An example apparatus includes: an analog input; a resistor circuit including a first reference output and a second reference output; a first amplifier including a first analog input, a first reference input, and a first amplifier output, the first analog input coupled to the analog input, the first reference input coupled to the first reference output; a second amplifier including a second analog input, a second reference input, and a second amplifier output, the second analog input coupled to the analog input, the second reference input coupled to the second reference output; a first comparator including a first comparator input, the first comparator input coupled to the first amplifier output; and a second comparator including a second comparator input, the second comparator input coupled to the second amplifier output; a first multiplexer including a first multiplexer input and a first residue output, the first multiplexer input coupled to the first amplifier output; and a second multiplexer including a second multiplexer input and a second residue output, the second multiplexer input coupled to the second amplifier output.

An analog-to-digital (ADC) circuit is disclosed that includes a first stage, a first amplifier, and a second amplifier. The first stage includes signal processing circuitry, and is configured to receive a differential input signal and generate a differential residue voltage signal on differential output nodes of the first stage. The first amplifier includes first amplifier circuitry. The first amplifier is electrically connected to the differential output nodes of the first stage, and configured to receive the differential residue voltage signal, and generate a first differential voltage signal from the differential residue voltage signal. The second amplifier includes second amplifier circuitry. The second amplifier is electrically connected to differential output nodes of the first amplifier, and configured to receive the first differential voltage signal, and generate a second differential voltage signal from the first differential voltage signal.

An example apparatus includes: an analog input; a resistor circuit including a first reference output and a second reference output; a first amplifier including a first analog input, a first reference input, and a first amplifier output, the first analog input coupled to the analog input, the first reference input coupled to the first reference output; a second amplifier including a second analog input, a second reference input, and a second amplifier output, the second analog input coupled to the analog input, the second reference input coupled to the second reference output; a first comparator including a first comparator input, the first comparator input coupled to the first amplifier output; and a second comparator including a second comparator input, the second comparator input coupled to the second amplifier output; a first multiplexer including a first multiplexer input and a first residue output, the first multiplexer input coupled to the first amplifier output; and a second multiplexer including a second multiplexer input and a second residue output, the second multiplexer input coupled to the second amplifier output.

An analog-to-digital converter including a first stage and a second stage. The first stage includes a first sample-and-hold (SH) having an input coupled to a voltage input node of the ADC, and having a first SH output. The first stage also includes a buffer, a first flash converter and a first digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The buffer has an input coupled to the first SH output and has a buffer output. The first flash converter has an input coupled to the first SH output, and has a first flash converter output. The first DAC has an input coupled to the first flash converter output. The second stage includes a second flash converter having an input coupled to the buffer output.

A dither is an uncorrelated signal, usually pseudo-random noise injected into the input of an ADC such that a given input value of the wanted signal becomes spread over a plurality of codes. This reduces the effect of DNL and also smooths the integral non-linearity (INL) response of the ADC. The advantages of introducing dither could be obtained without having to perturb the signal input to the ADC. This avoids the introduction of additional components in the ADC. The dither can be applied to the components used to form a residue of the ADC stage within a pipelined converter. For example, a dither can be applied solely to a DAC part or different dithers can be applied to a ADC and DAC parts respectively. This allows greater flexibility of linearization of the ADC response and the formation of an analog residue by the DAC.

An electronic apparatus includes: a processor; a first electronic circuit that outputs a pulse width modulation signal; a low-pass filter circuit that outputs a voltage based on the pulse width modulation signal; a second electronic circuit that outputs an analog signal by using the output voltage of the low-pass filter circuit; and a third electronic circuit that converts the analog signal into a digital signal, and the processor sets a frequency of the pulse width modulation signal to a frequency at which a noise component included in the digital signal is reduced in relation to a sampling frequency of the third electronic circuit.

An analog-to-digital converter including a first stage and a second stage. The first stage includes a first sample-and-hold (SH) having an input coupled to a voltage input node of the ADC, and having a first SH output. The first stage also includes a buffer, a first flash converter and a first digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The buffer has an input coupled to the first SH output and has a buffer output. The first flash converter has an input coupled to the first SH output, and has a first flash converter output. The first DAC has an input coupled to the first flash converter output. The second stage includes a second flash converter having an input coupled to the buffer output.

A dither is an uncorrelated signal, usually pseudo-random noise injected into the input of an ADC such that a given input value of the wanted signal becomes spread over a plurality of codes. This reduces the effect of DNL and also smooths the integral non-linearity (INL) response of the ADC. The advantages of introducing dither could be obtained without having to perturb the signal input to the ADC. This avoids the introduction of additional components in the ADC. The dither can be applied to the components used to form a residue of the ADC stage within a pipelined converter. For example, a dither can be applied solely to a DAC part or different dithers can be applied to a ADC and DAC parts respectively. This allows greater flexibility of linearization of the ADC response and the formation of an analog residue by the DAC.

The present disclosure relates to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a method for controlling an ADC. The ADC includes a plurality of quantization levels for analog-to-digital conversion. The ADC is adapted for utilizing a subset of the plurality of quantization levels for analog-to-digital signal conversion. The subset is formed by selecting at least one level to be deactivated using a greedy search method and deactivating the at least one level. The method includes using a subset of the plurality of quantization levels for analog-to-digital signal conversion, the subset being formed by selecting at least one level to be deactivated using a greedy search method and deactivating the at least one level.

In an example, a system includes a pipelined analog-to-digital converter (ADC) having a main path and an auxiliary path. The main path includes a first stage having a sampling switch, a flash ADC having an input coupled to the sampling switch, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) having an input coupled to an output of the flash ADC, and a first amplifier having an input coupled to an output of the DAC and the sampling switch. The main path includes a second stage coupled to the first stage and an input of a second amplifier. The main path also includes a backend ADC having an input coupled to an output of the second amplifier. The auxiliary path includes a plurality of metastability comparators coupled to the flash ADC.