Dynamic-zoom analog to digital converter (ADC) having a coarse flash ADC and a fine passive single-bit modulator

Abstract

A dynamic-zoom analog to digital converter (ADC) having a coarse flash ADC and a fine passive single-bit modulator is disclosed. Radio frequency (RF) devices incorporating aspects of the present disclosure may support multiple wireless modes operating at different frequencies. Therefore, the RF devices have need for an ADC which is flexible and optimizable in terms of resolution, bandwidth, and power consumption. In this regard, the RF devices incorporate circuits, such as ADC circuits, which incorporate a discrete-time passive delta-sigma modulator. In order to improve the resolution of the delta-sigma modulator, a coarse ADC is deployed as a zooming unit to a single-bit passive delta-sigma modulator to provide a coarse digital conversion. Coarse conversion is used to dynamically update reference voltages at an input of the delta-sigma modulator using a multi-bit feedback digital to analog converter (DAC). The dynamic-zoom ADC supports multiple modes with improved power and quantization noise.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.