Patent ID: 8836423

Claim:
An apparatus for automatically adjusting the bandwidth (BW) of an electronic amplifier, the apparatus comprising: an electronic amplifier having an input for receiving a first input signal and an output for outputting a first output signal corresponding to an amplified version of the first input signal, the electronic amplifier amplifying the first input signal by a non-zero gain value to produce the amplified version of the first input signal, the electronic amplifier having a BW that is adjustable, the electronic amplifier including BW-enhancement circuitry capable of enhancing the BW of the electronic amplifier, the BW-enhancement circuitry includes at least one resistor and at least one variable capacitor; an amplitude detector circuit having an input and an output, the input of the amplitude detector circuit being electrically coupled to the output of the electronic amplifier for receiving at least a portion of the first output signal, the amplitude detector circuit detecting an amplitude of the first output signal and producing an amplitude detection signal indicative of an amplitude of the first output signal; and an automatic BW adjustment circuit having an input that is electrically coupled to the output of the amplitude detector circuit for receiving the amplitude detection signal, the automatic BW adjustment circuit being configured to produce a BW adjustment signal that is based on the amplitude detection signal, the automatic BW adjustment circuit having an output for outputting the BW adjustment signal, the output of the automatic BW adjustment circuit being electrically coupled to the electronic amplifier such that the BW adjustment signal is applied to a node of the BW-enhancement circuitry to cause at least one capacitance value of said at least one variable capacitor to be varied, and wherein the variation in the capacitance value causes the BW of the electronic amplifier to be adjusted; and a gain circuit having an input that is electrically coupled to the output of the electronic amplifier for receiving the first output signal and having an output that is electrically coupled to the input of the amplitude detector circuit, the gain circuit comprising at least one adjustable gain stage that receives the first output signal and amplifies the first output signal to produce an amplified first output signal, the gain circuit amplifying the first output signal by a non-zero gain value to produce the amplified first output signal, and wherein the amplitude detection signal is indicative of an amplitude of the amplified first output signal.