a phase of an input signal within the low gain path such that the phase of an output signal outputted from the low gain path approximately matches a phase of an output signal outputted from the high gain active path. In at least one aspect, a gain of the high gain active path is higher than a gain of the low gain passive path.

A light receiving unit receives a pulsed optical signal arriving from a search region. A branching unit generates, from a received light signal, a plurality of branch signals having signal intensities proportional to a signal intensity of the received light signal and different from one another. A conversion unit converts, from analog to digital, a signal fed via the individual path selected by a selection unit, and in accordance with a result of the conversion, a processing unit generates information regarding an object reflecting the optical signal. A control unit causes the selection unit to select one of the individual paths for which a determination unit determines that a magnitude of the fed signal is within an input range of the conversion unit and which provides the highest gain.

A radio frequency (RF) summer circuit having a characteristic impedance Z.sub.0 comprises first and second ports coupled by first and second resistances, respectively, to a junction. The circuit further comprises a series combination of a third resistance and a switch movable between open and closed positions and an amplifier having input and output terminals and operable in an off state and an on state wherein the series combination is coupled across the input and output terminals of the amplifier between the junction and a third port. The first resistance, second resistance, and the third resistance are all substantially equal to Z.sub.0/3. Further, when the switch is moved to the closed position and the amplifier is switched to the off state a passive mode of operation is implemented and when the switch is moved to the open position and the amplifier is switched to the on state an active mode of operation is implemented. The RF summer circuit develops a summed signal at the third port equal to a sum of signals at the first and second ports modified by one of first and second gain values.

Apparatus and methods for vector modulator phase shifters are provided. In certain embodiments, a phase shifter includes a quadrature filter that filters a differential input signal to generate a differential in-phase (I) voltage and a differential quadrature-phase (Q) voltage, an in-phase variable gain amplifier (I-VGA) that amplifies the differential I voltage to generate a differential I current, a quadrature-phase variable gain amplifier (Q-VGA) that amplifies the differential Q voltage to generate a differential Q current, and a current mode combiner that combines the differential I voltage and the differential Q voltage to generate a differential output signal. A phase difference between the differential output signal and the differential input signal is controlled by gain settings of the I-VGA and the Q-VGA.

Methods and devices used in mobile receiver front end to support multiple paths and multiple frequency bands are described. The presented devices and methods provide benefits of scalability, frequency band agility, as well as size reduction by using one low noise amplifier per simultaneous outputs. Based on the disclosed teachings, variable gain amplification of multiband signals is also presented.

Amplifiers, amplification circuits, and phase shifters, for example, for flexibly adjusting an output phase to thereby meet a requirement of a constant phase on a link in a communications field, are provided. In one aspect, an amplifier includes first, second, and third MOS transistors. The first MOS transistor includes a gate separately coupled to a signal input end and a bias voltage input end, a source coupled to a power supply, and a drain separately coupled to sources of the second and third MOS transistors. A drain of the third MOS transistor is coupled to a ground, and a drain of the second MOS transistor is coupled to a signal output end. The bias voltage input end is configured to receive a bias voltage to adjust a phase difference between an input signal at the signal input end and an output signal at the signal output end.