Patent ID: 7061319

Claim:
A low-voltage supply low-power variable gain amplifier circuit, the circuit comprising: a first amplifier having an input and an output; a transconductor having an input and an output; a variable gain amplifier having an input coupled to the output of the transconductor, an output and a variable gain control input, where the variable gain amplifier is configured such that a gain of the variable gain amplifier is controlled by a signal received at the variable gain control input; and an input control circuit having a first input for receiving a signal to be amplified, a second input electrically coupled to the output of the first amplifier, a first output coupled to the input of the first amplifier, a second output coupled to the input of the transconductor, and a gain control input, where the input control circuit is configured to electrically coupled the first input and first output terminals of the input control circuit responsive to a first signal received at the gain control input corresponding to a high gain mode, wherein the first amplifier is engaged, and is further configured to electrically couple the second input and second output terminals of the input control circuit responsive to a second signal received at the gain control input corresponding to a low gain mode, wherein the first amplifier is disengaged.