Analog-to-digital converter circuit having automatic range control
US5194865A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 6, 1991 |
| Grant date | Mar 16, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 6, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03M1/186
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An analog to digital converter circuit and technique including a peak detector circuit for generating a reference potential corresponding to a peak amplitude of the analog signal to be converted, a level shifting circuit for shifting the dc level of the analog signal in response to the reference potential, and an analog to digital converter for converting the shifted analog signal relative to the reference potential to provide automatically high bit resolution digital signals, independent of the magnitude of the input signal. Preferably, the level shifter sums one half the analog signal and one half the reference potential to produce the shifted signal, and the shifted signal is converted using a ratiometric analog to digital converter having a reference signal input of one half the reference potential. The reference potential is periodically updated by detecting a new peak. Analog signals containing amplitude modulated information may be so processed to provide effectively a dyanmic range corresponding to the input range of the analog to digital converter for optimum bit resolution.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.