Analog to digital converter circuit
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorAlexander R. Bugeja
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) (12) having a nonlinear transfer function with a unique mapping. The ADC (12) is adapted to produce a digital output signal for a plurality of analog input signals, and a transfer function modifying circuit (14) is coupled to the ADC circuit (13). The transfer function modifying circuit (14) is adapted to modify the ADC circuit (13) transfer function (34) to have a unique mapping. The ADC (12) transfer function has multiple transfer function segments with varying slopes. Further disclosed is a method for designing an ADC (12) having a nonlinear transfer function, and a method for calibrating an ADC (12).
Claims28
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC), comprising:
- an ADC circuit adapted to produce a digital output signal for a plurality of analog input signals, said ADC circuit having a nonlinear transfer function;
- and
- a transfer function modifying circuit coupled to said ADC circuit, said transfer function modifying circuit adapted to modify said ADC circuit transfer function to have a unique mapping.
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC), comprising:
- an ADC circuit adapted to produce a digital output signal for a plurality of analog input signals, said ADC circuit having a nonlinear transfer function;
- and
- a transfer function modifying circuit coupled to said ADC circuit, said transfer function modifying circuit adapted to modify said ADC circuit transfer function to have a unique mapping.
A method of designing an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) comprising the steps of:
- designing an ADC circuit having a nonlinear transfer function with a unique mapping;
- and
- coupling a transfer function modifying circuit to said ADC circuit in order to provide for said unique mapping.
A method of calibrating an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) having a transfer function modifying circuit comprising the steps of:
- modifying said ADC using said transfer function modifying circuit to have a nonlinear transfer function with different digital output signals for a plurality of analog input signals, each of said digital output signal being different from every other said digital output signal;
- and
- calibrating said modified ADC over said plurality of analog input signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.