Abstract:
A multi-stage resistive ladder network which uses extra stages to trim out resistance discrepencies. All of the stages are interconnected in a series. Nominally, current is divided in half within each stage. Half of the current is gated onto a bus in response to logic control signals, and the other half of the current is passed onto the next succeeding stage. Due to various processing limitations, the resistors comprising each stage vary slightly from their nominal value, which in turn upsets the current division. To compensate for this additional current dividing stages are serially connected to the last stage of the ladder. Current from these additional stages are selectively coupled onto the bus in response to the logic signals in addition to the current which is normally coupled thereto.
Abstract:
The invention concerns a digital coder subject to a compression law having multiple linear segments with slopes decreasing in geometrical progression having a ratio of 1/2, in which a chain of threshold detectors in a linear progression is used a first time to determine the number of the segment, then a second time to determine the position of the level on the segment.
Abstract:
A method can be used to generate a reference clock signal having a reference frequency. N clock sub-signals are generated, where N is greater than or equal to 2. The N clock sub-signals are successively mutually shifted out of phase by π/N and each clock sub-signal has an elementary frequency that is equal to the reference frequency divided by N. The N clock sub-signals are propagated over propagation paths. The elementary frequency and a length of the longest propagation path are chosen so that each sub-signal has an acceptable degree of deformation. The duration of each sub-signal edge is longer than quarter of the period of the reference frequency. The reference clock signal is generated by EXCLUSIVE OR combining the propagated clock sub-signals at the end of their respective propagation paths.
Abstract:
The disclosure is directed to low-power high-resolution analog-to-digital converter (ADCs) circuits implemented with a delta-sigma modulators (DSMs). The DSM includes a single-bit, self-oscillating digital to analog converter (SB-DAC) and a dual-slope integrating quantizer that may replace an N-bit quantizer found in a conventional DSM. The integrating quantizer of this disclosure oscillates after quantization because the SB-DAC in the feedback path directly closes the DSM loop. The integrating quantizer circuit includes a switch at the input and two phases per sample cycle. During the first phase the switch sends an input analog signal to an integrator. During the second phase, the switch sends the feedback signal from the output of the self-oscillating SB-DAC to the integrator. The input to the SB-DAC may be output from a clocked comparator.
Abstract:
Disclosed is an all-digital delay locked loop circuit based on a time-to-digital converter and a control method thereof. The all-digital delay locked loop circuit includes a phase inversion locking control circuit for determining whether or not to use a phase inversion locking algorithm by detecting a phase difference between an input clock and an output clock and outputting the input clock or an inverted input clock; and a phase synchronization unit connected to an output terminal of the phase inversion locking control circuit to receive an output signal of the phase inversion locking control circuit and a control signal and perform phase synchronization, in which the phase synchronization unit includes a digital control delay line for receiving the input clock or the inverted input clock output from the phase inversion locking control circuit and reducing a phase error between the input clock and the output clock.
Abstract:
A robust and fast background calibration technique for correction of time-interleaved ADC offset, gain, bandwidth, and timing mismatches is proposed. The technique combines the use of a calibration signal and a reference ADC. The calibration signal enhances robustness and makes the technique independent of the input signal's statistics. The reference ADC speeds up convergence and enables the use of a small amplitude calibration signal that does not significantly reduce the input signal dynamic range. The calibration signal can be subtracted or filtered from the ADC output and is therefore invisible to the ADC user.
Abstract:
A comparison circuit is provided and includes first and second comparators and a first time-to-digital comparator. The first comparator with a first offset voltage receives an input signal and generates a first comparison signal and a first inverse comparison signal. The second comparator receives the input signal and generates a second comparison signal and a second inverse comparison signal. The first offset voltage is larger than the second offset voltage. The first time-to-digital comparator receives the first comparison signal and the second inverse comparison signal and generates first and second determination signals according to the first comparison signal and the second inverse comparison signal. The first and second determination signals indicate whether a voltage of the input signal is larger than a first middle voltage. The first middle voltage is equal to a half of the sum of the first offset voltage and the second offset voltage.
Abstract:
Time-to-digital converters (TDC) with improved resistance to metastability are provided. The TDC includes a ring oscillator gated by a start signal. A stop signal triggers capturing values of phase signals from the ring oscillator using master-slave flip-flops. Signals from two of the master stages of the flip-flops are logically combined to produce a counter clock signal that causes a counter to count. The outputs of the flip-flops and of the counter are encoded to produce a digital representation of the time between transitions of the start signal and the stop signal. Since the signals from the master stages of flip-flops are captured (and stop toggling) by the stop signal, the counter clock signal stops toggling, and the counter stops counting. This assures that the values of the captured phase signals and the counter are consistent and avoids metastability errors that could otherwise occur.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a time-to-digital (TDC) converter comprising an analog voltage source. An analog-to-digital converter quantizes two voltage samples in response to receiving a first input signal at a first time t1 and a second input signal at a second time t2. The first and second digital signals are combined to produce a digital signal that represents the difference (t2−t1).
Abstract:
An apparatus and method for regulating analogue-to-digital converters. First and second input signals are received at controlled oscillator circuitry which generates respective first and second pulse streams with pulse rates based on the relevant input signal. Difference circuitry determines the difference in number of pulses of the first and second pulse streams and outputs a first digital signal. Circuitry also determines a signal independent value based on the number of pulses of the first and/or second pulse streams. In one embodiment this value is the sum or average of the number of pulses of the first and second pulse streams. This value can be used to calibrate for any variation in transfer characteristic of the oscillator circuitry. In one embodiment this value is compared to a reference value and a regulation signal passed to control circuitry to regulate the operation of the oscillation circuitry.