A low-voltage ultra-low-power translinear integrator for audiofilter applications

In this paper, the design and measurement of a l-V translinear integrator and its application in a controllable second-order lowpass filter for hearing instruments is presented. A semicustom version of the filter has been integrated in a standard 2-μm, 7-GHz, bipolar IC process and operates at voltages down to 1 V, consumes only 6 μA, and has a dynamic range of 57 dB for a total harmonic distortion below 2%. Its cutoff frequency is linearly adjustable in octaves from 1.6 to 8 kHz     

Application of the translinear principle in digital circuits

The translinear principle, which is useful in the design of analog integrated circuits, can also be applied to the design of digital integrated circuits. As an example of this technique, a new nonsaturating bistable element is described, which operates according to the translinear principle and which is realizable with standard bipolar integrated circuit processes. The circuit can operate over a wide range of supply current from some milliamperes down to below 1 nA.     

Two bandpass active filters with reduced sensitivities

A current-controlled current source and a voltage-controlled voltage source are used in conjunction with four passive components to implement second-order bandpass filters. The circuits, which exhibit reduced values for their active and passive sensitivities, can be used in a very large frequency range when the active elements are designed from high-performance bipolar arrays. Simulated results using SPICE, which confirm the theoretical analysis, are reported and discussed for active elements implemented in a translinear form. Experimental results are given indicating that the implementation compares favorably with conventional ones     

Class AB current-controlled resistor for high performancecurrent-mode applications

A class AB current-controlled grounded resistor based on a translinear loop implemented from bipolar transistors is described. Simulation results show that its value is tunable from 30 to ~100 kΩ with frequency responses up to 100 MHz and beyond. With 12.5 V supply voltages, the total harmonic distortion (THD) is <1% for peak to peak magnitudes of the input current >2.5 times the value of the control current. To illustrate its suitability, the results of a controlled amplifier, using this resistor and operating in current-mode, are also given     

A 1-V Class-AB Translinear Integrator for Filter Applications

In this paper, the design and measurements of a 1-volt class-AB instantaneous companding translinear integrator are presented. The use of instantaneous companding and class-AB operation gives an improvement of the dynamic range and a reduction of the power consumption. The proposed circuit uses only bipolar transistors and one capacitor and is, therefore, very well suited for integrated implementation. Its unity-gain frequency can easily be controlled by a current. Simulations and measurements of a semicustom realization, to be applied in a hearing instrument, confirm correct operation of the designed circuit. The translinear integrator operates from a single supply voltage down to 0.95 V. The current consumption is less than 1.9 A for an input current of 180 nA (p). The dynamic range is better than 73 dB over a bandwidth of 8 kHz.     

A novel method for elimination of line-current harmonics insingle-stage PFC switching regulators

This paper studies a particular single-stage power-factor-correction (PFC) switching regulator employing a discontinuous-conduction-mode (DCM) boost-input cell and a continuous-current-mode (CCM) forward output cell. Although this single-stage PFC regulator can provide a reasonably high power factor when its PFC stage is operating in discontinuous mode, substantial reduction in line-current harmonics is possible by applying a suitable frequency-modulation scheme. This paper derives a frequency-modulation scheme and proposes a practical implementation using a simple translinear analog circuit. A quantitative analysis on the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the line current when the circuit is subject to a limited range of frequency variations is presented along with some considerations for practical design. Experimental data obtained from a prototype confirms the effectiveness of the proposed frequency-modulation scheme. The proposed analog translinear circuit allows custom integrated circuit implementation, making it a viable low-cost solution to the elimination of line-current harmonics in switching regulators     

Computer aided analysis and design of MOS translinear circuits operating in strong inversion

Recently, it was proposed to generalize the well-known translinear circuit principle in such a way that it also applies to MOS transistors operated in strong inversion. In this paper, the MOS translinear (MTL) principle will be briefly reviewed. A graphical analysis method for MTL-circuits is presented, which can also be applied to bipolar translinear circuits. This graphical method was implemented in a computer program, which is now used as an interactive design tool to implement nonlinear signal processing functions by MTL circuits.     

