Apparatus comprising a comparator device and method for operating an apparatus comprising a comparator device

An apparatus comprising:

• an n number of comparator devices, n being at least 1,
• wherein the nth comparator device includes an nth reference current providing device configured to provide an nth reference current and an nth comparison current providing device configured to provide an nth comparison current, the nth comparator device being configured to compare the nth reference current with the nth comparison current, to obtain an nth comparison result and output an nth output signal characterizing the nth comparison result based on the nth comparison result;
• wherein a kth comparator device of the n number of comparator devices is configured to receive respective output signals of each ith comparator device, i=k−1, and to form the kth comparison result based on the kth reference current and the kth comparison current and the respective output signals of each ith comparator device, wherein k is at least 2;
• wherein the kth comparator device is configured to provide a current associated with the ith comparator devices based on the respective output signals of each one of the ith comparator devices and include the current associated with the ith comparator devices in the comparison, wherein the kth comparator device is configured to form a sum of the kth comparison current and the current associated with the ith comparator devices and to subtract the kth reference current from the sum of the kth comparison current and the current associated with the ith comparator devices.

An analog-to-digital converter device, comprising:

• at least one apparatus, including:
• an n number of comparator devices, n being at least 1, wherein the nth comparator device includes an nth reference current providing device configured to provide an nth reference current and an nth comparison current providing device configured to provide an nth comparison current, the nth comparator device being configured to compare the nth reference current with the nth comparison current, to obtain an nth comparison result and output an nth output signal characterizing the nth comparison result based on the nth comparison result,
• wherein the converter device is configured to receive an input current and to form a digital output signal based on the input current;
• wherein the converter device is configured to form at least the nth reference current based on a reference current using a first current mirror device, wherein a current intensity of the nth reference current corresponds to a value of an nth stage of the converter device.

A computing device for determining a scalar product including a vector matrix multiplier or a dot product engine, the computing device comprising:

• a matrix of elements with a controllable electrical resistance;
• and
• at least one analog-to-digital converter device including:
• at least one apparatus, including:
• an n number of comparator devices, n being at least 1, wherein the nth comparator device includes an nth reference current providing device configured to provide an nth reference current and an nth comparison current providing device configured to provide an nth comparison current, the nth comparator device being configured to compare the nth reference current with the nth comparison current, to obtain an nth comparison result and output an nth output signal characterizing the nth comparison result based on the nth comparison result,
• wherein the converter device is configured to receive an input current and to form a digital output signal based on the input current.