The flipped voltage follower: a useful cell for low-voltage low-power circuit design

J. Ramírez‐Angulo, R.G. Carvajal, A. Torralba, J. Galán, A. Pérez Vega-Leal, J. Tombs

2003 · 166 citations · 39 references

Concepts

TL;DR

The flipped voltage follower (FVF) has historically been employed in many low‑power and low‑voltage circuit applications. This paper identifies a basic FVF cell for low‑power/low‑voltage operation and presents new applications validated by simulations and experiments. The authors classify the basic FVF topologies and outline how the cell can be used in CMOS designs. They provide a detailed classification of FVF‑derived topologies, a comprehensive list of recent low‑voltage/low‑power CMOS circuits, new application examples, and a translinear‑loop design illustrating the cell’s potential for high‑performance low‑power analog and mixed‑signal systems.

Abstract

In this paper, a basic cell for low-power and/or low-voltage operation is identified. It is evidenced how different versions of this cell, coined as "flipped voltage follower (FVF)" have been used in the past for many applications. A detailed classification of basic topologies derived from the FVF is given. In addition, a comprehensive list of recently proposed low-voltage/low-power CMOS circuits based on the FVF is given. Although the paper has a tutorial taste, some new applications of the FVF are also presented and supported by a set of simulated and experimental results. Finally, a design example showing the application of the FVF to build systems based on translinear loops is described which shows the potential of this cell for the design of high-performance low-power/low-voltage analog and mixed-signal circuits.

References

39