Operational amplifier switchable to different configurations

Abstract

A circuit assembly for an operational amplifier has an input stage with first and second input terminals and an output terminal. An output stage has a first input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the input stage, a second input terminal, and an output terminal. A feedback circuit is coupled between the output terminal of the output stage and the second input terminal of the input stage. An interconnection circuit is coupled to the first and second input terminals and the output terminal of the output stage and to a reference voltage source. The interconnection circuit has first, second, and third modes, such that the second input terminal of the output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when the interconnection circuit is in the first mode. The first input terminal of the output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when the interconnection circuit is in the second mode, and the first input terminal of the output stage is coupled to the output terminal of the output stage and the second input terminal of the output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when the interconnection circuit is in the third mode.

We claim:  
     
       1. An operational amplifier comprising: 
       an input stage having first and second input terminals and an output terminal;  
       an output stage having a first input terminal coupled to the output terminal of said input stage, a second input terminal, and an output terminal;  
       a feedback circuit coupled between the output terminal of said output stage and the second input terminal of said input stage; and  
       a controllable interconnection circuit coupled to the first and second input terminals of said output stage and the output terminal of said output stage and to a reference voltage source, said controllable interconnection circuit having first, second and third modes, and the operational amplifier having a first configuration when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the first mode, the operational amplifier having a second configuration when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the second mode, and the operational amplifier having a third configuration when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the third mode.  
     
     
       2. The operational amplifier of claim  1  wherein: 
       the second input terminal of said output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the first mode;  
       the first input terminal of said output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the second mode; and  
       the first input terminal of said output stage is coupled to the output terminal of said output stage and the second input terminal of said output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the third mode.  
     
     
       3. The operational amplifier of claim  2  wherein said controllable interconnection circuit comprises: 
       a first switch having a first terminal coupled to the first input terminal of said output stage and a second terminal coupled to the reference voltage source;  
       a second switch having a first terminal coupled to the second input terminal of said output stage and a second terminal coupled to the reference voltage source;  
       a third switch having a first terminal coupled to the output terminal of said output stage and a second terminal coupled to the first input terminal of said output stage.  
     
     
       4. The operational amplifier of claim  3  wherein: 
       said first switch is open, said second switch is shut, and said third switch is open when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the first mode;  
       said first switch is shut and said second and third switches are open when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the second mode; and  
       said first switch is open and said second and third switches are shut when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the third mode.  
     
     
       5. The operational amplifier of claim  3  wherein said first, second and third switches comprise first, second, and third transistors. 
     
     
       6. The operational amplifier of claim  5  wherein said first, :second, and third transistors have control terminals coupled to receive external control signals. 
     
     
       7. The operational amplifier of claim  1  wherein the reference voltage is ground. 
     
     
       8. A circuit assembly having an operational amplifier comprising: 
       an input stage with an output terminal and at least one signal input terminal;  
       an output stage with an output terminal, a first input terminal connected to the output terminal of said input stage and a second input terminal;  
       a feedback circuit between the output terminal of said output stage and an input terminal of said input stage;  
       a capacitive compensation component connected between one of the input terminals of said output stage and the output terminal of said output stage;  
       a first and a second supply terminal for connection to a supply voltage source; and  
       controllable interconnection means which can bring the amplifier selectively into one of first, second, and third configurations, the first configuration being a configuration in which the second input terminal of the output stage is connected to a reference terminal having a predetermined potential between potentials of the first and of the second supply terminals, the second configuration being a configuration in which the second input terminal of the output stage has a very high impedance relative to the reference terminal and the first input terminal of the output stage is connected to the reference terminal, and the third configuration being a configuration in which the second input terminal of the output stage is connected to the reference terminal and the first input terminal of the output stage is connected directly to the output terminal.  
     
     
       9. A circuit assembly according to claim  8 , in which the output stage includes a class AB amplifier stage comprising: 
       a first and a second field effect transistor power component which are complementary to one another, each having a first and a second power electrode and a control electrode, and being connected, in push-pull manner relative to one another, with the respective first power electrodes to the first and to the second supply terminal, respectively, and with the second power electrodes connected to one another and to the output terminal of the stage;  
       a first and a second transconductance amplifier each having an output terminal connected to the control electrode of the first and of the second power component respectively, a non-inverting input terminal connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the other transconductance amplifier, so as to form the first input terminal of the output stage and an inverting input terminal connected to the inverting input terminal of the other transconductance amplifier so as to form the second input terminal of the output stage, said first and second transconductance amplifiers being dimensioned such that they have an output current which is substantially zero in rest conditions;  
       a first and a second voltage generator connected to the control electrode of the first and of the second power component, respectively, the voltages of these generators being selected so as to determine currents which are substantially equal through the first and second power components in rest conditions of the class AB amplifier stage; and  
       a first and a second resistive means connected between the control electrode of the first and of the second power component, respectively, and the first and the second supply terminals, respectively.  
     
