Abstract: Methods and systems for implementing high-performance data converters remove analog technology bottlenecks and provide higher converter resolution and higher speed using lower-performance converters and processing in the frequency domain. The method comprises transforming a time domain input signal into a frequency domain signal in a digital form, processing the frequency domain signal and the input signal using at least two lower-performance data converters in order to obtain at least two processed signals, and recombining the at least two processed signals to obtain a final output signal from the high-performance converter. The processing may include dividing the frequency domain into at least two frequency domain parts, one related to a low-resolution signal to noise ratio (SNR) and the other related to a high-resolution SNR, and using frequency information resulting from the division to obtain the at least two processed signals.

Abstract: Methods and systems for implementing high-performance data converters remove analog technology bottlenecks and provide higher converter resolution and higher speed. A preferred embodiment of the method comprises the steps of transforming a time domain input signal into a frequency domain signal in a digital form, processing the frequency domain signal and the input signal using at least two lower-performance data converters in order to obtain at least two processed signals, and recombining the at least two processed signals to obtain a final output signal from the high-performance converter. Inventively and advantageously, the processing includes dividing the frequency domain into at least two frequency domain parts, one related to a low-resolution signal to noise ratio (SNR) and the other elated to a high-resolution SNR, and using frequency information resulting from the division to obtain the at least two processed signals.