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US 7,352,307 B2Granted
Comparator chain offset reduction
AssigneeAtmel Corporation
InventorMihu Iorgulescu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Comparator chain total offset, static and dynamic, is reduced by injecting a compensation quantity in at least one point in the chain of comparator components. The compensation quantity is determined by providing the comparator chain with calibration signals having equal values and evaluating the output states of the comparator chain. The compensation quantity is adjusted until the probabilities of high and low output states are substantially equal and a calibrated value for the compensation is determined.
Claims16
A calibration system for a comparator chain, comprising:
- a comparator configured for receiving a signal including noise;
- an unbalancing element coupled to the comparator and configured to add an unbalancing quantity to the signal in at least one point of a comparator chain;
- and
- a compensation circuit coupled to the comparator and the unbalancing element, the compensation circuit configured to monitor output states of the comparator, to determine if the output states are associated with a desired distribution associated with the noise, and if the output states are not associated with the desired distribution associated with the noise, to adjust the unbalancing quantity based on a distribution of the output states.
1 more element
A method of calibrating a comparator chain, comprising:
- providing a signal including noise to a comparator chain;
- monitoring output decisions of the comparator chain;
- determining if the output decisions are associated with a desired distribution associated with the noise;
- and
- if the output decisions are not associated with the desired distribution associated with the noise:
- determining an unbalancing quantity based on the monitored output decisions;
- adding the unbalancing quantity to the signal in at least one point of the comparator chain;
- and
- repeating the monitoring step.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.