Rail adaptive dither
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsIan S. Robinson, James Toplicar, Daniel Thompson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method of converting an analog input signal to a linearized digital representation of the analog input signal. A measure of the analog input signal is compared to a threshold associated with a maximum dynamic range of a quantizer. A maximum amplitude of a random, analog dither signal is dynamically varied for perturbing quantization of the analog input signal in response to the comparison. The dynamically varied dither signal and the analog input signal are combined to obtain a dithered input signal. The quantizer converts the dithered input signal into the linearized digital representation of the analog input signal.
Claims12
A method of converting an analog input signal to a linearized digital representation of the analog input signal, comprising:
- comparing a measure of the analog input signal to a threshold associated with a maximum dynamic range of a quantizer;
- dynamically varying a maximum amplitude of a random, analog dither signal for perturbing quantization of the analog input signal in response to the comparison;
- combining the dynamically varied dither signal and the analog input signal to obtain a dithered input signal;
- and
- converting with the quantizer the dithered input signal into the linearized digital representation of the analog input signal.
An analog to digital conversion system for converting an analog input signal into a linearized digital representation of the analog input signal, comprising:
- a quantizer;
- an input circuit including a comparator for receiving the analog input signal and comparing a measure of the analog input signal against at least one threshold associated with a maximum dynamic range of the quantizer;
- a dither circuit coupled to the input circuit and including a noise generator, the dither circuit operational to dynamically vary a maximum amplitude of a random analog dither signal in response to the comparison, the analog dither signal for perturbing quantization of the analog input signal to be converted;
- and
- a combiner circuit coupled to the input circuit and the dither circuit and operational to combine the dynamically varied dither signal and the analog input signal to be converted to produce a dithered analog signal;
- wherein the quantizer is coupled to the combiner circuit and operational to convert the dithered analog signal to a linearized digital representation of the analog input signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.