Analog To Digital Conversion Followed By Digital To Analog Conversion Patents (Class 341/110)
  • Publication number: 20130321185
    Abstract: A multiplying analog-to-digital converter is provided. A sample-and-hold unit samples an analog signal, to obtain a sample level. A analog-to-digital converting unit converts the analog signal to a digital signal. A digital-to-analog converting unit converts the digital signal to a recovered signal level. A operating unit provides an output signal according to the difference between the sample level and the recovered signal level. A comparator compares a level of the output signal with an upper threshold level and a lower threshold level, and accordingly provides an indicating signal, wherein the upper and lower threshold levels define a predetermined level range. When the indicating signal indicates that the level of the output signal is outside the predetermined level range, a controller shifts a value of the digital signal and accordingly provides an adjusted digital signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: NOVATEK MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Tung-Ming SU
  • Publication number: 20130321186
    Abstract: A signal receiving device and an electronic apparatus using the same are provided. The signal receiving device includes a signal conversion unit, a signal analysis unit, and an impedance unit. The signal conversion unit receives an analog input signal and converts the analog input signal into a digital input signal. The signal analysis unit receives the digital input signal and analyzes a signal characteristic thereof to generate an impedance adjustment signal. The impedance unit coupled to the signal analysis unit and a signal input terminal of the signal receiving device receives the impedance adjustment signal to dynamically adjust an input impedance of the signal input terminal. Thereby, the signal receiving device analyzes an input signal to dynamically adjust the input impedance of the signal receiving device, so as to maintain an amplitude gain of the input signal to be within a limited input range of the signal receiving device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: BEYOND INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsung-Ping Wei, Chia-Hsin Chen
  • Publication number: 20130285844
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The ADC includes a comparator module and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The comparator module is configured to compare a first voltage sampled from an analog signal and a second voltage output from the digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and output a pulse to indicate a result of the comparison. The DAC is configured to enable a switching unit corresponding to a digital bit to switch a state based on the pulse, and settle the second voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventors: Hung Sheng LIN, Shingo Hatanaka
  • Publication number: 20130285843
    Abstract: A main digital-to-analog converter (DAC) receives at least one input and generates an adjusted input. A SAR unit generates a code for controlling the main DAC based on a comparison output of a comparing unit that receives the adjusted input. A reference generator, under control of the generated code, generates at least one reference voltage, which is then forwarded to the comparing unit in each corresponding cycle for defining a search range of each cycle, wherein an absolute value of the reference voltage of a latter cycle is less than the reference voltage of a former cycle such that the search range of the latter cycle is smaller than the search range of the former cycle, and search ranges of all the cycles are centered at a base voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: HIMAX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventor: Jin-Fu LIN
  • Publication number: 20130278453
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) system and method. The ADC system in accord with one embodiment includes a sampling digital-to-analog converter configured to sample a combination of an analog signal value and an analog dither value, and a control circuit comprising a mismatch-shaping encoder. The control circuit is configured to sequentially apply a plurality of digital codes to the sampling digital-to-analog converter during an analog-to-digital conversion operation to derive a digital code representing the combination of the analog signal value and the analog dither value. Several embodiments are presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventor: Jesper STEENSGAARD-MADSEN
  • Publication number: 20130278452
    Abstract: A successive approximation register switched capacitor analog to digital converter utilizes a high frequency clock for controlling comparator reset switches and a clock distribution block to operate at lower sample rates. The successive approximation cycles are clocked with the high frequency clock so that the reset switches stay within the leakage limit irrespective of the sample rate but the end of conversion signal is delayed to mimic the slower sample rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Haydar Bilhan, Maher Mahmoud Sarraj
  • Publication number: 20130265181
    Abstract: An A/D converter circuit includes a comparison circuit that performs a process to compare an added signal of a sampled signal of an input signal and a code signal with a D/A output signal, or a process to compare the sampled signal with an added signal of the D/A output signal and the code signal, a control circuit that outputs output data obtained based on successive approximation result data and the code data as A/D conversion data of the input signal, a first D/A converter circuit that D/A converts the data for successive approximation, a second D/A converter circuit that D/A converts code data that changes over time, and a correction section that performs a correction process, to correct the successive approximation result data so as not to overflow due to code shifting using the code data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Inventor: Hideo HANEDA
