Coded data generation or conversion – Analog to or from digital conversion – Analog to digital conversion
Patent
1992-05-29
1994-03-01
Williams, Howard L.
Coded data generation or conversion
Analog to or from digital conversion
Analog to digital conversion
341156, H03M 136
Patent
active
052911985
ABSTRACT:
A flash-type analog-to-digital converter (ADC) uses only 2.sup.n-m comparators coupled to the analog input line to generate a n-bit digital output signal. Each pair of these actual comparators are coupled, in parallel, to 2.sup.m pseudocomparators which provide values representing comparisons of the input signal value to respective reference values between the reference values used by the actual comparators. The output signals of each pair of actual comparators are combined in respectively different proportions at each of the pseudocomparators. In this manner, the output signals of the actual comparators are averaged to produce the interstitial comparison values. In one embodiment of the invention, the ADC is implemented in BiCMOS technology with a bipolar differential input stage and a CMOS latching comparator. Signals are distributed from the actual comparators to the pseudocomparators via a pair of resistive ladder networks. In other embodiments of the invention the ADC is implemented in CMOS technology and the pseudocomparators use ratioed transistor widths and ratioed capacitors to proportionally divide the output signals of the actual comparators in order to generate the interstitial output values. A final embodiment of the invention combines two averaging flash ADCs to form a novel subranging ADC.
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Dingwall Andrew G. F.
Hsueh Fu-Lung
Burke William J.
David Sarnoff Research Center Inc.
Electronics Research & Service Org.
Industrial Technology Research Institute
Williams Howard L.
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