Systems and methods are related to a successive approximation analog to digital converter (SAR ADC). In one aspect, a method includes sampling, by a sample and digital to analog conversion (DAC) circuit, an input voltage to obtain a sampled voltage. The method also includes determining, by a comparator coupled to a set of storage circuits, a state of a plurality of bits corresponding to the sampled voltage. The comparator has a current parameter or voltage parameter adjusted based upon a conversion margin. Adjustment of the current parameter or the voltage parameter affects speed of determining the state of the bits. The method also includes storing the bits in the set of storage circuits. In some aspects, an SAR ADC is configured to perform the method.

An integrated circuit of an embodiment includes a plurality of AD conversion circuits including a first AD conversion circuit and a second AD conversion circuit, and a control circuit configured to delay a start time of sampling processing of the second AD conversion circuit as compared with a usual start time such that the first AD conversion circuit is not influenced by noise generated by the sampling processing of the second AD conversion circuit, and to shorten a sampling time period to control a termination time of the sampling processing of the second AD conversion circuit to be concurrent with a termination time in a case of performing usual sampling processing.

A time-interleaved Analog-to-Digital Converter, ADC, system is provided. The time-inter- leaved ADC system includes time-interleaved first and second ADC circuits and a switching circuit. The switching circuit is configured to selectively supply an analog input signal for digitization to at least one of the first ADC circuit, the second ADC circuit or ground, and to selectively supply an analog calibration signal to at least one of the first ADC circuit, the second ADC circuit or ground. Further, the time-interleaved ADC system includes an output circuit configured to selectively generate, based on least one of a first digital signal output by the first ADC circuit and a second digital signal output by the second ADC circuit, a digital output signal.

An AD converter is provided with a control unit including a calibration control unit that controls an operation for calibrating the control unit and a conversion control unit that controls an operation for converting a target input voltage into a digital signal; a reference voltage unit that outputs a reference voltage; and an integrating converter unit including an integrating unit that generates an integrated voltage by integrating a predetermined unit voltage, a comparator that has two inputs and compares the integrated voltage and an input voltage or a reference voltage Vref, and a crossbar switch that switches connections between the case where the integrated voltage is inputted to one of the inputs of the comparator and the input voltage or the reference voltage Vref is inputted to the other input and the case where the input voltage or the reference voltage Vref is inputted to one of the inputs of the comparator and the integrated voltage is inputted to the other input.

A column analog-to-digital converter and the local counting method is provided. The column analog-to-digital converter includes a plurality of analog-to-digital converters in parallel. Each of the analog-to-digital converters includes a comparator and a counting circuit. The comparator compares the ramp voltage with one of the plurality of column signals to generate a comparator output signal. The counting circuit triggers a delay line circuit of the counting circuit to generate first delay data according to the comparator output signal, re-triggers the delay line circuit to generate first re-trigger delay data according to a base clock, and compares the first delay data with the first re-trigger delay data to generate a first counting output.

A time-interleaved Analog-to-Digital Converter, ADC, system is provided. The time-inter-leaved ADC system includes time-interleaved first and second ADC circuits and a switching circuit. The switching circuit is configured to selectively supply an analog input signal for digitization to at least one of the first ADC circuit, the second ADC circuit or ground, and to selectively supply an analog calibration signal to at least one of the first ADC circuit, the second ADC circuit or ground. Further, the time-interleaved ADC system includes an output circuit configured to selectively generate, based on least one of a first digital signal output by the first ADC circuit and a second digital signal output by the second ADC circuit, a digital output signal.

A method of operating an image sensor includes generating an analog pixel signal, including a reset component and an image component, based on incident light received by a pixel in the image sensor. Operations are performed to repeatedly sample the reset component of the analog pixel signal using a ramp signal, during a first time interval, and then repeatedly sample the image component of the analog pixel signal using the ramp signal, during a second time interval subsequent to the first time interval. A digital signal corresponding to an effective image component of the incident light is then generated. This digital signal is based on the repeatedly sampled reset component of the analog pixel signal and the repeatedly sampled image component of the analog pixel signal. In addition, during both the first and second time intervals, the ramp signal decreases in magnitude and increases in magnitude.

A circuit for receiving serial data. In some embodiments, the circuit has an input for receiving an analog input signal, and includes a first sampler for sampling the analog input signal relative to a first reference voltage, a second sampler for sampling the analog input signal relative to a second reference voltage, and a reference voltage control circuit. The second reference voltage may have a sign opposite to that of the first reference voltage; and the reference voltage control circuit may be configured to adjust the first reference voltage or the second reference voltage, based on a first sample of the analog input signal, the first sample having been taken at a sampling time corresponding to a one bit, in the serial data, preceded by a one bit and followed by a one bit.

The value range for which an error in a digital signal can be corrected is expanded. A control unit generates characteristic information indicating the relationship between an input and an output of an A/D converter and sets a value range. The control unit, in a case in which a value indicated by a first digital signal obtained by the A/D converter converting a first analog voltage signal is within the value range, A/D converts the first analog voltage signal and generates corrected digital information on the basis of the first digital signal and characteristic information, and in a case in which a value indicated by the first digital signal is not within the value range, A/D converts the first analog voltage signal and generates corrected digital information on the basis of a second digital signal obtained by the A/D converter converting the second analog voltage signal and characteristic information.

The present disclosure relates to a time-interleaved ADC circuit. The time-interleaved ADC circuit comprises an input for an analog input signal, a first ADC bank comprising a first plurality of parallel time-multiplexed ADCs, wherein the first plurality of parallel time-multiplexed ADCs is configured to subsequently generate a first plurality of samples of the analog input signal during a first time interval, a first buffer amplifier coupled between the input and the first ADC bank. The time-interleaved ADC circuit further comprises a second ADC bank comprising a second plurality of parallel time-multiplexed ADCs, wherein the second plurality of parallel time-multiplexed ADCs is configured to subsequently generate a second plurality of samples of the analog input signal during a second time interval, wherein the first and the second time intervals are subsequent time intervals, a second buffer amplifier coupled between the input and the second ADC bank. The first ADC bank has associated therewith a first dummy sampler, wherein the ADC circuit is configured to activate the first dummy sampler before the start of the first time interval. The second ADC bank has associated therewith a second dummy sampler, wherein the ADC circuit is configured to activate the second dummy sampler before the start of the second time interval.