CCD device adapted for changing signal formats
OwnerMichael C. Seckorainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A serial-to-parallel analog CCD GaAs device provides high speed A/D or D/A conversion. A high speed analog signal is sampled by shifting the analog data serially into "n" CCD elements. Then a parallel load pulse transfers the analog data into multiple CCD holding elements. A bank of A/D converters converts the analog data. Conversely, the outputs of a bank of D/A converters are loaded in parallel into a serial CCD device of "n" elements. The serial CCD device is shifted out serially to complete the conversion to an analog signal.
Claims6
An analog-to-digital conversion system including a charge coupled device (CCD) adapted for converting signal formats, comprising:
- a plurality of first CCD elements connected together to form a first linear array and operative for receiving an analog signal and continually shifting said analog signal along said array in accordance with sequences of clock pulses;
- a plurality of second CCD elements arranged in a second linear array and operative for holding discrete analog data transferred in parallel at the end of each sequence of clock pulses from said first CCD elements, said second CCD elements having parallel output conductors and each of said second CCD elements providing on its output conductor a discrete analog datum not held by any other of said second CCD elements;
- and
- a plurality of multiple bit analog-to-digital converters each one of which is coupled to a different one of said parallel outputs of said second CCD elements and which are operative for concurrently converting said discrete analog data into digital data, each datum of said digital data representing a multiple bit digital weighted value of a discrete analog datum held by one of said second CCD elements.
In an apparatus including a charge coupled device (CCD) having an array of rows and columns, a process comprising the steps of:
- continuously shifting an analog signal across one row of said array along a first set of CCD elements;
- periodically loading discrete analog data signals representing samples of said analog signal in parallel down a set of columns in said array from said first set of CCD elements into a second set of CCD elements for holding said discrete analog data signals, each one of said second set of multiple bit CCD elements having a parallel output conductor;
- transmitting said discrete analog data signals in parallel from said parallel output conductors of said second set of CCD elements to a set of A/D converters, each CCD element in said second set providing on its output conductor a discrete analog data signal not held by any other of said second CCD elements;
- and
- converting said discrete analog data signals into digital data through the use of said A/D converters, each datum of said digital data representing a multiple bit digital weighted value of a discrete analog datum signal held by one CCD element in said second set.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.