Apparatus and method for time-interleaved analog-to-digital conversion

A base station for wireless communications, the base station comprising

• a time-interleaved ADC circuit, the time-interleaved ADC circuit comprising an input for an analog RF signal;
• a first ADC bank comprising a plurality of first parallel time-multiplexed ADCs, wherein the first parallel time-multiplexed ADCs are configured to subsequently generate respective first samples of the analog RF signal during a first sampling time interval;
• a first voltage buffer coupled between the input and the first ADC bank;
• a second ADC bank comprising a plurality of second parallel time-multiplexed ADCs,
• wherein the second parallel time-multiplexed ADCs are configured to subsequently generate respective second samples of the analog RF signal during a second sampling time interval,
• wherein the first and the second sampling time intervals are subsequent time intervals;
• a second voltage buffer coupled between the input and the second ADC bank;
• wherein
• the first ADC bank additionally comprises a first dummy sampler coupled to an output of the first voltage buffer, wherein the time-interleaved ADC circuit is configured to activate the first dummy sampler before the start of the first sampling time interval, and
• the second ADC bank additionally comprises a second dummy sampler coupled to an output of the second voltage buffer, wherein the time-interleaved ADC circuit is configured to activate the second dummy sampler before the start of the second sampling time interval.

A time-interleaved analog-to-digital conversion method, the method comprising:

• buffering an analog input signal with a first buffer amplifier to generate a first buffered input signal;
• subsequently generating, using a first ADC bank having a first plurality of parallel time-multiplexed ADCs coupled to the first buffer amplifier, a first plurality of samples of the first buffered input signal during a first time interval;
• buffering the analog input signal with a second buffer amplifier to generate a second buffered input signal;
• subsequently generating, using a second ADC bank having a second plurality of parallel time-multiplexed ADCs coupled to the second buffer amplifier, a second plurality of samples of the second buffered input signal during a second time interval;
• wherein the first and the second time intervals are subsequent time intervals;
• before the start of the first time interval, activating a first dummy sampler associated with the first ADC bank and coupled to an output of the first buffer amplifier, and before the start of the second time interval, activating a second dummy sampler associated with the second ADC bank and coupled to an output of the second buffer amplifier.