Patent classifications
H03M1/365
ANGLE SENSOR AND DETECTION DEVICE
An angle sensor includes a first magnetic sensor and a second magnetic sensor. The first magnetic sensor includes first and second detectors, and first and second analog-to-digital converters for converting analog detection signals generated by the first and second detectors into digital detection signals. The second magnetic sensor includes third and fourth detectors, and third and fourth analog-to-digital converters for converting analog detection signals generated by the third and fourth detectors into digital detection signals. The first to fourth analog-to-digital converters perform sampling at the same sampling time.
Analog to digital converter
An A/D converter includes multiple bin comparators that compare an analog voltage to corresponding bin threshold voltages to provide output signals for providing corresponding comparison results. Some of the comparators includes enable inputs that selectively enable the output signal of the bin comparator to provide the corresponding comparison result based on a corresponding comparison result from at least one other bin comparator. The A/D convertor includes an encoder that utilizes the output signals to provide encoded bit values of the digital output. The A/D converter includes a bin selection circuit that utilizes the output signals to select a voltage level based on the output signals and provides the selected voltage level to a next stage of the A/D convertor. The next stage uses the selected voltage level and the analog voltage to provide at least one lessor bit of the digital output.
Methods of filtering reference voltage noise
A voltage reference noise filter is provided that substantially eliminates noise with minimal external components for any circuit where the reference load current is a constant load and the circuit uses external components that have values that may vary with temperature, over time, and the like. The drift on an output of a voltage reference due to variation of resistor of the external filter is mitigated by moving the external resistor onto the chip containing the circuit. The voltage drop across the resistor is digitally compensated by a scaling factor determined during calibration. When more than one converter is provided on the chip, a further adjustment to the outputs of the converters is made based on the number of converters powered on or off. Also, error in output of converters due to mismatch among the converters is digitally compensated by a further scaling factor.
ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTER
An A/D converter includes multiple bin comparators that compare an analog voltage to corresponding bin threshold voltages to provide output signals for providing corresponding comparison results. Some of the comparators includes enable inputs that selectively enable the output signal of the bin comparator to provide the corresponding comparison result based on a corresponding comparison result from at least one other bin comparator. The A/D convertor includes an encoder that utilizes the output signals to provide encoded bit values of the digital output. The A/D converter includes a bin selection circuit that utilizes the output signals to select a voltage level based on the output signals and provides the selected voltage level to a next stage of the A/D convertor. The next stage uses the selected voltage level and the analog voltage to provide at least one lessor bit of the digital output.
CONVERSION AND FOLDING CIRCUIT FOR DELAY-BASED ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER SYSTEM
An RF receiver including: an antenna cable of receiving an RF signal; a low noise amplifier coupled to the antenna and having an output; a bandpass filter coupled to the output of the low noise amplifier and having a voltage signal output, V.sub.IN; a conversion and folding circuit; and an analog-to-digital converter for converting the earlier-arriving or later-arriving delay signals into a digital code representing the voltage signal. The conversion and folding circuit having: a voltage-to-delay converter block, including preamplifiers, for converting the voltage signal into delay signals; and a folding block, including logic gates coupled to the preamplifiers, for selecting earlier-arriving and later-arriving ones of the delay signals; and
Comparator offset voltage self-correction circuit
A comparator offset voltage self-correction circuit is disclosed. A comparator offset voltage which is caused by the semiconductor process parameter randomness also has randomness. Due to the randomness of the comparator offset voltage, a reference voltage of a parallel comparator in a parallel-conversion-type analog-to-digital converter is uncertain. If the comparator offset voltage is large, the parallel-conversion-type analog-to-digital converter may even have a functional error. The comparator offset voltage self-correction circuit provided in the present invention can correct a random offset voltage of a comparator to meet requirements. Therefore, by means of the circuit and a method provided in the present invention, adverse influence of the random offset of the comparator on the function and the performance of the parallel-conversion-type analog-to-digital converter is eliminated, thereby greatly improving the speed and the performance of the analog-to-digital converter, in particular the parallel-conversion-type analog-to-digital converter.
Variable resolution digital equalization
A receiver includes a variable resolution analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and variable resolution processing logic/circuitry. The processing logic may use feed-forward equalization (FFE) techniques to process the outputs from the ADC. When receiving data from a channel having low attenuation, distortion, and/or noise, the ADC and processing logic may be configured to sample and process the received signal using fewer bits, and therefore less logic, than when configured to receiving data from a channel having a higher attenuation, distortion, and/or noise. Thus, the number of (valid) bits output by the ADC, and subsequently processed (e.g., for FFE equalization) can be reduced when a receiver of this type is coupled to a low loss channel. These reductions can reduce power consumption when compared to operating the receiver using the full (i.e., maximum) number of bits the ADC and processing logic is capable of processing.
Mixed-mode quarter square multipliers for machine learning
Multipliers are fundamental building blocks in signal processing, including in emerging applications such as machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) that predominantly utilize digital-mode multipliers. Generally, digital multipliers can operate at high speed with high precision, and synchronously. As the precision and speed of digital multipliers increase, generally the dynamic power consumption and chip size of digital implementations increases substantially that makes solutions unsuitable for some ML and AI segments, including in portable, mobile, or near edge and near sensor applications. The present invention discloses embodiments of multipliers that arrange data-converters to perform the multiplication function, operating in mixed-mode (both digital and analog), and capable of low power consumptions and asynchronous operations, which makes them suitable for low power ML and AI applications.
Dynamic integration time adjustment of a clocked data sampler using a static analog calibration circuit
Methods and systems are described for generating a process-voltage-temperature (PVT)-dependent reference voltage at a reference branch circuit based on a reference current obtained via a band gap generator and a common mode voltage input, generating a PVT-dependent output voltage at an output of a static analog calibration circuit responsive to the common mode voltage input and an adjustable current, adjusting the adjustable current through the static analog calibration circuit according to a control signal generated responsive to comparisons of the PVT-dependent output voltage to the PVT-dependent reference voltage, and configuring a clocked data sampler with a PVT-calibrated current by providing the control signal to the clocked data sampler.
Device and method for analog-to-digital conversion with charge redistribution, converter and associated image acquisition chain
An N-bit type charge redistribution analog-to-digital conversion device includes an input terminal configured to receive an input signal and coupled via a line to an output terminal. The output terminal is configured to be coupled to a comparator. The device further includes three reference potential sources of different values and a network of capacitors, where a first terminal of each capacitor is coupled to the line, and where a second terminal of each capacitor is coupled to switching circuit configured for coupling the second terminal of each capacitor to one of the reference potentials.