An electronic comparator circuit

Abstract: An electronic comparator circuit (1), of a type which comprises a first, differential stage (2) input circuit portion provided with a differential pair of bipolar transistors (T2,T3) forming respective outputs of thee input portion (2), is further provided with an output stage (3) comprising a first pair of MOS transistors (M1,M2), with gate electrodes (G1,G2) in common, respectively connected on the one side to said outputs (C2,C3) and on the other side to a positive supply pole (Vc) via a current mirror circuit, and a second pair of MOS transistors (M5,M6), with gate electrodes (G5,G6) in common, connected between said outputs (C2,C3) and ground. A drain electrode (D2) of the first pair of MOS transistors (M1,M2) forms an output (OUT) for the comparator (1), the latter having shown itself to be specially fast during the switch phase and combining the advantages of bipolar technology circuits and of those in the CMOS technology.

Description: This invention relates to an electronic comparator circuit of a type similar to the ones disclosed in EP-A-0 284 092, with an input differential stage, a cascode arrangement and a current mirror to provide the comparator output. Further circuit with a cascode stage is known from EP-A-0 333 864 and from EP-A-0 332 499. As is well known, comparator devices are used extensively in a multiplicity of electronic monitoring and control circuits to set the moment that a signal, having a waveform whatever, will reach a given reference level. A further known type of comparator may comprise an operational amplifier to the non-inverting input whereof a waveform to be compared is applied, while a predetermined reference or threshold voltage value Vs is maintained on the inverting input. Known are comparator circuits which are implemented in the bipolar technology, for example. These are distinguished by a high accuracy, a high voltage gain and a so-called "offset" voltage drop which is specially low. Such circuits lend themselves to have their output interfaced with either logic circuits in the bipolar technology or logic circuits of the CMOS type. While being beneficial under several aspects, this kind of comparator experiences considerable delay in the signal propagation between the input and the output due to the presence of so-called "saturating" circuit structures. Most of the times, long delays in the signal propagation are unacceptable because they would add to further delays, from logic circuits downstream from the comparator and already connatural therewith. To obviate this drawbacks, comparators could be used which incorporate so-called "non-saturating" circuit structures, which structures would employ, for example, Schottky diodes between the bases and the collectors of some transistors. Also required would be high bias currents. However, to provide such structures, the conventional production process of bipolar technology integrated circuits would have to be burdened by additional, complex and costly processing steps (e.g., triple metallization). The technical problem underlying this invention is to provide an electronic comparator circuit which is specially fast in its switch phase and has such structural and functional characteristics as to be coupleable with logic circuits of the CMOS type, while ensuring low current draw and overcoming the shortcomings with which the prior art is beset. This problem is solved by a comparator circuit as defined in Claim 1. The features and advantages of a circuit according to the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of illustration and not of limitation with reference to the accompanying drawing. The drawing shows, as Figure 1 thereof, a wiring diagram of the electronic comparator circuit according to the invention. With reference to the drawing, generally and schematically indicated at 1 is the circuit construction of the inventive comparator. The comparator 1 comprises a first, differential stage circuit portion 2 consisting of a differential pair of transistors T2 and T3 of the pnp type, which have respective emitters connected together and to a positive supply pole Vc via a bias current source I2. The respective bases B2 and B3 of said transistors T2, T3 are connected, in turn, to the positive pole Vc via respective bias current sources I1 and I3. The collectors C2, C3 of said differential transistor pair, T2 and T3, constitute respective outputs of said input portion 2. The stage 2 has a signal input IN and a threshold input S, each having a corresponding transistor T1, T4 of the pnp type associated therewith, with each transistor connected into an emitter-follower configuration between the stage 2 and ground. These transistors T1, T4 form so-called buffers to increase the input impedance of the stage 2. They have their respective bases B1, B4 coincident with said inputs IN and S; the emitters E1 and E4 respectively connected to the base B2 and the base B3 of the differential pair T2, T3; and their respective collectors C1, C4 connected to ground. Advantageously, the cell 2 of the comparator 1 has its output connected to an output stage 3 formed in the CMOS technology and comprising a pair of n-channel, MOS transistors M1 and M2 which have their respective gates G1, G2 connected together. Said MOS transistors M1, M2 are connected, in a so-called "cascode" configuration to the bipolar stage 2, with their respective source electrodes S1, S2 connected to the collectors C2, C3, respectively, of each corresponding transistor T2, T3. Also provided is a current mirror circuit 4 consisting of a pair of p-channel, MOS transistors M3, M4 and being connected between the supply pole Vc and said stage 3. In particular, the transistor M3 is in a diode configuration, and both transistors M3 and M4 have their respective source electrodes S3, S4 connected to the pole VC, and their respective drain electrodes D3, D4 connected to the corresponding drain electrodes D1, D2 of the first transistor pair M1, M2 in the stage 3. The drain D2 of transistor M2 also forms an output terminal OUT for the comparator 1. A bias current source or generator I4 is further provided which is connected between the pole Vc and the gates G1 and G2 of the stage 3. The circuit construction of the comparator 1, and of the output stage 3, is completed by a second pair of transistors M5, M6 of the MOS type, each inserted as a current source between a corresponding collector C2, C3 of the stage 2 and ground. Specifically, the transistors M5, M6 have their respective gates G5, G6 connected together; the source electrodes connected to ground; and the drain electrodes connected to the collector C2 and the collector C3, respectively. Also provided is a further transistor M7 of the MOS type which is connected into a diode configuration with the gate G7 connected to the drain D7, between the gate G2 of transistor M2 and ground, via a resistor R. The last-mentioned transistor M7 also has the gate G7 connected directly to the gates G5, G6 of the second pair of transistors M5, M6. In a preferred embodiment, the value of the current source I4 is selected to correspond with a predetermined current value I. In addition, the current source I2 has a value of 2I, and the current Id through each of the transistors M5 and M6 a value of 3I. The bias current sources I1, I3 have the same value. With reference to a starting state under stationary conditions, that is with the respective voltage values Vin and Vs on the input terminals IN and S being equal, the current which is flown through each of the transistors T2, T3 in the stage 2 will correspond with the value I. Consequently, through each of the transistors M1 and M2 in the output stage 3 there is flown a current of 2I. It may be shown that the operating point of the circuit depends solely on the value of the current I and the resistor R, additionally to the dimensional ratio W/L of the width to the length of the MOS transistor channels. The threshold voltage of the transistors M1 and M2 of stage 3 corresponds with that of transistor M7. On the other hand, where the voltage levels on the inputs of the differential stage 2 differ from each other, and the stage itself is completely off balance, it may be assumed that the transistor T3 is fully conducting, whereas the transistor T2 is cut off. In this situation, the current being flown through the transistor T3 would be equal to 2I, and the highest voltage value achievable on the collector C3 would be given by the product of R x I. Therefore, by arranging for this voltage value to be equal to 0.4 Volts, for example, and selecting the values of I and R, the transistors T2 and T3 can be prevented from becoming saturated, thus making the comparator 1 uniquely fast during the switch phase. In order to allow for variations in the base-emitter voltage drop of the transistors T2, T3 with temperature, the value of the current I may be made proportional to that voltage drop. By an appropriate choice of the value of the current I and of the ratio W/L, the transistors in the stage 3 can be sized to have the lowest voltage between the collector C3, of the transistor T3, and ground equal to 0. In that case, the minimum value of the voltage on the output terminal OUT would also be nil. Where, on the contrary, the current flowing through the transistor M1 is much higher than that through the transistor M2, the voltage value at the output OUT will be practically the same as the supply voltage Vc. It follows that the broad range of the output voltage will make the comparator 1 a suitable one to both drive bipolar circuits and circuits of the MOS type. The comparator circuit 1 of this invention combines the advantages afforded by circuits implemented in the bipolar technology and the MOS technology. This circuit has shown to have a good gain and a low input offset voltage drop. Furthermore, it has shown to be quite fast during the switch phase, because of the absence of bipolar transistors operated in saturation, which affords a concurrent low current draw.

