Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for an ADC circuit with wider input signal swing

US7221299B2 · kind B2 · utility

12Cited by
9References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 13, 2005
Grant dateMay 22, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 13, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03M1/44
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) system that converts an analog input signal into a digital output circuit uses a method of shaping a pseudo-random signal such that the ADC system can be used with input signals having wider swings. The ADC system also includes a quantizer having a comparator offset of less than =/−¼ least significant bit (LSB) in a stage calibrated for gain errors. A method of operating an ADC circuit includes measuring an amplitude and polarity of an input signal voltage and changing characteristics of a pseudo-random signal to ensure that a subsequent stage of the ADC circuit is not saturated. An implementation of the ADC circuit alters the pseudo-random signal based on the amplitude of the input signal such that when the input signal goes close to a positive rail, the pseudo-random signal alternates between a first range, and when the input signal goes close to a negative rail, the pseudo-random signal alternates between a second range.

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