Christopher L Dillon

US Patent:

7221191, May 22, 2007

Filed:

Jul 21, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/187061

Inventors:

Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty Ali - Oak Ridge NC, US
Christopher Daniel Dillon - Greensboro NC, US

Assignee:

Analog Devices, Inc. - Norwood MA

International Classification:

G11C 27/02

US Classification:

327 94, 341122

Abstract:

Signal sampler embodiments are provided for processing input signals along signal paths in response to mode-command signals. They include a follower transistor with a control terminal and a current terminal that establish at least part of a signal path. They also include a switched-capacitor network that receives signals from the current terminal in response to a first mode-command signal and that couple a selected one of a set of reference signals to the current terminal in response to a second mode-command signal. During a second mode-command signal, a bias switch is arranged to bias off the follower transistor by coupling a bias signal to the control terminal that approximates the selected reference signal. Accordingly, the amplitude of the reference signals can be increased to facilitate an increased dynamic range of the input signals without biasing the follower transistor into breakdown.

US Patent:

20200274542, Aug 27, 2020

Filed:

Feb 22, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/283194

Inventors:

- Norwood MA, US
Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty ALI - Oak Ridge NC, US
Christopher Daniel DILLON - Greensboro NC, US

Assignee:

Analog Devices, Inc. - Norwood MA

International Classification:

H03M 1/00
H03M 1/08

Abstract:

Comparators are implemented in many circuits, including analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Some ADCs demand high bandwidth, low power consumption, and high speed. To address these requirements, a comparator circuit can be implemented without a separate pre-amplifier, where a sampling network drives a latch directly. Specifically, the comparator circuit integrates a pre-amplifier within the latch in a manner that ensures low power and high speed operation.