Digital correction of digital-to-analog converter errors in continuous-time analog-to-digital converters

A device for assisting error correction in a continuous-time (CT) analog-to-digital converter (ADC), the device comprising:

• means for disabling provision of an analog input signal to the CT ADC;
• means for selecting one sub-digital-to-analog converter (sub-DAC) unit of M sub-DAC units of the CT ADC as a reference sub-DAC unit;
• means for selecting another sub-DAC unit of the M sub-DAC units as a measurement sub-DAC unit;
• means for applying a first pseudo-random bit sequence (PRBS) to the reference sub-DAC unit;
• means for applying a second PRBS to the measurement sub-DAC unit;
• a first cross-correlator to cross-correlate the first PRBS with an output of a backend-ADC of the CT ADC, wherein the output of the backend-ADC is generated when the first PRBS is applied to the reference sub-DAC and the second PRBS is applied to the measurement sub-DAC;
• a second cross-correlator to cross-correlate a product of the first PRBS and a delayed first PRBS with the output of the backend-ADC generated when the first PRBS is applied to the reference sub-DAC and the second PRBS is applied to the measurement sub-DAC;
• and
• means for generating one or more error estimates based on outputs of the first and second cross-correlators.

A device for assisting error correction in a continuous-time (CT) analog-to-digital converter (ADC), the device comprising:

• the CT ADC further includes a backend-ADC, a sub-digital-to-analog converter (sub-DAC) that includes M+2 sub-DAC units, a first cross-correlator, and a second cross-correlator,
• the sub-ADC output signal includes M bits, and
• means for selecting one sub-digital-to-analog converter (sub-DAC) unit of the M+2 sub-DAC units of the CT ADC as a reference sub-DAC unit;
• means for selecting another sub-DAC unit of the M+2 sub-DAC units as a measurement sub-DAC unit;
• means for applying a first pseudo-random bit sequence (PRBS) to the reference sub-DAC unit;
• means for applying a second PRBS to the measurement sub-DAC unit;
• a first cross-correlator to cross-correlate the first PRBS with an output of a backend-ADC of the CT ADC, wherein the output of the backend-ADC is generated when the first PRBS is applied to the reference sub-DAC and the second PRBS is applied to the measurement sub-DAC;
• a second cross-correlator to cross-correlate a product of the first PRBS and a delayed first PRBS with the output of the backend-ADC generated when the first PRBS is applied to the reference sub-DAC and the second PRBS is applied to the measurement sub-DAC;
• and
• means for generating the one or more error estimates based on outputs of the first and second cross-correlators.