Patent · US Expired

Circuit, method, and apparatus for continuously variable analog to digital conversion

US7068205B1 · kind B1 · utility

11Cited by
11References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 22, 2004
Grant dateJun 27, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 22, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03M3/462
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A circuit, method and microcontroller apparatus for performing an analog to digital conversion with continuously variable resolution is disclosed. The circuit includes a integrating modulator for converting an analog input signal, corresponding to an input voltage, to a digital signal at its output over an integrate time. The circuit also includes a counter with an enable input coupled to the integrating modulator output. The counter accumulates the number of cycles where the digital signal is positive during the sample period and provides a corresponding conversion result. Further, the circuit has a pulse width modulator; its output gates a clock to the counter enable input. The pulse width modulator is user programmable on-the-fly to set said integrate time and said sample period.

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