  • Publication number: 20130265180
    Abstract: A successive approximation register A/D converter that obtains an output of N bits interrupts operation at a timing when the operation of the successive approximation register A/D converter is affected on the basis of circuit timing in an integrated circuit. The A/D converter performs a comparison between a sampling signal and a comparison reference voltage by a sampling period in which an analog signal is sampled, a comparison period of N states in which the sampled signal is sequentially compared with a comparison voltage for each bit, and a reserve period of M states following the comparison period. When an operation is temporarily interrupted, the A/D converter performs a comparison operation of a bit, whereas the comparison is not performed in the reserve period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Inventors: Takashi MATSUMOTO, Masao ITO, Osamu MATSUMOTO, Hiroto SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20130249718
    Abstract: An oversampling A/D converter includes a first filter including a first resistive element, a first capacitive element, a second resistive element, an operational amplifier, and a second capacitive element; a second filter receiving an output of the first filter; a third filter including a third resistive element, a third capacitive element, and a fourth resistive element; a quantizer receiving an output of the third filter and generating a digital signal; and a D/A converter converting the digital signal to an analog current signal. The D/A converter inputs the generated analog current signal to an inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shiro Dosho, Kazuo Matsukawa, Masao Takayama, Yosuke Mitani
  • Publication number: 20130234870
    Abstract: A pipelined Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) stage includes a main sampling path having a first filter in series with a first sample and hold circuit and a sub-ADC sampling path having a second filter in series with a second sample and hold circuit driving a sub-ADC connected to a sub-Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC). The frequency response of the main sampling path is matched to a frequency response of the sub-ADC sampling path such that a residue signal of the pipelined ADC stage stays within range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: CREST SEMICONDUCTORS, INC
    Inventors: Yusuf Haque, Ryan James Kier, Rex K. Hales, Paul Talmage Watkins, Marcellus C. Harper
  • Publication number: 20130214944
    Abstract: A switched-capacitor digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit can include first and second sets of capacitors, an amplifier, a reference signal generator and interconnecting switches. The first and second sets of capacitors can be connected to first and second analog input signals responsive to a first clock signal, and to first and second reference voltages responsive to a second clock signal and digital control signals. The amplifier can be connected to the first and second sets of capacitors in response to the second clock signal. The reference signal generator can provide to the first and second sets of capacitors, responsive to the first clock signal, a common-mode reference signal to set a common-mode voltage at inputs of the amplifier, and can include components to replicate the operation of the first and second sets of capacitors. The switched-capacitor DAC circuit can be used to implement a multiplying DAC in a pipeline analog-to-digital converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Stephen Robert KOSIC
  • Publication number: 20130194115
    Abstract: An apparatus implements analog-to-digital conversion with released requirement on the reference settling errors and improved immunity to the noise originated from the power supply, ground and the positive and negative references. It includes a comparator comparing the specified reference levels with the analog input, multi DAC sub-circuits with separate non-binary search schemes applied to and a digital control logic controlling the reference search process. No cross-talk occurs among the different non-binary search algorithms. Each redundancy scheme is localized in a respective DAC sub-circuit and covers the reference levels only in the current DAC. The non-binary search algorithms are fulfilled in the digital domain and trade the non-binary search step sizes with the number of the search steps to introduce redundancy to the reference levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Inventors: Qiong Wu, Kevin Mahooti, Qinghai Hu
  • Publication number: 20130194116
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a continuous-time incremental analog-to-digital converter (ADC) may include a plurality of resettable integrators and a feed-in gain element. Each integrator may be configured to convert a sum of signals received at its input to a signal indicative of an integral over time of the sum of signals. The plurality of integrators may include a first-stage integrator configured to receive at its input the baseband signal and a final-stage integrator configured to produce at its output a final-stage analog signal. The plurality of integrators may be arranged in a cascade configuration such that an output of each of the plurality of integrators other than the final-stage integrator is coupled to the input of a subsequent integrator. The feed-in gain element may be coupled between the input of the first-stage integrator and the input of another integrator of the plurality of integrators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
    Inventors: Omid Oliaei, Patrick L. Rakers
  • Publication number: 20130194114
