Analog-to-digital conversion device

#This disclosure relates to an analog-to-digital (AD) conversion device that performs AD conversion by converting analog signals into digital signals.

#It is inefficient to provide an AD converter for each of many analog signal inputs in a case of performing AD conversion by converting the many analog signals into digital signals. As such, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-303575 (Patent Document 1) discloses a configuration to perform AD conversion by assigning one AD converter to two or more analog signal inputs while selecting the analog signal inputs from one to another.

#One or more embodiments of analog-to-digital conversion device that independently executes each of events instructed by a host device may include: at least two analog-to-digital converters that convert an inputted analog signal into a digital signal, wherein each of the analog-to-digital converters independently executes an event instructed by the host device, wherein each of the analog-to-digital converters may include: an execution control unit that controls execution of the analog-to-digital conversion; an event management unit that notifies of a synchronization instruction when a synchronous conversion event set up with a synchronous conversion operation is instructed as the event; and an operation control unit that makes a notification to the analog-to-digital converters, and instructs the execution control unit to execute the synchronous conversion event, wherein when a particular one of the analog-to-digital converters receives the synchronization instruction and the execution control unit of the particular analog-to-digital converter is confirmed ready for the analog-to-digital conversion, the operation control unit in the particular analog-to-digital converter notifies the particular analog-to-digital converter is ready for the analog-to-digital conversion to the analog-to-digital converter other than the particular analog-to-digital converter, and instructs the execution control unit to execute the synchronous conversion event after a confirmation that all of the analog-to-digital converters are ready for the analog-to-digital conversion.

#FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of an AD conversion device according to one or more embodiments;

#FIG. 2 is a view illustrating circuit configurations of AD converters illustrated in FIG. 1 according to one or more embodiments;

#FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an event correspondence table stored in an event management unit illustrated in FIG. 2;

#Embodiments are explained with reference to drawings. In the respective drawings referenced herein, the same constituents are designated by the same reference numerals and duplicate explanation concerning the same constituents is basically omitted. All of the drawings are provided to illustrate the respective examples only. No dimensional proportions in the drawings shall impose a restriction on one or more embodiments. For this reason, specific dimensions and the like should be interpreted with the following descriptions taken into consideration. In addition, the drawings may include parts whose dimensional relationship and ratios are different from one drawing to another.

#Referring to FIG. 1, an analog-to-digital (AD) conversion device 1 according to one or more embodiments include: two AD converters (ADC) 11 and 12 each of which converts an inputted analog signal into a digital signal; a selector (MPX) 21 that selects the analog signal to be inputted to the ADC 11; and a selector (MPX) 22 that selects the analog signal to be inputted to the ADC 12. Moreover, the ADC 11 and 12 as well as the MPX 21 and 22 are operated in accordance with sampling blocks of a predetermined cycle (a sampling cycle).

#Each of the ADC 11 and 12 performs AD conversion by converting an analog signal that corresponds to an event designated by an event signal EVE inputted from a not-illustrated host device into a digital signal. The event signal EVE designates one of events that are set up with priorities. Meanwhile, each event is set up with analog input or inputs to be subjected to the AD conversion by the ADC 11 and 12 out of analog inputs CH_0 to CH_n connected to the MPX 21 and 22. In this embodiment, the same analog inputs CH_0 to CH_n are assumed to be connected to the MPX 21 and 22 for the convenience of explanation. However, the analog inputs CH to be connected to the MPX 21 and the MPX 22 may be determined separately as desired.