Abstract: An exemplary incremental two-step capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) with a time-domain sigma-delta modulator (TD??M) includes a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO)-based integrator that can be used in a low-order loop configuration. Example prototypes are disclosed, which when fabricated in 40-nm CMOS technology, provides CDC resolution of 0.29 fF while dissipating only 0.083 nJ per conversion.

Abstract: An exemplary system and method is disclosed employing a floating inverter amplifier comprising an inverter-based circuit comprising an input configured to be switchable between a floating reservoir capacitor during a first phase of operation and to a device power source during a second phase of operation. In some embodiments, the floating inverter amplifier is further configured for current reuse and dynamic bias. In other embodiments, the floating inverter amplifier is further configured with a dynamic cascode mechanism that does not need any additional bias voltage. The dynamic cascode mechanism may be used in combination with 2-step fast-settling operation to provide high-gain and high-speed noise suppression operation.

Abstract: An exemplary system and method is disclosed employing a floating inverter amplifier comprising an inverter-based circuit comprising an input configured to be switchable between a floating reservoir capacitor during a first phase of operation and to a device power source during a second phase of operation. In some embodiments, the floating inverter amplifier is further configured for current reuse and dynamic bias. In other embodiments, the floating inverter amplifier is further configured with a dynamic cascode mechanism that does not need any additional bias voltage. The dynamic cascode mechanism may be used in combination with 2-step fast-settling operation to provide high-gain and high-speed noise suppression operation.

Abstract: An exemplary incremental two-step capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) with a time-domain sigma-delta modulator (TD??M) includes a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO)-based integrator that can be used in a low-order loop configuration. Example prototypes are disclosed, which when fabricated in 40-nm CMOS technology, provides CDC resolution of 0.29 fF while dissipating only 0.083 nJ per conversion.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods that describe statistical estimation based noise reduction for SAR ADCs. For SAR ADCs, the conversion error can be available at the comparator input. Although a noisy 1-bit comparator may not be able to produce an accurate estimation for its input if used only once, the comparison can be repeated multiple times for a designated bit of the multi-bit SAR ADC. This can allow for the improvement of the estimation accuracy by examining the probability of the comparator output being “1” or “0”. The estimation of a signal from a noisy environment using multiple trials can be cast as a classic statistical estimation issue. In one aspect of the disclosure, an optimal Bayes estimator is disclosed to achieve a low estimation error from the comparator on a designated bit of the multi-bit SAR ADC.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods that describe statistical estimation based noise reduction for SAR ADCs. For SAR ADCs, the conversion error can be available at the comparator input. Although a noisy 1-bit comparator may not be able to produce an accurate estimation for its input if used only once, the comparison can be repeated multiple times for a designated bit of the multi-bit SAR ADC. This can allow for the improvement of the estimation accuracy by examining the probability of the comparator output being “1” or “0”. The estimation of a signal from a noisy environment using multiple trials can be cast as a classic statistical estimation issue. In one aspect of the disclosure, an optimal Bayes estimator is disclosed to achieve a low estimation error from the comparator on a designated bit of the multi-bit SAR ADC.