Patent ID: 8680911
Filing Date: 2014-03-25
Classification: G01C,G01J,H03F,H03G

Abstract:
1. A clamp-point active circuit comprising: a rate amplifier configured to receive an output from a device transitioning between at least two levels; and at least one switching device configured to receive an output from the rate amplifier, the at least one switching device in at least one respective feedback loop of the rate amplifier, wherein at least one collector of the at least one switching device is directly connected to the rate amplifier, wherein a switching of the at least one switching device causes the rate amplifier to amplify with high linearity in a desired operating range and to clamp outputs received from the transitioning device that are outside the desired operating range to a fixed level, wherein the at least one switching device comprises: an NPN bipolar junction transistor, wherein a collector of the NPN bipolar junction transistor is directly connected to an inverting input of the rate amplifier; and a PNP bipolar junction transistor, wherein a collector of the PNP bipolar junction transistor is directly connected to the inverting input of the rate amplifier.