Abstract: In one aspect, a transfer function (TF) estimation circuit configured to generate an estimate of a TF undergone by signals between an input of a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) of a feedforward path of a continuous-time (CT) stage of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and an output of a backend ADC of the ADC is disclosed. The TF estimation circuit includes one or more circuits configured to generate a first cross-correlation output by cross-correlating digital versions of signals based on a test signal provided to the CT stage and an output signal of the backend ADC, generate a second cross-correlation output by cross-correlating digital versions of signals based on the test signal and an output signal of a quantizer of the feedforward path of the CT stage, and generate the estimate of the TF based on the first and second cross-correlation outputs.

Abstract: A flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) includes comparators that convert an analog input signal to a digital output signal. Offsets of these comparators introduce noise and can hurt the performance of the ADC. Thus, these comparators are calibrated using calibration codes. Conventional calibration methods determine these calibration codes by removing the ADC from an input signal. Otherwise, it is difficult to distinguish the noise from the signal in the calibration measurement. In contrast, an embodiment can determine the calibration codes while the ADC converts the input signal to a digital signal. Such an embodiment can be achieved by a frequency-domain technique. In an embodiment employing a frequency-domain power meter, an input signal can be removed from the power measurement. This removal enables accurate measurement of in-band noise without having the measurement be corrupted by input signal power.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is a device that can include a reference shuffler and a loop filter. An ADC can achieve better performance with incremental adjustment of a pointer of the reference shuffler, changing coefficients of the loop filter, and storing calibration codes of the ADC in a non-volatile memory. By incrementally adjusting a pointer of the reference shuffler, a calibration can be performed more efficiently than with a random adjustment of the pointer. By temporarily changing the loop filter coefficients, a greater amount of activity can be introduced into the loop filter. This activity can allow the calibration to proceed more efficiently. By storing the calibration codes in a non-volatile memory, a search space for calibration codes can be reduced. Thus, a calibration can occur more quickly, and the calibration itself can be improved.

Abstract: Analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) can be used inside ADC architectures, such as delta-sigma ADCs. The error in such internal ADCs can degrade performance. To calibrate the errors in an internal ADC, comparator offsets of the internal ADC can be estimated by computing a mean of each comparator of the internal ADC. Relative differences in the computed means serves as estimates for comparator offsets. If signal paths in the internal ADC are shuffled, the estimation of comparator offsets can be performed in the background without interrupting normal operation. Shuffling of signal paths may introduce systematic measurement errors, which can be measured and reversed to improve the estimation of comparator offsets.

Abstract: A flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) includes comparators that convert an analog input signal to a digital output signal. Offsets of these comparators introduce noise and can hurt the performance of the ADC. Thus, these comparators are calibrated using calibration codes. Conventional calibration methods determine these calibration codes by removing the ADC from an input signal. Otherwise, it is difficult to distinguish the noise from the signal in the calibration measurement. In contrast, an embodiment can determine the calibration codes while the ADC converts the input signal to a digital signal. Such an embodiment can be achieved by a frequency-domain technique. In an embodiment employing a frequency-domain power meter, an input signal can be removed from the power measurement. This removal enables accurate measurement of in-band noise without having the measurement be corrupted by input signal power.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is a device that can include a reference shuffler and a loop filter. An ADC can achieve better performance with incremental adjustment of a pointer of the reference shuffler, changing coefficients of the loop filter, and storing calibration codes of the ADC in a non-volatile memory. By incrementally adjusting a pointer of the reference shuffler, a calibration can be performed more efficiently than with a random adjustment of the pointer. By temporarily changing the loop filter coefficients, a greater amount of activity can be introduced into the loop filter. This activity can allow the calibration to proceed more efficiently. By storing the calibration codes in a non-volatile memory, a search space for calibration codes can be reduced. Thus, a calibration can occur more quickly, and the calibration itself can be improved.

Abstract: A time-interleaved analog-to-digital converter (ADC) uses M sub-analog-to-digital converters (sub-ADCs) to, according to a sequence, sample an analog input signal to produce digital outputs. When the M sub-ADCs are interleaved, the digital outputs exhibit mismatch errors between the M sub-ADCs due to mismatches between the sub-ADCs. A more second order subtle effect is that the mismatch error for a particular digital output from a particular ADC, due to internal coupling or other such interaction and effects between the M sub-ADCs, can vary depending on which sub-ADC(s) were used before and/or after the particular sub-ADC. If M sub-ADCs are time-interleaved randomly, the mismatches between the M sub-ADCs become a function of the sub-ADC selection pattern in the sequence. The present disclosure describes mechanisms for measuring and reducing these order-dependent mismatches to achieve high dynamic range performance in the time-interleaved ADC.