Analog/digital converter with tree-structured folding circuit
US6236348A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 17, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 22, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 17, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03M1/368
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Signal-folding converters which establish two so-called fold analogue signals, whose curves of variation as a function of a voltage Vin to be converted cross over at multiple points. The architecture establishes n pairs of voltages varying with Vin and crossing over for regularly distributed values Vin=V.sub.k. At least two current routing circuits are provided, each of which possesses at least three pairs of inputs and at least two outputs including a direct output and an inverse output. The direct outputs, linked together, provide a folded signal SR; the inverse outputs provide a complementary folded signal SRb. Each routing circuit receives three voltage pairs of rank k-1, k, and k+1 and includes a current source supplying a group of branches arranged as a tree-like structure. The apportioning of the current in each branchoff depends on the voltage pairs of rank k-1, k, and k+1, and the direct and inverse outputs of the circuit are tapped respectively from two different branches of the last stage of the tree-like structure.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.