Dual-path analog to digital converter

A analog-to-digital converter comprising:

• an input configured to receive a measured signal during a measured time period and a reference signal during a reference time period;
• at least one shared circuit coupled to receive the measured signal and reference signal from the input, and configured to process both the measured signal and the reference signal through a single signal path of the one shared circuit, wherein the at least one shared circuit comprises a multi-path integrator circuit comprising:
• a first integration path for processing the measured signal and a second integration path for processing the reference signal, wherein the first integration path is coupled to the single signal path during the measured time period and decoupled from the single signal path during the reference time period, and the second integration path is coupled to the single signal path during the reference time period and decoupled from the single signal path during the measured time period;
• and
• a control circuit to selectively couple the first integration path to the single signal path to process the measured signal and couple the second integration path to the single signal path to process the reference signal.

A magnetic field sensor comprising:

• at least one magnetic field sensing element configured to generate a measured magnetic field signal responsive to an external magnetic field and to generate a reference magnetic field signal responsive to a reference magnetic field;
• and
• a signal path for processing the measured magnetic field signal during a measured time period and processing the reference magnetic field during a reference time period, the signal path comprising a dual-path analog-to-digital converter (ADC);
• wherein the dual-path ADC comprises at least one dual-path integrator circuit to integrate the measured signal during the measured time period and integrate the reference signal during the reference time period, the dual-path integrator circuit comprising
• a first processing circuit selectively coupled to the signal path during the measured time period to process the measured signal and decoupled from the signal path during the reference time period;
• a second processing circuit selectively coupled to the signal path during the reference time period to process the reference signal and decoupled from the signal path during the measured time period.

A method of testing a magnetic field sensor comprising:

• generating a measured signal;
• generating a reference signal;
• processing the measured signal with a shared signal path of the magnetic field sensor during a measured time period, wherein the shared signal path includes a dual-path analog-to-digital converter (ADC), wherein the dual-path analog-to-digital converter comprises a dual path integrator circuit and the dual-path integrator circuit comprises a first signal path for processing the measured signal and a second signal second path for processing the reference signal;
• processing the reference signal with the shared signal path of the magnetic field sensor during a reference time period;
• and
• enabling the first signal path of the dual-path integrator circuit during the measured time period and disabling the first path of the dual-path integrator circuit during the reference time period, and enabling the second signal path of the dual-path integrator circuit during the reference time period and disabling the second signal path of the dual-path integrator circuit during the measured time period.