High-frequency characterization and modeling of distortion behavior of MOSFETs for RF IC design

High frequency (HF) distortion of MOSFETs has been characterized at different frequencies and bias conditions with a single tone measurement system. The results show that a MOSFET has much higher "low frequency limit" (LFL) than a bipolar transistor with similar critical dimensions, implying that the HF distortion characteristics of MOSFETs operating at a frequency lower than LFL is dictated by its low-frequency behavior. This discovery is useful for designers and modelers to validate the distortion of a MOSFET model for RF application. It has also been found that the second harmonic P/sub f2/ reaches to its minimum as f/sub T/ peaks, due to a similar nonlinearity cancellation as in bipolar transistors. Furthermore, the measured data shows fairly constant distortion characteristics over a wide range of drain biases as the device operates in the saturation region. Simulation with a BSIM3v3-based sub-circuit model demonstrates that the distortion behavior of MOSFETs can be well predicted by an RF model if it can accurately describe both dc and ac characteristics with proper parameter extraction. Sensitivity of the distortion on various physical effects, such as the mobility degradation, velocity saturation, channel length modulation, and drain-induced barrier lowering, are also studied to provide insights of the key nonlinearity variation contributors from a practical modeling point of view.     

Harmonnic and Intermodulation Performance of Op-Amp Power-Supply Current and the Dual Translinear Loop

The nonlinear behavior of the op-amp power supply current and thedual translinear loop are analyzed. Closed-form expressions are obtained forthe harmonic and intermodulation components resulting from a multisinusoidalinput signal. These expressions can be used to predict the limiting valuesof the input current for a prespecified tolerable distortion percentage.     

Design of High Dynamic Range Fully Integratable Translinear Filters

This paper addresses the non-linear noise and dynamic-range properties of bipolar and MOS (both in weak and in strong inversion) translinear integrators, following a systematic top-down approach. Several design principles to achieve an optimal dynamic range are derived. A qualitative comparison of a bipolar or weak-inversion class-AB translinear integrator and the well-known linear g _m – C integrator reveals that the former is an interesting candidate, especially for low-voltage and/or low-power operation. As an example, a ±1.65-V bipolar translinear integrator is presented that makes dynamic-range optimization possible by adjusting just one bias current. Its application in an audio filter yields a 63-dB dynamic range and a virtual dynamic range of 76 dB, while the current consumption can be as low as 310 nA.     

Generation and cancellation of second-order harmonic distortion inanalog optical systems by interferometric FM-AM conversion

The generation of strong harmonic distortion from interferometric FM-AM conversion in analog lightwave systems is demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally. The effect results from the combined effects of wavelength chirping of the laser coupled with the nonlinear transmission characteristics of a dispersive element in the optical beam path. It is shown that reflections as small as 2-10^-4 will result in second-order distortion as large as -65 dBc. The effect can also be used to cancel any laser- or detector-induced harmonic distortion. In one example, the -36 dBc second-order distortion in a distributed-feedback (DFB) laser is improved to better than -70 dBc     

A SiGe HBT Translinear Harmonic Mixer

A novel even-order harmonic mixer is proposed. Based on the translinear loop of BJT/HBTs, frequency doubling and single-to-differential conversion circuits have been employed in the design of harmonic mixer. The proposed mixer has been verified in a SiGe HBT process by SpectreRF simulations.     

An ultra-low-power, low-voltage electronic audio delay line for usein hearing aids

In this paper, the design of an electronic audio delay line, realized with a second-order all-pass filter, is presented. The designed filter is primarily intended for use in hearing aids, to provide directivity by a specially designed microphone array. The filter operates at a supply voltage of as low as 1.8 V. The simulated and measured total quiescent current is 0.9 μA. Owing to current companding and class-AB operation, the dynamic range is 62 dB at a total harmonic distortion (THD) below 7%, i.e., at maximum output. The delay time is adjustable by control currents. The filter has been integrated in a standard bipolar process. The total measured delay time of the all-pass filter is approximately 110 μs over a bandwidth of 4 kHz     

Dual translinear sinusoidal frequency doubler and full-wave rectifier

In this article, an integrable circuit principle which can be employed to realize both a sinusoidal frequency doubler and a full-wave rectifier is presented. The realization method makes use of a dual translinear characteristic of bipolar junction transistors. Two implementation circuits are proposed and their performance are demonstrated by experimental results.     

