The disclosure includes a mechanism for mitigating electrical current leakage in a Successive Approximation Register (SAR) Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) by using a Flash ADC in conjunction with the SAR ADC. A sequence controller in the SAR ADC uses the output of the Flash ADC to control a switch array. Depending on the output of the Flash ADC, the sequence controller can control the switch array to couple at least one capacitor in the capacitor network of the SAR ADC to a voltage that reduces charge leakage in the SAR ADC. The voltage may be a pre-defined positive or negative reference voltage.

According to an embodiment, a digital-to-analog converter may be provided. The digital-to-analog converter may include a resistive ladder network including a plurality of paths corresponding to bit currents, respectively. The digital-to-analog converter may include a switching circuit configured to include a plurality of weighted elements respectively coupled to the paths. The digital-to-analog converter may include a reference voltage setting circuit coupled to the weighted elements and the paths, and configured to minimize a variation of threshold voltages of the weighted elements.

The disclosure includes a mechanism for mitigating electrical current leakage in a Successive Approximation Register (SAR) Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) by using a Flash ADC in conjunction with the SAR ADC. A sequence controller in the SAR ADC uses the output of the Flash ADC to control a switch array. Depending on the output of the Flash ADC, the sequence controller can control the switch array to couple at least one capacitor in the capacitor network of the SAR ADC to a voltage that reduces charge leakage in the SAR ADC. The voltage may be a pre-defined positive or negative reference voltage.

According to an embodiment, a digital-to-analog converter may be provided. The digital-to-analog converter may include a resistive ladder network including a plurality of paths corresponding to bit currents, respectively. The digital-to-analog converter may include a switching circuit configured to include a plurality of weighted elements respectively coupled to the paths. The digital-to-analog converter may include a reference voltage setting circuit coupled to the weighted elements and the paths, and configured to minimize a variation of threshold voltages of the weighted elements.

A method for processing input variables using a processing device including at least two field-effect transistors. Drain-to-source paths of the at least two field-effect transistors are each connected to a first circuit node. The method includes: applying to a gate electrode of the first field-effect transistor a first drive signal which characterizes a first input variable associated with the first field-effect transistor; applying to a gate electrode of the second field-effect transistor a second drive signal which characterizes a first input variable associated with the second field-effect transistor, wherein at least one of the first drive signal and/or the second drive signal has a non-constant amplitude.

A digital-to-analog converter device including a set of components, each component included in the set of components including a number of unit cells, each unit cell being associated with a unit cell size indicating manufacturing specifications of the unit cell is provided by the present disclosure. The digital-to-analog converter device further includes a plurality of switches, each switch included in the plurality of switches being coupled to a component included in the set of components, and an output electrode coupled to the plurality of switches. The digital-to-analog converter device is configured to output an output signal at the output electrode. A first unit cell size associated with a first unit cell included in the set of components is different than a second unit cell size associated with a second unit cell included in the set of components.

The disclosure includes a mechanism for mitigating electrical current leakage in a Successive Approximation Register (SAR) Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) by using a Flash ADC in conjunction with the SAR ADC. A sequence controller in the SAR ADC uses the output of the Flash ADC to control a switch array. Depending on the output of the Flash ADC, the sequence controller can control the switch array to couple at least one capacitor in the capacitor network of the SAR ADC to a voltage that reduces charge leakage in the SAR ADC. The voltage may be a pre-defined positive or negative reference voltage.

The disclosure includes a mechanism for mitigating electrical current leakage in a Successive Approximation Register (SAR) Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) by using a Flash ADC in conjunction with the SAR ADC. A sequence controller in the SAR ADC uses the output of the Flash ADC to control a switch array. Depending on the output of the Flash ADC, the sequence controller can control the switch array to couple at least one capacitor in the capacitor network of the SAR ADC to a voltage that reduces charge leakage in the SAR ADC. The voltage may be a pre-defined positive or negative reference voltage.

A digital-to-analog converter device including a set of components, each component included in the set of components including a number of unit cells, each unit cell being associated with a unit cell size indicating manufacturing specifications of the unit cell is provided by the present disclosure. The digital-to-analog converter device further includes a plurality of switches, each switch included in the plurality of switches being coupled to a component included in the set of components, and an output electrode coupled to the plurality of switches. The digital-to-analog converter device is configured to output an output signal at the output electrode. A first unit cell size associated with a first unit cell included in the set of components is different than a second unit cell size associated with a second unit cell included in the set of components.

A method for processing input variables using a processing device including at least two field-effect transistors. Drain-to-source paths of the at least two field-effect transistors are each connected to a first circuit node. The method includes: applying to a gate electrode of the first field-effect transistor a first drive signal which characterizes a first input variable associated with the first field-effect transistor; applying to a gate electrode of the second field-effect transistor a second drive signal which characterizes a first input variable associated with the second field-effect transistor, wherein at least one of the first drive signal and/or the second drive signal has a non-constant amplitude.