Analog to digital converter using correlated electron material devices
AssigneeArm Limited
InventorsBal S. Sandhu, Piyush Agarwal, Akshay Kumar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and method of operation thereof are provided for converting an analog signal to a digital signal. The ADC utilizes Correlated Electron Material (CEM) devices that may contain a transition metal oxide (TMO), such as Nickel Oxide (NiO). The ADC may include an interconnect circuit that is operable to couple a power supply to the CEM devices. The power supply is controlled to program the resistance of the CEM devices and thereby control performance characteristics of the ADC.
Claims20
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) comprising:
- a network of correlated electron material (CEM) devices, the CEM devices comprising transition metal oxide (TMO) material programmable between a conductor state having a low impedance and an insulator state having a high impedance;
- a plurality of bit lines;
- a register coupled to the plurality of bit lines and operable to control the plurality of bits lines dependent upon a digital value stored in the register;
- an interconnect circuit operable in a first operating mode to couple the plurality of bit lines to the network of CEM devices;
- and
- a comparator configured in the first operating mode to compare an analog input signal to a signal output from the network of CEM devices;
- where, in the first operating mode, the digital value is adjusted dependent upon an output from the comparator;
- and
- where the adjusted digital value comprises a digital representation of the analog input signal.
A method of operation of an analog-to-digital converter to provide a digital representation of an analog input voltage, the method comprising:
- coupling a power supply to one or more correlated electron material (CEM) devices in a network of CEM devices, the CEM devices comprising transition metal oxide (TMO) material programmable between a conductor state having a low impedance and an insulator state having a high impedance;
- controlling the power supply to program the one or more CEM devices to a first state of the conductor state and the insulator state;
- coupling a plurality of bit lines to the network of CEM devices;
- supplying voltages to the plurality of bits lines, the voltages dependent upon bits of a digital value stored in a register;
- and
- adjusting the digital value such that a voltage output from the network of device approximates an analog input voltage,
- where the digital representation comprises the adjusted digital value.
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) comprising:
- a network of programmable devices, programmable between a high impedance state and a low impedance state;
- a plurality of bit lines;
- a register coupled to the plurality of bit lines and operable to control the plurality of bits lines dependent upon a digital value stored in the register;
- an interconnect circuit operable in a first operating mode to couple the plurality of bit lines to the network of programmable devices;
- a comparator configured in the first operating mode to compare an analog input signal to a signal output from the network of programming devices;
- and
- a programming power supply;
- where the interconnect circuit is operable in a second operating mode to couple the programming power supply to one or more programmable devices of the network of programmable devices;
- where, in the first operating mode, the digital value is adjusted dependent upon an output from the comparator;
- where, in the second operating mode, the programming power supply is controlled to program the programmable devices to a selected state of the high impedance state and the low impedance state;
- and
- where the adjusted digital value comprises a digital representation of the analog input signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.