Analog to digital flash converter
US4608555A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 20, 1982 |
| Grant date | Aug 26, 1986 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 20, 2002 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03M1/361
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An analog to digital flash converter provides a multiple bit, parallel output arranged in more significant to less significant bits. The converter includes a voltage to current converter for providing an analog signal as an input current to a plurality of parallel converter stages. A reference signal input is independent of the analog signal input. Each of the converter stages receives the analog input current. Each stage has a comparator for comparing the analog input current with a dependent signal derived from the reference signal. The comparators are connected so that the dependent signal for each comparator is derived from the reference signal on the basis of outputs from each comparator of more significant bit stages. The dependent signal for each stage is derived by means of a switch in each stage connected to receive the output of the comparator in the next adjacent more significant bit converter stage, to control operation of the switch. The switch of each more significant stage is connected to supply the dependent signal of any next adjacent stage to the comparator of its stage and each less significant bit stage. The converter stages convert the analog input signal to di…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.