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter for converting an input signal includes a sigma-delta modulator for receiving an analog modulator input signal and for providing a digital modulator output signal and an interference cancellation loop. The interference cancellation loop includes a digital filter, a digital-to-analog converter, and a signal combiner. The digital filter is configured to amplify the sigma-delta output signal in a frequency band, attenuate the sigma-delta output signal outside the frequency band and a transition band surrounding the frequency band, and provide a filtered digital feedback signal. The digital-to-analog converter is configured to convert the filtered digital signal to a cancellation signal. The signal combiner is configured to combine the input signal with the cancellation signal resulting in the modulator input signal, in order to at least partially cancel interference signal portions within the input signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH
    Inventors: Rudolf Ritter, Markus Schimper, Werner Schelmbauer, Maurits Ortsmanns
  • Patent number: 8492697
    Abstract: A hybrid analog-to-digital converter includes a plurality of converting circuits. Each converting circuit is configured to provide a digital signal based on an analog input signal by performing a successive approximation conversion to obtain, as a result of the successive approximation conversion, a first number of bits of the digital signal, and by subsequently performing a slope conversion based on a common variable reference voltage to obtain a second number of bits of the digital signal, the second number of bits corresponding to a residual between the analog input signal and the result of the successive approximation conversion. The hybrid analog-to-digital converter further includes a common variable reference voltage provider configured to provide to each converting circuit of the plurality of converting circuits the common variable reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Harald Neubauer, Johann Hauer
  • Patent number: 8493490
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus including a pixel, a current source, and a signal processing circuit. The pixel outputs signal charge, obtained by imaging, as a pixel signal. The current source is connected to a transmission path for the pixel signal and has a variable current. The signal processing circuit performs signal processing on a signal depending on an output signal to the transmission path and performs control so that a current of the current source is changed in accordance with the result of signal processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroki Sato
  • Publication number: 20130182803
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, there are provided a capacitor DAC for generating an output signal in accordance with a connection state of a capacitor element, a reference voltage generation circuit for supplying a reference voltage to the capacitor DAC, a comparator for outputting a comparison result in accordance with the output signal, a successive approximation register for outputting a digital signal in accordance with the comparison result, and a control circuit for controlling a connection state of the capacitor element in accordance with the comparison result and comparing an ideal code with a digital signal obtained by sampling a predetermined voltage, thereby correcting an error of the digital signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hirotomo Ishii, Tomohiko Sugimoto, Masanori Furuta
  • Publication number: 20130183920
    Abstract: There is provided with a residual signal generating circuit in which the capacitive DA converter generates a first difference signal with respect to an input signal based on a criterion voltage, the criterion voltage being indicative of an input range of the input signal, the reference voltage generating circuit divides the criterion voltage to obtain at least one partial voltage signal, the residual signal generating section generates 2N?1 first residual signal according to a difference between the first difference signal and 2N?1?1 first reference signal, the 2N?1?1 first reference signal being 2N?1?1 partial voltage signal among said at least one partial voltage signal generated by the reference voltage generating circuit, the comparator compares the 2N?1 first residual signal with a fixed voltage to obtain 2N?1 first comparison signal each indicative of a logical value, and the decoder decodes the 2N?1 first comparison signal to obtain first data of N bits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Masanori FURUTA, Hirotomo Ishii
  • Publication number: 20130176152
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter system that includes a pipeline of successively-cascaded signal converters, each operating alternatively in a first circuit configuration and a second circuit configuration, an error estimator coupled to the pipeline to receive the digitized error for estimating an amplifier gain of the present signal converter stage, and a code aligner/corrector that temporally aligns and corrects the digital codes received from the successively-cascaded signal converters to provide a digital out of the ADC system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty ALI
  • Publication number: 20130169454
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method of performing a successive approximation analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion includes determining a voltage range of an analog input voltage in a single cycle using a multi-bit flash A/D converter, determining an initial D/A value for a successive approximation based on determining the voltage range, and successively approximating the analog input voltage. Successively approximating includes providing the initial D/A value to a D/A converter, comparing an output of the D/A converter with the analog input voltage, and determining a further D/A value based on the comparing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics PVT LTD (INDIA)
