Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm T. Lester Wallace, E
  • Patent number: 6351145
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is realized in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) without adding special dedicated analog circuitry. In a digital application, a comparator in an interface cell of the FPGA compares an incoming digital signal to a reference voltage. Adjusting of the reference voltage allows the interface cell to support different digital I/O standards. In one embodiment, the comparator is not used for this digital purpose, but rather is used as a comparator in an ADC. A flash ADC is realized by using the comparators of numerous interface cells as the comparators of the flash ADC. Conversion speed is increased by reducing the impedance of the analog signal input path. An on-chip resistor string is provided so that the flash ADC can be realized without external components. In another embodiment, the comparator of the interface cell is the comparator of a successive approximation ADC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Austin H. Lesea