Claims: Electronic comparator circuit comprising an input stage (2) provided with a differential pair of bipolar transistors (T2, T3) having their emitters connected to a first power supply pole (Vc) through a current source (I 2 ), their bases (B2, B3) connected to respective inputs (IN, S) of the comparator circuit and their collectors (C2, C3) connected to a second supply pole (ground) through a respective one of a pair of MOS transistors (M5, M6) having their gates (G5, G6) in common, their sources connected to the second power supply pole (ground) and their drains connected each to a respective one of said collectors (C2, C3), an additional pair of MOS transistors (M1, M2), connected in a cascode configuration to the differential pair (T2, T3), having their sources (S1, S2) connected to respective collectors (C2, C3) of the bipolar transistors (T2, T3), their gates (G1, G2) in common and their drains (D1, D4) connected to the first supply pole (Vc) via a current mirror circuit (M3, M4), one (D2) of the drains of the additional pair (M1, M2) being connected to an output terminal (OUT) of the comparator, a further MOS transistor (M7) connected in a diode configuration with its source connected to the second power supply pole (ground) and its gate and its drain connected in common to the common gates of the pair of MOS transistors (M5, M6) and, via a resistor (R), to the common gates (G1, G2) of the additional pair of MOS transistors (M1, M2) and to an end of a bias current source (I4) which has another end connected to the first power supply pole (Vc), the values of the current source (I2), of the bias current source (I4), of the resistor (R) and the dimensional ratios (W/L) of the MOS transistors being so selected as to preclude said bipolar transistors (T2, T3) from saturating. Electronic comparator circuit according to claim 1, comprising a further pair of bipolar transistors (T1, T4) connected in an emitter-follower configuration to the pair of bipolar transistors (T2, T3), with their bases being said inputs (IN, S) of the comparator circuit.

Inventors: ALZATI ANGELO, GOLA ALBERTO, NOVELLI ALDO, ALZATI, ANGELO, GOLA, ALBERTO, NOVELLI, ALDO
Applicants: SGS THOMSON MICROELECTRONICS, SGS-THOMSON MICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: H03K5
IPC codes: H03K5, H03F3