    Inventors: Chandrajit Debnath, Mohit Kaushik
  • Patent number: 8462038
    Abstract: There is provided a successive-approximation A/D converter in which the binary weighted capacitive D/A converter generates a residual signal for each of cycles assigned to each bit of N bits on the basis of an analog input signal and a reference voltage, the first comparator compares a residual signal at a first time point within a cycle with a predetermined voltage to acquire a first comparison result, the register stores the first comparison result therein, the second comparator compares a residual signal at a second time point later than the first time point within the cycle with the predetermined voltage to acquire a second comparison result, the error determining circuit generates an error detection signal when they differ from each other, and the error-correcting circuit inverts and outputs the first comparison result from the register in a case that the error detection signal has been generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Masanori Furuta
  • Publication number: 20130141153
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a transmitter front-end (TX FE), an amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a swap circuitry. The TX FE has a first and a second input end coupled to a first and a second output end of the DAC, respectively. The ADC has a first and a second input end coupled to a first and a second output end of the amplifier, respectively. The swap circuitry is configured to couple the first and second output ends of the DAC to a first and a second input end of the amplifier in a normal state, respectively, and couple the first and second output ends of the DAC to the second and first input ends of the amplifier in a swapped state, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventors: Hsiang-Hui Chang, Hsin-Hung Chen, Chi-Yun Wang, Chih-Jung Chen
  • Publication number: 20130141260
    Abstract: A pipelined ADC includes a first, second, and third pairs of comparators. The first pair of comparators compare an input voltage to a first positive reference voltage and to a first negative reference voltage. The second pair of comparators compare the input voltage to a second positive reference voltage and to a second negative reference voltage. Each comparator of the first and second pairs of comparators outputs a digital signal to an encoder. A third pair of comparators compares the input voltage to a third positive reference voltage and to a third negative reference voltage, and a comparator compares the input voltage to ground. The comparator and each comparator of the third pair of comparators is configured to output respective digital signals to an encoder. A multiplying digital-to-analog converter outputs a voltage based on the input voltage, an output from the encoder, and an output of the random number generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fang-Shi Jordan LAI, Hsu-Feng HSUEH, Chin-Hao CHANG, Cheng Yen WENG, Chih-Cheng LU, Manoj M. MHALA, Yung-Fu LIN
  • Publication number: 20130135126
    Abstract: Provided are a successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter and an operation method thereof. The method includes latching input signals which respectively correspond to bits of a first series of bits as digital data by directly transmitting the input signals to a latch; latching input signals which respectively correspond to bits of a second series of bits as digital data by transmitting the input signals to the latch after amplifying the input signals during a first period of amplification by using a preamplifier; and latching input signals which respectively correspond to bits of a third series of bits as digital data by transmitting the input signals to the latch after amplifying the input signals during a second period of amplification by using the preamplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Young Kyun CHO, Jae Ho JUNG
  • Publication number: 20130135125
    Abstract: The invention includes a successive approximation register, a digital-to-analog converter, a comparator and a control stage. The control stage initially sets the successive approximation register to a first digital value. The digital-to-analog converter converts the digital value stored in the successive approximation register to an analog value. The comparator compares the converted digital value with an analog input value. The control stage restricts subsequent analog-to-digital conversion for the analog input value to a search interval above or below the first digital value depending on whether the analog input value is greater or lower than the converted analog value of the first digital value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Joerg Schreiner, Bernhard Ruck, Harinath Renukamurthy
  • Publication number: 20130135127
    Abstract: A stage of a pipelined analog-to-digital converter can include first and second pluralities of digital-to-analog converters (DACs), the first plurality sufficient in number to produce a residue from the stage, the second plurality having their outputs added into an analog output of the stage. A mapping circuit can exchange inputs between selected ones of the first and second pluralities of DACs, and a calibration circuit can provide first and second calibration signals to the selected one of the first plurality and another of the second plurality of DACs. The calibration signals can correlate to each other, but be uncorrelated to an analog input and digital output of the stage, and have unequal and partially offsetting effects on the stage's residue. A correction circuit can correct the digital output of the stage for circuit path errors based on a correlation between the calibration signals and an output of a succeeding stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Analog Devices, Inc.