     
       10. A circuit assembly according to claim  8  wherein said input stage comprises a differential amplifier with a first input terminal which is the input terminal connected to the feedback circuit, a second input terminal which is the signal input terminal of the input stage and an output terminal which is the output terminal of the input stage. 
     
     
       11. A circuit assembly according to claim  8  wherein the controllable interconnection means comprises first, second, and third switches, the first switch being adapted to connect the first input terminal of the output stage to the reference terminal, the second switch being adapted to connect the second input terminal of the output stage to the reference terminal, and the third switch being adapted to connect the first input terminal and the output terminal of the output stage to one another. 
     
     
       12. A circuit assembly according to claim  11 , wherein said first, second, and third switches comprise field effect transistors. 
     
     
       13. A method for configuring an operational amplifier into a plurality of configurations, the method comprising: 
       providing an input stage having first and second input terminals and an output terminal;  
       coupling a first input terminal of an output stage to the output terminal of the input stage;  
       coupling a feedback circuit between the output terminal of the output stage and a second input terminal of the input stage;  
       configuring a controllable interconnection circuit such that a second input terminal of the output stage is coupled to a reference voltage source when the controllable interconnection circuit is in a first mode;  
       configuring the controllable interconnection circuit such that the first input terminal of the output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when the controllable interconnection circuit is in a second mode; and  
       configuring the controllable interconnection circuit such that the first input terminal of the output stage is coupled to the output terminal of the output stage and the second input terminal of the output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when the controllable interconnection circuit is in a third mode.  
     
     
       14. An operational amplifier comprising: 
       
         an input stage having an input terminal and an output terminal;  
       
       
         an output stage including a differential amplifier having a first input terminal coupled to the output terminal of said input stage, a second input terminal, and an output drive circuit having an output terminal; and  
       
       
         a controllable interconnection circuit coupled to the first input terminal of said differential amplifier of said output stage and the output terminal of said output stage and to a reference voltage source, said controllable interconnection circuit having first and second modes, and the operational amplifier having a first configuration when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the first mode, and the operational amplifier having a second configuration when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the second mode.  
       
     
     
       15. The operational amplifier of claim  14  wherein: 
       
         the second input terminal of said output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the first mode; and  
       
       
         the first input terminal of said output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the second mode.  
       
     
     
       16. The circuit according to claim  14  further including a second input terminal connected to the input stage and 
       
         a feedback circuit connected from the output to the second input terminal.  
       
     
     
       17. The circuit according to claim  14  in which the controllable interconnection circuit has a third mode of operation and the operation amplifier has a third configuration when the controllable interconnection circuit is in the third mode.  
     
     
       18. The operational amplifier of claim  34  wherein the first input terminal of said output stage is coupled to the output terminal of said output stage and the second input terminal of said output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the third mode.  
     
     
       19. The operational amplifier of claim  16  wherein the controllable interconnection includes: 
       
         a ground terminal; and  
       
       
         a switch coupled into the feedback circuit for selectively connecting the feedback circuit to the second input terminal of the output stage.  
       
     
     
       20. The operational amplifier of claim  15  wherein the controllable interconnection includes: 
       
         a ground terminal; and  
       
       
         a switch coupled to the ground terminal and selectively connectable to the second input terminal of the output stage.  
       
     
     
       21. An operational amplifier comprising: 
       
         a first stage having an input and a connection line;  
       
       
         a second stage coupled to the connection line and having an output;  
       
       
         a feedback circuit from the output to the input; and  
       
       
         an interconnection circuit coupled to the connection line, the interconnection circuit including a switch circuit to selectively couple the connection line to a ground and the interconnection circuit selectively couples the interconnection circuit to ground.  
       
