Injection locked time mode analog to digital converter

A method of time mode analog to digital conversion, the method comprising:

• providing an oscillator operative to generate an oscillator signal;
• modulating said oscillator signal in accordance with an input signal to generate a vector modulated signal;
• injecting said vector modulated signal back into said oscillator whose frequency of oscillation is determined by the input signal;
• and
• converting a phase of said oscillator signal to generate a digital output therefrom substantially proportional to said input signal.

A time mode analog to digital converter (ADC) circuit, comprising:

• a free running N-stage ring oscillator, each stage comprising:
• a load circuit operative to generate a respective oscillator signal;
• a mixer coupled to the load circuit and operative to mix an input signal with an oscillator signal from a stage other than its own to generate a respective vector modulated signal therefrom;
• wherein the vector modulated signal in each stage is simultaneously injected into a respective load circuit thereof, wherein a frequency of oscillation of said oscillator is determined by the input signal;
• a phase converter operative to generate a digital output substantially proportional to said input signal in accordance with at least one of said oscillator signals;
• and
• wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to two.

A method of time mode analog to digital conversion, the method comprising:

• providing a free running N-stage ring oscillator, each stage including a load circuit, said N-stage ring oscillator operative to generate a respective oscillator signal at each stage thereof;
• at each stage of the ring oscillator, mixing an input signal with an oscillator signal from another stage to generate a respective vector modulated signal;
• simultaneously injecting each respective vector modulated signal in each stage into its respective load circuit;
• converting a phase of at least one of said oscillator signals and generating a digital output substantially proportional to said input signal in accordance therewith;
• and
• wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to two.