  • Patent number: 8451151
    Abstract: A capacitance mismatch calibrating method for a successive approximation register ADC which includes at least one array of capacitors is provided. The method includes the following steps: firstly, at least two compensating capacitors are configured. A capacitor from the array of capacitors is selected as a capacitor-under-test. Then, the terminal voltages on the terminals of the array of capacitors and on the terminals of the compensating capacitors are determined. A first comparison voltage is outputted based on the determined terminal voltages. Afterwards, a sequence of comparisons is controlled based on the first comparison voltage and a second comparison voltage to output a sequence of corresponding digital bits. Finally, a calibration value is calculated to calibrate the value of a capacitor-under-test according to the digital bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Himax Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Jin-Fu Lin
  • Publication number: 20130127647
    Abstract: A successive approximation register analog to digital converter (SAR ADC) and a method of linearity calibration therein are provided. Each composed element Ei in a part of the composed elements includes a main constructed element Ei0 and wi sub constructed element Ei1, Ei2, . . . , Eiwi. The SAR ADC selects a part of the sub constructed elements Ei1, Ei2, . . . , Eiwi and make them non-functional when a missing decision level is caused by the composed element Ei. An overlap cancellation to the obtained missing code numbers is performed, compensation coefficients are updated according to the missing code numbers after the overlap cancellation, and a compensation to the corresponding digital value is performed according to the compensation coefficients. The present disclosure prevents the necessity of matching each composed element of the DAC in the SAR ADC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Xuan-Lun Huang, Jiun-Lang Huang
  • Publication number: 20130127646
    Abstract: An embodiment of a multiplying digital-to-analog converter (MDAC), an embodiment of a method for converting a digital signal to an analog signal, an embodiment of a pipelined analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a method of converting an analog signal to a digital signal in a plurality of cascading stages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS PVT. LTD.
    Inventors: Ashish KUMAR, Chandrajit DEBNATH
  • Publication number: 20130120173
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter includes a plurality of sequentially cascaded stages, each stage including an amplifier and four copies of a circuit block including a flash and capacitors, in which the four copies of the circuit block operate interleavingly in a respective sample mode, pre-gain mode, gain mode, and reset mode of the circuit block, the copies of the circuit block in the sample mode, pre-gain mode, and reset mode are decoupled from the amplifier, and the copy of the circuit block in the gain mode is coupled to the amplifier to produce an output for a next following stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Analog Devices, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130120172
    Abstract: A method and a corresponding device for reducing inter-channel coupling in a circuit having a plurality of channels includes injecting a randomly determined amount of dither into a first channel of a circuit having a plurality of channels, and after injecting the dither, obtaining an output signal of a second channel in the plurality of channels. A correlation value indicating a degree of correlation between the injected dither and the output signal is determined, and an amount of charge applied to the second channel due to cross-coupling with the first channel is reduced. The amount of the reduction is calculated as a function of the correlation value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty ALI, Huseyin DINC
  • Publication number: 20130120170
    Abstract: A method for converting an analog signal to a digital signal is provided. Initially, a digital representation of a portion of an analog signal is generated. Residue of the analog signal is then sampled at a sampling instant so as to generate a residue sample. A signal having a frequency that is proportional to the voltage of the residue sample is generated, and the signal is measured to generate coarse and fine measurements of the frequency. A digital representation of the residue sample from the coarse and fine measurements is then generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Amit K. Gupta, Krishnasawamy Nagaraj
  • Publication number: 20130120171
    Abstract: A method and device involve a circuit having a switched capacitor network that is switchably connected to an input signal. A randomly determined amount of dither is injected into a circuit having a switched capacitor network that is switchably connected to an input signal. After injecting the dither, at least one correlation value is determined. The correlation value(s) indicates a degree of correlation between the injected dither and an output of the circuit. Distortion caused by an amount of charge kicked back into the circuit when the switched capacitor network is reconnected to the input signal may then be reduced. The reduction is calculated as a function of the correlation value(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Huseyin DINC, Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty ALI, Paritosh BHORASKAR
