Patent · US Expired

Segmented DAC calibration circuitry and methodology

US6489905B1 · kind B1 · utility

50Cited by
5References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 8, 2001
Grant dateDec 3, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 8, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03M1/747
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A segmented digital-to-analog converter (DAC) has been described that uses a two-step calibration process to calibrate current sources to a single primary reference source. In one embodiment, the DAC includes sub-DACs, a reference generator circuit and a primary, or golden, reference source. Current sources of both the sub-DACs and the reference generator are calibrated to a golden current source or primary reference current. In one embodiment, the current sources each include a transistor coupled so that a gate voltage can be adjusted during calibration. The multiple current sources of the reference generator are first calibrated to the primary reference source. The calibrated output currents of the reference generator are then used to calibrate current sources in the sub-DACs.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.