A correction method and a correction circuit for a sigma-delta modulator (SDM) are disclosed. The SDM includes a loop filter, a quantizer, and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and the loop filter includes a resonator. The correction circuit includes a memory and a control circuit. The memory stores multiple program instructions. The control circuit executes the program instructions to correct the SDM. The correction procedure of the SDM includes the following steps: inputting a test signal to the SDM; obtaining a signal characteristic value of an output signal of the SDM; and adjusting the resonator according to the signal characteristic value.

Method for calibrating a multi-bit Delta-Sigma modulator comprising at least one main multi-bit digital-analogue converter in the return loop for generating a return signal subtracted from the input of the modulator, the main converter comprising a plurality of elementary source cells at least some of which, referred to as active cells, are associated with the various input bits of the converter for generating the return signal, the output level of these active source cells being adjustable under the action of a matching signal, the matching signal coming from a calibration circuit receiving an output signal from the modulator at its input, this calibration circuit comprising a generator of a calibration sequence.

Analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) of an integrated circuit includes a first set of ADCs and second set of ADCs in which the ADCs of the first set are of a different type than the ADCs of the second set. On-chip testing of the ADCs includes calibrating an N-bit differential digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and storing a pair of calibration codes for each of 2.sup.N possible DAC input codes for the DAC in an on-chip memory. The first set of ADCs is tested using the pairs of calibration codes stored in the on-chip memory and a full N-bit resolution of the DAC. Subsequently, the second set of ADCs is tested using pairs of calibration codes corresponding to a reduced M-bit resolution of the DAC, in which M is less than N. During the testing of the second set of ADCs, a portion of the calibration codes stored in the on-chip memory is overwritten.

A method for Signal-to-Noise and Distortion Ratio (SNDR) improvement through optimal Digital-to-Analog-Converter (DAC) element selection includes randomizing an order of a plurality of unit elements of a DAC, wherein each of the unit elements is controlled by a respective one of a plurality of digital inputs of the DAC. The plurality of digital inputs is sequentially asserted over at least a subset of a full set of the digital inputs to generate a plurality of analog values of an output of the DAC. A first SNDR of the DAC is measured from the plurality of analog values. A maximum SNDR, corresponding to an optimal order, is determined from the first SNDR and at least one previously measured SNDR. The optimal order of the unit elements of the DAC is stored in a memory to define connections between the digital inputs and the respective unit elements based on the optimal order.

An audio system can include an amplifier having two parallel drivers, one having common source transistors and one having common drain transistors, also called source following. At low signals, the source followers dominate the open-loop gain signal path, while large signals cause the common source transistors to be dominant. At low signal amplitudes, the common source transistor gain is reduced and the common drain transistors provide the load current. At a pre-determined level of signal amplitude, the common source transistors take over and provide the current load. A calibration system for a DAC is also provided. The calibration system measures individual cell performance in the DAC, then stores its digital equivalent in a coefficient storage. Then, a quantizer can refer to the stored coefficients when selecting the appropriate final quantized digital value.

A modulator includes an analog integrator including an analog circuit and a quantizer quantizing its output signal. An external input signal is input thereto. A modulator is coupled to the latter stage of the modulator, and includes a quantizer. A probe signal generation circuit injects a probe signal to the modulator. An adaptive filter searches for a transfer function of the modulator by observing an output signal of the quantizer in accordance with a probe signal. Another adaptive filter searches for a transfer function of the modulator by observing an output signal of the quantizer in accordance with the probe signal. A noise cancel circuit cancels a quantization error generated by the quantizer using search results of the adaptive filters.

An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is a device that can include a reference shuffler and a loop filter. An ADC can achieve better performance with incremental adjustment of a pointer of the reference shuffler, changing coefficients of the loop filter, and storing calibration codes of the ADC in a non-volatile memory. By incrementally adjusting a pointer of the reference shuffler, a calibration can be performed more efficiently than with a random adjustment of the pointer. By temporarily changing the loop filter coefficients, a greater amount of activity can be introduced into the loop filter. This activity can allow the calibration to proceed more efficiently. By storing the calibration codes in a non-volatile memory, a search space for calibration codes can be reduced. Thus, a calibration can occur more quickly, and the calibration itself can be improved.

According to an embodiment, a digital microphone includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for receiving an analog input signal; a DC blocker component coupled to the ADC; a digital low pass filter coupled to the DC block component; and a nonlinear compensation component coupled to the digital low pass filter for providing a digital output signal.

For continuous-time multi-stage noise shaping analog to digital converters (CT MASH ADCs), quantization noise cancellation often requires estimation of transfer functions, e.g., a noise transfer function of the front end modulator. To estimate the noise transfer function, a dither signal can be injected in the front end modulator. However, it is not trivial how the dither signal can be injected, since the dither signal can potentially leak to the back end modulator and cause overall noise degradation. To address some of these issues, the dither signal is injected post the flash analog to digital converter (ADC) of the front end modulator. Furthermore, dummy comparator structures can be used to synchronize the dither with the quantization noise of the targeted flash ADC.

For continuous-time multi-stage noise shaping analog to digital converters (CT MASH ADCs), quantization noise cancellation often requires estimation of transfer functions, e.g., a noise transfer function of the front end modulator. To estimate the noise transfer function, a dither signal can be injected in the front end modulator. However, it is not trivial how the dither signal can be injected, since the dither signal can potentially leak to the back end modulator and cause overall noise degradation. To address some of these issues, the dither signal is injected post the flash analog to digital converter (ADC) of the front end modulator. Furthermore, dummy comparator structures can be used to synchronize the dither with the quantization noise of the targeted flash ADC.