Sub-ranging SAR analog-to-digital converter with meta-stability detection and correction circuitry
US9813073B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 22, 2017 |
| Grant date | Nov 7, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 22, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03M3/30
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A sub-ranging SAR ADC has a coarse flash ADC that generates bit values corresponding to MSBs of the digital output value, and a fine SAR ADC that generates bit values corresponding to LSBs of the digital output value. The fine ADC generates successive analog approximation signals for the analog input signal. Meta-stability (MTS) detection circuitry detects a coarse-ADC MTS condition in the coarse ADC if a magnitude of a difference between a current approximation signal and a previous approximation signal is greater than a specified threshold level. A controller controls operations of the sub-ranging ADC to correct for a detected coarse-ADC MTS condition. The MTS detection circuitry includes a positive MTS detector that detects a positive coarse-ADC MTS condition in the coarse ADC and a negative MTS detector that detects a negative coarse-ADC MTS condition in the coarse ADC.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.