  • Publication number: 20130113638
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for evaluating weighting of elements of a DAC and a SAR ADC using the same are provided. An equivalent weighting of each composed element is obtained by adding a reference element with a reference weighting, an auxiliary DAC, and a search circuit into the SAR ADC, and the equivalent weighting is represented by the reference weighting. The SAR ADC can calculate and then obtain a correct digital output by using the calibrated equivalent weighting and the successive approximation result of each input signal. The present disclosure prevents the necessity of matching each composed element of the DAC in the SAR ADC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Hung-I Chen, Chang-Yu Chen, Xuan-Lun Huang, Jiun-Lang Huang
  • Publication number: 20130106629
    Abstract: Examples are provided for converting an analog signal to a digital signal by processing more than one bit per cycle in a number of successive approximation cycles. A system may include capacitive sub-DAC circuits and comparators. Switches may isolate the capacitive sub-DAC circuits during one or more first cycles, and merge the sub-DAC circuits during one or more last cycles. A successive approximation register (SAR) may generate digital output signals or DAC digital signals. In another example, a system may include a DAC circuit. An input capacitor may be pre-charged to at least one of an analog input signal and a DAC analog signal. A programmable gain amplifier may amplify an error signal. A multi-bit ADC may convert the amplified error signal to a multi-bit digital signal. An SAR may use the multi-bit digital signal to generate a DAC digital signal or a digital output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: SEMTECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Olivier NYS, Ark-Chew Wong
  • Publication number: 20130106630
    Abstract: Examples of systems and methods are provided for converting an analog input signal to a digital output signal. A system may include a current mode (CM) digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit to provide a DAC current. A comparator circuit may be configured to generate a comparator signal in response to an error signal determined based on the DAC current and the analog input signal. A successive approximation register circuit may be configured to generate at least one of a DAC-code signal or the digital output signal, in response to the comparator signal. The DAC-code signal may be used by the CM DAC circuit to control the DAC current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: SEMTECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ark-Chew Wong, Olivier Jacques Nys
  • Publication number: 20130106628
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) function in which digital error correction is provided. Parallel ADC stages are synchronously clocked to convert an analog input signal into digital words; at least one of the digital outputs is encoded according to an error correction code. Decision logic circuitry decodes a code word comprised of the concatenation of the digital outputs from the parallel stages, to derive a digital output from which the digital output word corresponding to the analog input signal can be derived. The decision logic circuitry can provide an error signal used to correct the state of one or more bits of the digital output from one of the ADC stages, for the case of a systematic code; alternatively, the decision logic circuitry can directly decode the code word to provide the digital output. The architecture may be applied to stages in a pipelined ADC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: John Earle Miller, Robert Floyd Payne
  • Publication number: 20130093609
    Abstract: A method for a successive approximation register ADC which includes at least one capacitor array and a plurality of switches is provided, in which the capacitors of the capacitor array are one-to-one corresponding to the switches. The method includes the following steps: firstly, at least one multiplexer is configured. Then, a first comparison voltage is outputted based on the terminal voltages on the terminals of the capacitor array, and a comparison result is outputted according to the first comparison voltage and a second comparison voltage. Afterwards, a sequence of comparisons is controlled based on the comparison result to enter into a sequence of comparison phases. Finally, the switches are orderly selected, by the multiplexer based on the comparison phases, to switch directly according to the comparison result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicants: HIMAX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED, NCKU RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Soon-Jyh CHANG, Guan-Ying Huang, CHUNG-MING HUANG
  • Publication number: 20130088374
