Current-conveyor based field programmable analog array

An approach for designing field programmable analog array is described. The analog array is based on current-conveyors. It consists of a regular pattern of current conveyor based analog cells. This design benefits from the current conveyor characteristics (large bandwidth, low number of discrete elements needed), which provides designers with elementary current-mode blocks. An elementary cell based on a two current conveyors architecture has been developed. It is both used as an analog cell and an interconnection element. Each elementary cell is associated with tuneable resistors and capacitors. The analog function is implemented by using the elementary cells programmed as current-mode amplifiers or continuous-time filters. The first step of this approach is to be able to develop basic analog functions such as low frequency filtering and amplifying. A new topology based on the developed analog elmentary cell is proposed and should be shortly validate. The major difference compared with the previous proposed approaches is the use of the same element both as active element and switching element, with no use of transistor based switches in the signal path.