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US 7,443,329 B2Granted
Capacitive digital to analog and analog to digital converters
AssigneeMarvell World Trade Ltd.
InventorSehat Sutardja
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A digital to analog converter (DAC) comprises X capacitive DACs that are connected together in series, wherein X is an integer greater than one. Each of the X capacitive DACs comprise M switches wherein M is an integer greater than one; a signal input; a signal output; and M capacitances that communicate with the M switches, respectively, and that have first and second ends and substantially equal capacitance values. The M switches selectively connect the first ends of the M capacitances to the signal output. The M switches connect the second end of a selected one of the M capacitances to the signal input. A first DAC has a signal output that communicates with the signal input of one of the X capacitive DACs.
Claims27
A digital to analog converter (DAC) comprising:
- X capacitive DACs that are connected together in series, wherein X is an integer greater than one, and wherein each of said X capacitive DACs comprise:
- M switches wherein M is an integer greater than one;
- a signal input;
- a signal output;
- and
- M capacitances that communicate with said M switches, respectively, and that have first and second ends and substantially equal capacitance values,
- wherein said M switches selectively connect said first ends of said M capacitances to said signal output, and
- wherein said M switches connect said second end of a selected one of said M capacitances to said signal input when said second ends of nonselected ones of said M capacitances are not connected to said signal input;
- and
- a first DAC that has a signal output that communicates with said signal input of one of said X capacitive DACs.
7 more elements
A digital to analog converter (DAC) comprising:
- X capacitive converting means for converting a digital signal to an analog signal and that are connected in series and wherein X is an integer greater than one, wherein each of said X capacitive converting means comprise:
- M switching means for switching wherein M is an integer greater than one;
- a signal input;
- a signal output;
- and
- M capacitance means for providing capacitance and that communicate with said M switching means, respectively, and that have first and second ends and substantially equal capacitance values,
- wherein said M switching means selectively connect said first ends of said M capacitance means to said signal output, and
- wherein said M switching means connect said second end of a selected one of said M capacitance means to said signal input when said second ends of nonselected ones of said M capacitance means are not connected to said signal input;
- and
- first converting means for converting a digital signal to an analog signal and that has a signal output that communicates with said signal input of one of said X capacitive converting means.
7 more elements
A digital to analog converter (DAC) comprising:
- X capacitive DACs that are connected together in series, wherein X is an integer greater than one, and wherein each of said X capacitive DACs comprise:
- M switches wherein M is an integer greater than one;
- a signal input;
- a signal output;
- and
- M capacitances that communicate with said M switches, respectively, and that have first and second ends and substantially equal capacitance values,
- wherein said M switches selectively connect said first ends of said M capacitances to said signal output, and
- wherein said M switches connect said second end of a selected one of said M capacitances to said signal input;
- a first DAC that has a signal output that communicates with said signal input of one of said X capacitive DACs;
- an amplifier having an input and an output,
- wherein said first ends of said M capacitances of another one of said X capacitive DACs communicate with a reference potential during a first phase of said another one of said X capacitive DACs,
- wherein said input of said amplifier selectively communicates with said first ends of said M capacitances of said another one of said X capacitive DACs during a second phase of said another one of said X capacitive DACs, and
- wherein said second ends of said of said M capacitances of said another one of said X capacitive DACs communicate with said output of said amplifier during said second phase of said another one of said X capacitive DACs.
10 more elements
A successive approximation analog-to-digital converter comprising a digital to analog converter (DAC), the DAC comprising:
- X capacitive converting means for converting a digital signal to an analog signal and that are connected in series and wherein X is an integer greater than one, wherein each of said X capacitive converting means comprise:
- M switching means for switching wherein M is an integer greater than one;
- a signal input;
- a signal output;
- and
- M capacitance means for providing capacitance and that communicate with said M switching means, respectively, and that have first and second ends and substantially equal capacitance values,
- wherein said M switching means selectively connect said first ends of said M capacitance means to said signal output, and
- wherein said M switching means connect said second end of a selected one of said M capacitance means to said signal input;
- and
- first converting means for converting a digital signal to an analog signal and that has a signal output that communicates with said signal input of one of said X capacitive converting means;
- the successive approximation analog-to-digital converter further comprising:
- amplifying means for amplifying and having an input that selectively communicates with one of said X capacitive DACs;
- approximation means for successive approximating and that communicates with an output of said amplifying means;
- decoding means that communicates with an output of said successive approximation module for selectively generating switching signals for said X capacitive DACs and said first DAC.
11 more elements
A successive approximation analog-to-digital converter comprising a digital to analog converter (DAC), the DAC comprising:
- X capacitive DACs that are connected together in series, wherein X is an integer greater than one, and wherein each of said X capacitive DACs comprise:
- M switches wherein M is an integer greater than one;
- a signal input;
- a signal output;
- and
- M capacitances that communicate with said M switches, respectively, and that have first and second ends and substantially equal capacitance values,
- wherein said M switches selectively connect said first ends of said M capacitances to said signal output, and
- wherein said M switches connect said second end of a selected one of said M capacitances to said signal input;
- a first DAC that has a signal output that communicates with said signal input of one of said X capacitive DACs;
- the successive approximation analog-to-digital converter further comprising:
- an amplifier having an input that selectively communicates with one of said X capacitive DACs;
- a successive approximation module that communicates with an output of said amplifier;
- a decoding module that communicates with an output of said successive approximation module and that selectively generates switching signals for said X capacitive DACs and said first DAC.
10 more elements
A digital to analog converter (DAC) comprising:
- X capacitive DACs that are connected together in series, wherein X is an integer greater than one, and wherein each of said X capacitive DACs comprise:
- M switches wherein M is an integer greater than one;
- a signal input;
- a signal output;
- and
- M capacitances that communicate with said M switches, respectively, and that have first and second ends and substantially equal capacitance values,
- wherein said M switches selectively connect said first ends of said M capacitances to said signal output, and
- wherein said M switches connect said second end of a selected one of said M capacitances to said signal input;
- and
- a first DAC that has a signal output that communicates with said signal input of one of said X capacitive DACs,
- wherein said first DAC comprises Y resistive DACs wherein Y is an integer greater than zero, and
- wherein at least one of said Y resistive DACs comprises:
- a signal output;
- N resistances connected in series between said voltage reference and said reference potential;
- N nodes between select ones of said N resistances and said reference potential;
- and
- N second switches that selectively connect said signal output of said one of said Y resistive DACs to one of said N nodes.
14 more elements
A method for operating a digital to analog converter (DAC) comprising:
- connecting X capacitive DACs in series and wherein X is an integer greater than one, wherein each of said X capacitive DACs comprise M capacitances that have first and second ends and substantially equal capacitance values;
- selectively connecting said first ends of said M capacitances to said signal output;
- connecting said second end of a selected one of said M capacitances to said signal input when said second ends of nonselected ones of said M capacitances are not connected to said signal input;
- and
- connecting a signal output of a first DAC to said signal input of one of said X capacitive DACs.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.