Digital-to-analog converter including current cell array

A digital-to-analog converter comprising:

• a decoder configured to generate a thermometer code from an upper bit group comprising a most significant bit (MSB) of a digital input of the digital-to-analog converter;
• a current cell array comprising a plurality of current cells, each current cell of the plurality of current cells being configured to generate a current of a same magnitude;
• and
• a switch circuit configured to select at least a part of currents generated by the current cell array,
• wherein the plurality of current cells comprises:
• first current cells arranged along a diagonal line of the current cell array and corresponding to a first bit of the thermometer code;
• second current cells arranged along a first oblique line parallel to the diagonal line and corresponding to a second bit of the thermometer code;
• and
• third current cells arranged along a second oblique line parallel to the diagonal line and corresponding to the second bit of the thermometer code, and
• wherein the diagonal line is between the first oblique line and the second oblique line.

A method of converting a digital input into an analog output, the method comprising:

• generating a thermometer code from an upper bit group comprising a most significant bit (MSB) of the digital input;
• generating a reference current by a current cell array comprising a plurality of current cells, wherein each current cell of the plurality of current cells is configured to generate a current of a same magnitude;
• selecting at least a part of the reference current, based on the thermometer code and a lower bit group comprising a least significant bit of the digital input;
• and
• generating the analog output by summing a selected current,
• wherein the selecting the at least the part of the reference current comprises selecting currents generated by first current cells, among the plurality of current cells, arranged with no two first current cells in a same row and with no two first current cells in a same column, based on one bit of the thermometer code.