Abstract: Computer-implemented method for obtaining a cumulative distribution function from a signal, the signal having a range, the method comprising receiving the signal at a first port of a 1-bit comparator and applying a stepping signal at a second port of the comparator, the stepping signal having a stepping range that is less than the range of the signal, wherein the stepping signal is applied in a first step with a first value to the second port and in subsequent steps the subsequent value is increased or decreased by the stepping range compared to the value in the immediately preceding step, collecting, for each step, an output value at the output port of the comparator, collecting the output values for each of the steps and obtaining, from the collection of output values, the cumulative distribution function.