Patent ID: 8258863
Filing Date: 2012-09-04
Classification: H03F

Abstract:
1. A chopper-stabilized amplifier comprising: a first amplifier; a first input chopper circuit having a first input coupled to receive a first input signal, a first output coupled to a first input of the first amplifier, a second output coupled to a second input of the first amplifier, the second input of the first amplifier being coupled to receive a first feedback signal, wherein the first chopper input circuit operates in response to a chopping clock and in response to a chop enable signal; a first feedback resistor coupled between an output of the first amplifier and the second input of the first amplifier for producing the first feedback signal; a gain resistor having a first terminal coupled to the second input of the first amplifier and a second terminal coupled to receive a predetermined voltage; and saturation detection circuitry coupled to a signal path in the chopper-stabilized amplifier for comparing a signal level in the signal path to a reference to generate the chop enable signal if the amplifier is in a normal operating mode and disabling the chop enable signal if the first amplifier is unacceptably close to a saturation condition.