Regulated charge sharing analog-to-digital converter (ADC) apparatus and methods
AssigneeMovellus Circuits, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey Alan Fredenburg, Yuxiang Mu, Noman Hai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) including input circuitry to receive an input analog signal having an analog signal level. Sampling circuitry couples to the input circuitry and includes first and second capacitor circuits to sample the received input analog signal. The first and second capacitor circuits exhibit a relative charge imbalance as a result of the sampling that corresponds to the analog signal level. Regulated charge sharing circuitry regulates charge sharing transfers during multiple charge sharing transfer sequences with the first and second capacitor circuits. A digital output generates multiple bit values based on the charge sharing transfer sequences.
Claims19
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC), comprising:
- input circuitry to receive an input analog signal having an analog signal level;
- sampling circuitry including first and second capacitor circuits to sample the received input analog signal, the first and second capacitor circuits exhibiting a relative charge imbalance corresponding to the analog signal level;
- regulated charge sharing circuitry to regulate charge sharing transfers during multiple charge sharing transfer sequences with the first and second capacitor circuits;
- and
- a digital output having multiple bit values based on the charge sharing transfer sequences.
A method of operation in an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), comprising:
- providing an input analog signal having a voltage level;
- sampling the voltage level with first and second capacitor circuits, the sampling creating a charge imbalance between the first and second capacitor circuits;
- regulating charge sharing via a sequence of charge sharing transfers to reduce the charge imbalance between the first and second capacitor circuits;
- assigning a sequence of bit values corresponding to a sequence of comparisons between charge levels of the first and second capacitor circuits, the sequence of comparisons corresponding to the sequence of charge sharing transfers;
- and
- wherein the sequence of bit values comprises a digital representation of the input analog voltage level.
A method of converting an input analog signal having a signal level to a digital word, comprising:
- sampling the input analog signal with first and second capacitor circuits, the sampling creating a charge imbalance between the first and second capacitor circuits;
- regulating charge sharing via a sequence of charge sharing transfers to reduce the charge imbalance between the first and second capacitor circuits;
- assigning a sequence of bit values corresponding to a sequence of comparisons between charge levels of the first and second capacitor circuits, the sequence of comparisons corresponding to the sequence of charge sharing transfers;
- and
- wherein the sequence of bit values comprises a digital representation of the input analog voltage level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.