    Abstract: A successive approximation analog-to-digital converter (SA-ADC) includes a reference generator configured to output a first voltage and a second voltage; a comparator, the comparator having a positive input and a negative input thereto, the comparator being configured to receive the first voltage and the second voltage; and a comparator input toggle located between the reference generator and the comparator, wherein the comparator input toggle is configured to receive the first and second voltages from the reference generator and provide the first and second voltages to the comparator, wherein the comparator input toggle is further configured to switch between a first position, in which the first voltage is connected to the positive input, and the second voltage is connected to the negative input, and a second position, in which the second voltage is connected to the positive input, and the first voltage is connected to the negative input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ann H. Chen, Michael S. Floyd, Birgit Schubert, Michael A. Sperling
  • Patent number: 8417857
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of scheduling signals. In one embodiment, the method includes a first circuit receiving a first plurality of reference values. The first circuit selects a reference value from the first plurality according to a first reference identifier (ID) that is stored in memory. The first circuit compares the selected reference value to a first match value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics America Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel J. Guido, Jeremy W. Brodt, Jeffrey T. Sieber
  • Publication number: 20130082766
    Abstract: The present invention provides a dual mode sigma delta analog to digital converter (ADC), which only in one hardware implementation, used for low IF and near zero IF receiver. The dual mode sigma delta ADC comprises a first switched-capacitor integrator; a second switched-capacitor integrator; a quantizer; a feedback circuit and a mode device. By switching the mode device on or off, one could easily change the configuration of the disclosed ADC to decide the receiving signal falling in low-IF or near zero IF.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventor: Yi-Lung CHEN
  • Publication number: 20130082852
    Abstract: An analog to digital converter converts an input analog signal to a digital representation using successive approximation logic to generate a plurality of digital values approximating the analog signal. Evaluation logic evaluates each of the digital values by converting each of the digital values in a digital to analog converter (DAC) to a DAC analog signal and comparing the DAC analog signal to the input analog signal to determine a comparison result used by the successive approximation logic to generate a next one of the digital values. An evaluation time period for one or more bits of the digital representation is longer than for one or more other bits in the digital representation. The DAC includes a resistor ladder. Reference voltages of the DAC are increased for evaluation of the least significant bit (LSB) to obtain more accurate results without increasing a number of resistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventor: Abdulkerim L. Coban
  • Patent number: 8405534
    Abstract: There is provided a two-wire transmitter capable of obtaining a signal reflecting a continuous change in a sensor signal, and in addition, facilitating a configuration or processing in a subsequent stage. The two-wire transmitter that outputs an analog voltage signal V3 based upon a sensor signal V1 to a transmission line N1 includes: an intermediate potential generation circuit (100) for generating an intermediate potential between the transmission line N1 and a transmission line N2; an operational amplifier (101) to which the sensor signal V1 and a feedback signal V2 are supplied; and a current source (102) for generating a current I3 flowing from the transmission line N1 to the transmission line N2, based upon a control signal output from the operational amplifier (101). In this situation, the control signal controls the operational amplifier (101) to equalize the sensor signal V1 and the feedback signal V2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoatsu Tanahashi, Yoshiro Yamaha
  • Publication number: 20130069807
    Abstract: Compressive sensing is an emerging field that attempts to prevent the losses associated with data compression and improve efficiency overall, and compressive sensing looks to perform the compression before or during capture, before energy is wasted. Here, a reconstruction algorithm is proposed for a compressive sensing successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Accordingly, an analog signal is converted to a first digital signal at a sampling frequency that is less than a Nyquist frequency for the analog signal, and a second digital signal is constructed from the first digital signal with a box constrained linear optimization process such that the second digital signal is approximately equal to an analog-to-digital conversion of the analog signal at the Nyquist frequency for the analog signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles K. Sestok, Andrew Waters
  • Publication number: 20130057418