     
     
       22. The feedback circuit and the interconnection circuit selectively couples the connection line to the output; 
       
         a first stage having an input and a connection line;  
       
       
         a second stage coupled to the connection line and having an output;  
       
       
         a feedback circuit from the output to the input; and  
       
       
         an interconnection circuit coupled to the connection line, the interconnection circuit including a switch circuit to selectively couple the connection line to ground and the interconnection circuit so it couples the interconnection circuit to ground.  
       
     
     
       23. An operational amplifier comprising: 
       
         an input stage having an input terminal and an output terminal;  
       
       
         an output stage having a first input terminal coupled to the output terminal of said input stage, a second input terminal, and an output terminal;  
       
       
         a feedback circuit coupled between the output terminal of said output stage and the input terminal of said input stage; and  
       
       
         a controllable interconnection circuit coupled to the first and second input terminals of said output stage and the output terminal of said output stage and to a reference voltage source, said controllable interconnection circuit having first and second modes, and the operational amplifier having a first configuration when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the first mode and the operational amplifier having a second configuration when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the second mode.  
       
     
     
       24. A method for configuring an operational amplifier into a plurality of configurations, the method comprising: 
       
         connecting an input signal to an input stage;  
       
       
         coupling the input stage to an output stage to provide an output;  
       
       
         coupling a feedback circuit between the output and a second input terminal of the input stage;  
       
       
         configuring a controllable interconnection circuit such that a first input terminal of the output stage is coupled to a first selected terminal when the controllable interconnection circuit is in the first mode; and  
       
       
         configuring the controllable interconnection circuit such that a second input terminal of the output stage is coupled to a second selected terminal when the controllable interconnection circuit is in a second mode.  
       
     
     
       25. The method according to claim  24  further including: 
       
         configuring the controllable interconnection circuit such that the first input terminal of the output stage is coupled to the output terminal of the output stage and the second input terminal of the output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when the controllable interconnection circuit is in the third mode.  
       
     
     
       26. The method of claim  24  wherein the first selected terminal is ground.  
     
     
       27. The method of claim  24  further including the step of configuring the controllable interconnection circuit such that the second input terminal is selectively connected to the first selected terminal in a third mode of operation.  
     
     
       28. The method of claim  24  wherein the first selected terminal is the output.  
     
     
       29. The method of claim  24  wherein the second selected terminal is a high impedance terminal.  
     
     
       30. The method of claim  24  further including the step of 
       
         connecting the first input terminal to ground simultaneously with connecting the second input terminal to a high impedance terminal.  
       
     
     
       31. The method of claim  24  further including the step of 
       
         connecting the first input terminal to the output simultaneously with connecting the second input terminal to ground.  
       
     
     
       32. An operational amplifier comprising: 
       
         an input stage having an input terminal and an output terminal;  
       
       
         an output stage having a first input terminal coupled to the output terminal of said input stage, a second input terminal, and an output terminal;  
       
       
         a controllable interconnection circuit coupled to the first input terminal of said output stage and the output terminal of said output stage and to a reference voltage source, said controllable interconnection circuit having first and second modes, and the operational amplifier having a first configuration when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the first mode, and the operational amplifier having a second configuration when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the second mode;  
       
       
         the second input terminal of said output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the first mode; and  
       
       
         the first input terminal of said output stage is coupled to the reference voltage source when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the second mode.  
       
     
     
       33. An operational amplifier comprising: 
       
         an input stage having an input terminal and an output terminal;  
       
       
         an output stage having a first input terminal coupled to the output terminal of said input stage, a second input terminal, and an output terminal; and  
       
       
         controllable interconnection circuit coupled to the first input terminal of said output stage and the output terminal of said output stage and to a reference voltage source, said controllable interconnection circuit having first, second and third modes of operation, and the operational amplifier having a first configuration when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the first mode, and the operational amplifier having a second configuration when said controllable interconnection circuit is in the second mode and the operation amplifier has a third configuration when the controllable interconnection circuit is in the third mode.  
       
     
     
       34. An operational amplifier comprising: 
       
         a first stage having an input and a connection line;  
       
       
         a second stage coupled to the connection line and having an output;  
       
       
         a feedback circuit from the output to the input;  
       
       
         an interconnection circuit coupled to the connection line, the interconnection circuit including a switch circuit to selectively couple the connection line to a selected terminal; and  
       
       
         the selected terminal is coupled to the feedback circuit and the interconnection circuit selectively couples the connection line to the output.