Patent classifications
H03M1/468
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device performs sequential comparison of an analog input signal and a reference voltage to digitally convert the analog input signal. The semiconductor device includes an upper DAC generating a high-voltage region of the reference voltage based on a predetermined code, a lower DAC generating a low-voltage region of the reference voltage based on the code, and an injection DAC having the same configuration as that of the lower DAC and adjusting the low-voltage region of the reference voltage.
NEURAL MEMORY ARRAY STORING SYNAPSIS WEIGHTS IN DIFFERENTIAL CELL PAIRS
Numerous embodiments of analog neural memory arrays are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system comprises a first array of non-volatile memory cells, wherein the cells are arranged in rows and columns and the non-volatile memory cells in one or more of the columns stores W+ values, and wherein one of the columns in the first array is a dummy column; and a second array of non-volatile memory cells, wherein the cells are arranged in rows and columns and the non-volatile memory cells in one or more of the columns stores W− values, and wherein one of the columns in the second array is a dummy column; wherein pairs of cells from the first array and the second array store a differential weight, W, according to the formula W=(W+)−(W−).
A Successive Approximation Register Analog-to-Digital Converter
A successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC) is disclosed, which is configured to receive an analog input signal and provide a digital output signal. The SAR ADC comprises a capacitor bank for successively providing a plurality of signal levels based on a sample value of the analog input signal, wherein each signal level of the plurality is an indicator for a corresponding bit in a corresponding sample of the digital output signal. Furthermore, the SAR ADC comprises controlling circuitry configured to cause the capacitor bank to provide the plurality of signal levels representing a dynamically scaled version of the sample value of the analog input signal. In some embodiments, a respective selector of each capacitor of the capacitor bank is controlled to charge the capacitor using either the sample value of the analog input signal or the sample value of an opposed version of the analog input signal. The setting of the respective selectors corresponds to a digital representation of a scaling value (e.g., a sample value of an oscillator signal) for the dynamically scaled version of the sample value of the analog input signal. Corresponding method, receiver, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG).
ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER AND COMMUNICATION DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME
An analog-to-digital converter includes a sample hold circuit configured to receive an analog input signal based on an operating mode, the operating mode being one of at least two modes including a sample mode and a hold mode. The sample hold circuit includes a first transistor including a control terminal and a first terminal, the first transistor configured to receive a control signal via the control terminal and receive the analog input signal via the first terminal. The analog-to-digital converter further includes a bootstrap switch operationally connected to the control terminal and the first terminal of the first transistor, the bootstrap switch configured to form a first current path from a power source based on the analog input signal and a boosted voltage of the control terminal of the first transistor in the sample mode, the control terminal bing along the first current path in the sample mode.
ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTER WITH INVERTER BASED AMPLIFIER
An analog-to-digital converter (“ADC”) includes an input terminal configured to receive an analog input voltage signal. A first ADC stage is coupled to the input terminal and is configured to output a first digital value corresponding to the analog input voltage signal and a first analog residue signal corresponding to a difference between the first digital value and the analog input signal. An inverter based residue amplifier is configured to receive the first analog residue signal, amplify the first analog residue signal, and output an amplified residue signal. The amplified residue signal is converted to a second digital value, and the first and second digital values are combined to create a digital output signal corresponding to the analog input voltage signal.
Sub-ranging SAR analog-to-digital converter with meta-stability detection and correction circuitry
A sub-ranging SAR ADC has a coarse flash ADC that generates bit values corresponding to MSBs of the digital output value, and a fine SAR ADC that generates bit values corresponding to LSBs of the digital output value. The fine ADC generates successive analog approximation signals for the analog input signal. Meta-stability (MTS) detection circuitry detects a coarse-ADC MTS condition in the coarse ADC if a magnitude of a difference between a current approximation signal and a previous approximation signal is greater than a specified threshold level. A controller controls operations of the sub-ranging ADC to correct for a detected coarse-ADC MTS condition. The MTS detection circuitry includes a positive MTS detector that detects a positive coarse-ADC MTS condition in the coarse ADC and a negative MTS detector that detects a negative coarse-ADC MTS condition in the coarse ADC.
TECHNIQUES FOR POWER EFFICIENT OVERSAMPLING SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATION REGISTER
Systems and methods are disclosed for a noise-shaping successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital-converter (ADC) using Sampled Analog Technology (SAT) filter techniques for filter construction. A SAR ADC includes an SAR for receiving an analog input signal and outputting a digital decision, a digital-to-analog converter and logic circuitry for converting the digital decision of the SAR to a present analog residue for a present conversion cycle, a filter for processing a previous analog residue from a previous conversion cycle, and for feeding a processed previous analog residue back to the SAR, a summer for summing the processed previous analog residue from the filter and the present analog residue, and generating a summer output, and a comparator for comparing the summer output and a first reference signal and generating a comparator output. The filter includes a capacitor array for filtering the previous analog residue to generate the processed previous analog residue.
Analog-to-digital converter and method of operating same
A method of operating an analog-to-digital converter includes in a first sampling stage, switching a swap signal to a first level for a first selection circuit to reset a first capacitor array according to a first voltage configuration and for a second selection circuit to reset a second capacitor array according to the first voltage configuration, and in a second sampling stage, switching the swap signal to a second level for the first selection circuit to reset the first capacitor array according to the second voltage configuration and for the second selection circuit to reset the second capacitor array according to the second voltage configuration. A control logic circuit is used to switch the swap signal between the first level and the second level in a uniform order in a plurality of sampling stages.
RATIOMETRIC ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERSION CIRCUIT
A ratiometric analog-to-digital conversion circuit includes a first voltage range operation circuit configured to use a first power supply voltage of a first voltage range, and output an analog signal corresponding to an external input signal; and a second voltage range operation circuit configured to use a second power supply voltage of a second voltage range, generate a digital value by analog-to-digital converting the analog signal, feed back the digital value for analog-to-digital conversion, and output a digital signal corresponding to the digital value and proportional to the input signal.
Differential Subrange ADC for Image Sensor
A differential subrange analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converts differential analog image signals received from sample and hold circuits to a digital signal through an ADC comparator. The comparator of the differential subrange ADC is shared by a successive approximation register (SAR) ADC coupled to provide both M upper output bits (UOB) and a ramp ADC coupled to provide N lower output bits (LOB). Digital-to-analog converters (DACs) of the differential subrange SAR ADC comprises 2M buffered bit capacitor fingers connected to the comparator. Each buffered bit capacitor finger comprises a bit capacitor, a bit buffer, and a bit switch controlled by the UOB. Both DACs are initialized to preset values and finalized based on the values of the least significant bit of the UOB. The subsequent ramp ADC operation will be ensured to have its first ramp signal ramps in a monotonic direction and its second ramp signal ramp in an opposite direction.