US 12,712,564 B2Granted

Digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with DAC element error matching

AssigneeAnalog Devices, Inc.

InventorsPaul S. Wilkins, Enrique Alvarez-Fontecilla

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An example digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit may comprise a plurality of single-bit DAC elements, an encoder circuit, and a multiplexer circuit. The encoder circuit may be configured to generate a control signal, where a number of asserted bits in the control signal is based at least in part on a digital input signal and an asserted bit pattern of the control signal is based at least in part on a random signal. The multiplexer circuit may be configured to modify the control signal to generate a noise-corrected control signal having a noise-corrected bit pattern. The noise-corrected bit pattern may direct a first asserted bit of the noise-corrected control signal to activate a first single-bit DAC element and a second asserted bit of the noise-corrected control signal to activate a second single-bit DAC element, where the first single-bit DAC element and the second single-bit DAC element having respective errors that at least partially cancel.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit comprising:

a plurality of single-bit DAC elements, each respective single-bit DAC element of the plurality of single-bit DAC elements being configured to receive a single-bit digital input and generate a corresponding DAC element output;
an encoder circuit configured to generate a control signal, a number of asserted bits in the control signal being based at least in part on a digital input signal and a bit pattern of the control signal being based at least in part on a random signal, the encoder circuit being configured to generate the control signal such that values of the control signal having a first number of asserted bits include less than all bit patterns having the first number of asserted bits;
a multiplexer circuit electrically coupled between the encoder circuit and the plurality of single-bit DAC elements, the multiplexer circuit being configured to modify the control signal to generate a noise-corrected control signal having a noise-corrected bit pattern, the noise-corrected bit pattern directing a first asserted bit of the noise-corrected control signal to activate a first single-bit DAC element and a second asserted bit of the noise-corrected control signal to activate a second single-bit DAC element, the first single-bit DAC element and the second single-bit DAC element being preselected to have respective errors that at least partially cancel;
and
a summer circuit configured to sum DAC element outputs of the plurality of single-bit DAC elements to generate an analog output signal.

2 more elements

A method for converting a digital signal to an analog signal, the method comprising:

determining respective errors for a plurality of single-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) elements;
selecting a first pair of single-bit DAC elements of the plurality of single-bit DAC elements the first pair of single-bit DAC elements comprising a first single-bit DAC element and a second single-bit DAC element, the first pair of single-bit DAC elements being preselected to have respective errors that at least partially cancel;
generating a control signal such that values of the control signal having a first number of asserted bits include less than all bit patterns having the first number of asserted bits;
and
configuring a multiplexer of a DAC circuit to convert a control signal to a noise-corrected control signal, the control signal being generated based at least in part on a digital input signal and a random signal such that values of the control signal having a first number of asserted bits include less than all bit patterns having the first number of asserted bits, the noise-corrected bit pattern being arranged to direct a first asserted bit of the noise-corrected control signal to activate the first single-bit DAC element and a second asserted bit of the noise-corrected control signal to activate the second single-bit DAC element.

2 more elements

A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit comprising:

a plurality of single-bit DAC elements, each respective single-bit DAC element of the plurality of single-bit DAC elements being configured to receive a single-bit digital input and generate a corresponding DAC element output;
means for generating a control signal, a number of asserted bits in the control signal being based at least in part on a digital input signal and an asserted bit pattern of the control signal being based at least in part on a random signal, the control signal being generated such that values of the control signal having a first number of asserted bits include less than all bit patterns having the first number of asserted bits;
means for modifying the control signal to generate a noise-corrected control signal having a noise-corrected bit pattern, the noise-corrected bit pattern directing a first asserted bit of the noise-corrected control signal to activate a first single-bit DAC element and a second asserted bit of the noise-corrected control signal to activate a second single-bit DAC element, the first single-bit DAC element and the second single-bit DAC element being preselected to have respective errors that at least partially cancel;
and
means for summing DAC element outputs of the plurality of single-bit DAC elements to generate an analog output signal.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.