An example apparatus includes: a voltage-to-current circuit including a first input terminal, a first output terminal and a second output terminal, a subtraction circuit including a second input terminal and a third output terminal, the second input terminal coupled to the second output terminal, a first driver circuit including a third input terminal and a fourth output terminal, the third input terminal coupled to the third output terminal, and a second driver circuit including a fourth input terminal and a fifth output terminal, the fourth input terminal coupled to the first output terminal, the fifth output coupled to the fourth output terminal.

A digital to analog converter (DAC) includes an amplifier including a buffer of the DAC, and a resistor ladder arrangement coupled to a non-inverting input terminal of the amplifier to generate a voltage based on a digital control word. The arrangement includes a first, least-significant bit, segment arranged in one of an R-2R or unit-R configuration, a second, most-significant bit, segment including one or more units each including a second-segment-resistor having a resistor terminal coupled to a respective second switch and having a second resistance, R.sub.MSB, and a third segment including one or more third-segment-resistors coupled in parallel to the non-inverting input terminal and connected to a first reference voltage terminal. M2 designates a number of bits in the digital control word for controlling the second switches, and the third segment has a total resistance, Rsp, based on M2.

A digital-to-analog converter for generating an analog output voltage in response to a digital value comprising a plurality of bits, the converter including: (i) a first switched resistor network having a first configuration and for converting a first input differential signal into a first analog output in response to a first set of bits in the plurality of bits; and (ii) a second switched resistor network, coupled to the first switched resistor network, having a second configuration, differing from the first configuration, and for converting a second input differential signal into a second analog output in response to a second set of bits in the plurality of bits.

Differential circuitry including first and second current paths each including a succession of first and further load nodes, each successive further load node connected to its preceding load node via a divider impedance; and first switching circuitry connected to the further load node or nodes of the first current path, and second switching circuitry connected to the further load node or nodes of the second current path, the first and second switching circuitry controlling a magnitude of controllable current signals passing through the load nodes of the first current path and the second current path, respectively, wherein: the first load nodes of the first and second current paths include a first pair of load nodes, and the or each successive further load node of the first current path and its corresponding successive further load node of the second current path include a successive further pair of load nodes.

Techniques for interpolating two voltages without loading them and without requiring significant power or additional area are described. The techniques include specific topologies for the buffering amplifiers that offer accuracy by cancelling systematic error sources without relying on high gain, thus simplifying the frequency compensation, and reducing power consumption. This can be achieved by biasing the amplifiers from the load current by an innovative feedback structure, which can remove the need for high impedance nodes inside the amplifiers.

A self-calibrating digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is disclosed. The self-calibrating DAC includes a DAC including a least significant bit (LSB) side resistor network and a most significant bit (MSB) side resistor network. At least the MSB side resistor network includes a plurality of trimmable resistors. A resistance to frequency converter coupled with an output of the DAC is included to generate a frequency f.sub.L based on a value of the LSB side resistor network or the MSB side resistor network. A monitor is included to generate a counter value by comparing f.sub.L with a high frequency clock having a constant frequency f.sub.H. A memory is included to store at least two counter values generating by comparing f.sub.L and f.sub.H once when the LSB side resistor network is connected while the MSB side resistor network is floating and once when the LSB side resistor network is floating while only one of the resistors in the MSB side resistor network is connected and all other resistors in the MSB side resistor network are floating. A comparator is included to compare the at least two counter values. A trimming controller is included to generate a trimming signal to trim one of the plurality of trimmable resistors based on an output of the comparator.

Techniques for interpolating two voltages without loading them and without requiring significant power or additional area are described. The techniques include specific topologies for the buffering amplifiers that offer accuracy by cancelling systematic error sources without relying on high gain, thus simplifying the frequency compensation, and reducing power consumption. This can be achieved by biasing the amplifiers from the load current by an innovative feedback structure, which can remove the need for high impedance nodes inside the amplifiers.

A detection circuit for detecting a clock signal includes a multiplexer, a digital-to-analog converter, a comparator, and a counter. The multiplexer outputs either a first signal or a second signal as a selection signal. The digital-to-analog converter outputs a reference voltage according to the selection signal. The comparator compares the clock signal to the reference voltage to generate a comparison signal. The counter counts a reference clock signal to generate an overflow signal, and resets the overflow signal according to the comparison signal. The overflow signal indicates the amplitude of the clock signal.

A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) includes a switching network and built-in-self-test (BIST) circuitry. The DAC, in operation, generates analog output signals in response to input codes of a set of input codes of the DAC. The BIST circuitry sequentially applies codes of a determined subset of codes of the set of input codes to test the plurality of switches. The determined subset of codes has fewer codes than the set of input codes. The BIST circuitry detects failures of switches of the plurality of switches based on responses of the DAC to the applied codes. In response to detecting a failure of a switch, the BIST generates a signal indicating a failure of the switching network.

A digital-to-analog converter for generating an analog output voltage in response to a digital value comprising a plurality of bits, the converter including: (i) a first switched resistor network having a first configuration and for converting a first input differential signal into a first analog output in response to a first set of bits in the plurality of bits; and (ii) a second switched resistor network, coupled to the first switched resistor network, having a second configuration, differing from the first configuration, and for converting a second input differential signal into a second analog output in response to a second set of bits in the plurality of bits.