US 7,579,879 B2
Voting scheme for analog signals
David O. Erstad, Minnetonka, Minn. (US); and Bruce W. Ohme, Minneapolis, Minn. (US)
Assigned to Honeywell International Inc., Morristown, N.J. (US)
Filed on Oct. 27, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/262,081.
Prior Publication US 2007/0109012 A1, May 17, 2007
Int. Cl. G06F 1/08 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 327—99  [327/407] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An analog voter circuit, comprising in combination:
a first analog block, a second analog block, and a third analog block that are designed to provide substantially similar analog outputs when receiving substantially similar inputs, wherein the first analog block provides a first analog output, wherein the second analog block provides a second analog output, and wherein the third analog block provides a third analog output;
a first transconductor circuit including a first transistor pair and a second transistor pair, wherein the first transistor pair includes a first transistor connected in parallel with a second transistor, wherein the second transistor pair includes a third transistor connected in parallel with a fourth transistor, wherein a first load is connected between the first and second transistor pairs; and wherein the first analog output is connected to a gate of the first transistor, the second analog output is connected to a gate of the second and third transistors, and the third analog output is connected to a gate of the fourth transistor;
a second transconductor circuit including a third transistor pair and a fourth transistor pair, wherein the third transistor pair includes a fifth transistor connected in parallel with a sixth transistor, wherein the fourth transistor pair includes a seventh transistor connected in parallel with an eighth transistor, wherein a second load is connected between the third and fourth transistor pairs; and wherein the second analog output is connected to a gate of the fifth transistor, the first analog output is connected to a gate of the sixth and seventh transistors, and the third analog output is connected to a gate of the eighth transistor; and
wherein at least one output of the first transconductor circuit and the second transconductor circuit changes from a value of substantially zero to a non-zero value if one of the first, second, and third analog block outputs is impacted by a transient event.