Piecewise-linear, non-uniform ADC
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorLeon Chia-Liang Lin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A non-uniform analog-to-digital converter (ADC) produces digital output data representing the magnitude of an analog input signal having a non-uniform magnitude probability distribution. The digital output data represents the analog input signal with relatively high resolution for the input signal's more frequently occurring magnitudes and with relatively lower resolution for the input signals less frequently occurring magnitudes.
Claims20
A method for generating digital data representing a magnitude of an analog signal within a first magnitude range, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. comparing the magnitude of the analog signal to a magnitude of each of plurality of reference signals to determine a second magnitude range bounding the magnitude of the analog signal, wherein magnitudes of the reference signals are non-uniformly distributed over the first magnitude range,
- b. generating first digital data having a value representing the second magnitude range, and
- c. converting the first digital data to second digital data, wherein the second digital data has a value that is a linear function of the magnitude of the analog signal.
An apparatus for producing digital data representing an instantaneous magnitude of an analog signal that varies in magnitude over time over a first range with a substantially non-uniform probability distribution over the first range, the apparatus comprising:
- a reference signal source for generating a plurality of reference signals, wherein magnitudes of the reference signals are non-uniformly distributed over the range;
- a plurality of comparators, each corresponding to a separate one of the reference signals for comparing the instantaneous magnitude-of the analog signal to the magnitude of its corresponding reference signal to produce a data bit indicating whether the magnitude of the analog signal exceeds the magnitude of the reference signal, wherein data bits produced by all of the comparators form together form first digital data having a value representing the instantaneous magnitude the analog signal;
- a data converter for producing second digital data in response to the first digital data, wherein a value of the second digital data is a substantially linear function of the magnitude of the analog signal.
The apparatus in accordance with claim 18
- wherein the magnitudes of the reference signals are voltage magnitudes, and
- wherein the plurality of resistors have resistances sized so that reference signal voltage magnitudes are non-uniformly distributed with a range bounded by voltages of the first and second voltage sources.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.