Current mode analog-to-digital converter (ADC)
US9960781B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 12, 2017 |
| Grant date | May 1, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 12, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03M1/38
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A current-mode analog-digital conversion (ADC) circuit directly samples and digitizes an input signal in the current domain; the input signal may be a current signal or a photonic signal. Input capacitors may be coupled to the current source by a series of switches and configured to store a target charge. The target charge may be compared to a reference voltage by comparators of the system to generate digital output. The current-mode ADC circuit may be adapted to flash, successive-approximation, and pipeline architectures, or embodied in a photonic receiver incorporating current-mode ADC circuits configured to sample and digitize photonic signals.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.