    Abstract: A pipelined A/D converter circuit includes a sample hold circuit configured to sample and hold an analog input signal, and output a sample hold signal, and an A/D converter circuit including A/D converter circuit parts connected to each other in cascade, and performs A/D conversion in a pipelined form. The pipelined A/D converter circuit part of each stage includes a sub-A/D converter circuit, a multiplier D/A converter circuit, and a precharge circuit. The sub-A/D converter circuit includes comparators, and A/D convert the input signal into a digital signal of predetermined bits, a multiplier D/A converter circuit for D/A converting the digital signal from the sub-A/D converter circuit into an analog control signal generated with a reference voltage served as a reference value, sample, hold and amplify the input signal by sampling capacitors based on the analog control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Inventors: Shoji KAWAHITO, Sung Wook JUNG, Osamu KOBAYASHI, Yasuhide SHIMIZU, Takahiro MIKI, Takashi MORIE, Hirotomo ISHII
  • Publication number: 20130057417
    Abstract: A successive approximation analog-to-digital converter (ADC) includes an adjustable voltage source that applies an adjustable voltage to an input of a comparator of the ADC to cancel an offset of the ADC. The ADC also includes a control that suspends adjustments of the adjustable voltage when the adjustable voltage converges on the offset. The adjustable voltage source is a digital-to-analog converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony R. BONACCIO, Frank R. KEYSER, III, Benjamin T. VOEGELI
  • Publication number: 20130051501
    Abstract: There is provided a successive-approximation A/D converter in which the binary weighted capacitive D/A converter generates a residual signal for each of cycles assigned to each bit of N bits on the basis of an analog input signal and a reference voltage, the first comparator compares a residual signal at a first time point within a cycle with a predetermined voltage to acquire a first comparison result, the register stores the first comparison result therein, the second comparator compares a residual signal at a second time point later than the first time point within the cycle with the predetermined voltage to acquire a second comparison result, the error determining circuit generates an error detection signal when they differ from each other, and the error-correcting circuit inverts and outputs the first comparison result from the register in a case that the error detection signal has been generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Masanori FURUTA
  • Publication number: 20130044015
    Abstract: The device comprises a successive approximation register, a capacitive digital-to-analog converter comprising a plurality of capacitors, the plurality of capacitors being coupled with a first side to a common node; a comparator coupled to the common node and being adapted to make bit decisions by comparing a voltage at the common node with another voltage level, and a SAR control stage for providing a digital code representing a conversion result. The device is configured to operate in a calibration mode, where the device is configured to sample a reference voltage on a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors by coupling one side of the first capacitor to the reference voltage, to perform a regular conversion cycle with at least those capacitors of the plurality of capacitors having lower significance than the first capacitor and to provide the conversion result of the regular conversion cycle for calibrating the first capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Reinhold, Martin Allinger, Frank Ohnhaeuser
  • Publication number: 20130044014
    Abstract: A capacitance mismatch calibrating method for a successive approximation register ADC which includes at least one array of capacitors is provided. The method includes the following steps: firstly, at least two compensating capacitors are configured. A capacitor from the array of capacitors is selected as a capacitor-under-test. Then, the terminal voltages on the terminals of the array of capacitors and on the terminals of the compensating capacitors are determined. A first comparison voltage is outputted based on the determined terminal voltages. Afterwards, a sequence of comparisons is controlled based on the first comparison voltage and a second comparison voltage to output a sequence of corresponding digital bits. Finally, a calibration value is calculated to calibrate the value of a capacitor-under-test according to the digital bits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: HIMAX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventor: Jin-Fu LIN
  • Publication number: 20130044013
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) includes a continuous time filter, a quantizer, a continuous time digital-to-analog converter, a discrete time DAC, and a switch. The quantizer has an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the continuous time filter, and a plurality of output terminals. The continuous time DAC has a plurality of input terminals coupled to the plurality of output terminals of the quantizer, and an output terminal. The discrete time DAC has a plurality of input terminals coupled to the plurality of output terminals of the quantizer, and an output terminal. The switch has a first input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the continuous time DAC, a second input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the discrete time DAC, and an output terminal coupled to the input terminal of the continuous time filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Inventor: BRANDT BRASWELL