Pseudorandom signals to estimate apparent transfer and coherencefunctions of nonlinear systems: applications to respiratory mechanics

There is an increasing need in physiology to estimate nonparametric linear transfer functions from data originating from biological systems which are invariably nonlinear. For pseudorandom (PRN) input stimuli, we derive general expressions for the apparent transfer (Z) and coherence (gamma 2) functions of nonlinear systems that can be represented by a Volterra series. It is shown that in the case of PRN signals in which the frequency components are integer multiples of other components the estimates of Z are seriously biased due to harmonic distortion and crosstalk among frequency components of the input. When the PRN signal includes components that are not integer multiples of other components harmonic distortion is avoided, but not necessarily cross talk. Here the estimates of Z remain poor without a noticeable influence on gamma 2. To avoid the problems associated with harmonic distortions and minimize the influence of crosstalk, a family of pseudorandom signals is proposed which are especially suited for the estimation of Z and gamma 2 in mechanical measurements of physiological systems at low frequencies. The components in the signals cannot be reproduced as linear combinations of two or more frequency components of the input. In a second-order system, this completely eliminates the bias, while in higher-order, but not strongly nonlinear systems, the interactions among the components are reduced to a level that the response can be considered as if it was measured with independent sine waves of an equivalent amplitude. It is also shown that the values of gamma 2 are not appropriate to assess linearity of the system. The theory is supported by simulation results and experimental examples brought from the field of respiratory mechanics by comparing the input impedance of the respiratory system of a dog measured with various PRN signals.     

多输出端电流模式全差分积分器实现带通滤波器的方法及仿真

该文提出了利用低电压多输出端电流模式全差分积分器(MCDI)设计实现连续时间电流模式滤波器的方法.分析并模拟了MCDI及所提出的滤波器的特性,应用3.3V,0.5m,CMOS工艺参数仿真得到的二阶带通滤波器功耗仅为0.6mW左右,且其中心频率可在很宽的范围内调控.此外,这种滤波器还具有结构简单、对称性好、失真小等优点,适于全集成.     

具有宽调谐范围的低电压对数域二阶低通滤波器

提出了一个由BiCMOS构成的对数域二阶低通滤波器,并采用跨导线性原理分析得到其传递函数。分析了晶体管的寄生电容对此滤波器频率特性的影响。PSpice仿真结果表明,该对数域低通二阶节的实际频率特性和理想特性基本一致。且具有宽频率调谐范围、低工作电压和低失真等特点,可用于对数域高阶滤波器的设计。     

Translinear circuits in subthreshold MOS

In this paper we provide an overview of translinear circuit design using MOS transistors operating in subthreshold region. We contrast the bipolar and MOS subthreshold characteristics and extend the translinear principle to the subthreshold MOS ohmic region through a drain/source current decomposition. A front/back-gate current decomposition is adopted; this facilitates the analysis of translinear loops, including multiple input floating gate MOS transistors. Circuit examples drawn from working systems designed and fabricated in standard digital CMOS oriented process are used as vehicles to illustrate key design considerations, systematic analysis procedures, and limitations imposed by the structure and physics of MOS transistors. Finally, we present the design of an analog VLSI translinear system with over 590,000 transistors in subthreshold CMOS. This performs phototransduction, amplification, edge enhancement and local gain control at the pixel level.     

Novel translinear impedance convertor and bandpass filter applications

A new design for an impedance convertor using translinear elements is introduced. A custom integrated circuit for a gyrator can be implemented from it, using bipolar linear arrays. When the simulated impedance is an inductance, it can be used to design a second order current-mode filter with adjustable value for the Q-factor without affecting f/sub 0/ and the gain. The effects of parasitic elements are studied. SPICE simulated results are given.<>     

Sinusoidal frequency doubler and full-wave rectifier based on translinear current-controlled current conveyors

A circuit design technique that employs translinear current-controlled current conveyors as active circuit elements to design a sinusoidal frequency doubling and full-wave rectifying circuit is proposed. The circuit can realize the sinusoidal frequency doubler and full-wave rectifier without changing the circuit configuration. The proposed frequency doubling and rectifying action is exploited from the translinear characteristic of the current conveyor. Simulation and experimental results are given to confirm the theoretical predictions.