N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter and integrated circuit chip including the same

Abstract

The present application discloses an N-bit hybrid-structure analog-to-digital converter and an integrated circuit chip including the same, including a pre-stage sampling capacitor array, a post-stage capacitor array and a comparator set and the pre-stage sampling capacitor array including a number of 2.sup.N1 sets of first capacitor array units arranged in parallel, the first capacitor array unit including two sets of parallel capacitor strings, input terminals of parallel capacitor strings respectively being connected to and switchable between differential analog signals and first preset reference signals, output terminals of the parallel capacitor strings respectively being connected to input terminals of the comparator set, input terminals of the post-stage capacitor array respectively being connected to and switchable between output terminals of the comparator set and differential analog signals, output terminals of the post-stage capacitor array being configured as an output terminal of the analog-to-digital converter.

Claims

1. An N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter comprising a pre-stage sampling capacitor array, a post-stage capacitor array and a comparator set, the pre-stage sampling capacitor array comprising a number of 2.sup.N1 sets of first capacitor array units arranged in parallel, each of the first capacitor array units comprising two sets of parallel capacitor strings, input terminals of the parallel capacitor strings being connected to and switchable between differential analog signals and first preset reference signals, output terminals of the parallel capacitor strings being respectively connected to corresponding input terminals of the comparator set, input terminals of the post-stage capacitor array respectively being connected to and switchable between output terminals of the comparator set and differential analog signals, output terminals of the post-stage capacitor array being configured as an output terminal of the analog-to-digital converter, the comparator set comprising a number of 2.sup.N1 comparator units, the comparator unit comprising two comparators with opposite phase outputs, and two input terminals of each of the comparators being connected to two output terminals of the corresponding first capacitor array unit, output terminals of the comparators being configured as output terminals of the comparator sets and being connected to input terminals of the post-stage capacitor array.

2. The N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter according to claim 1, wherein the parallel capacitor string comprises a number of 2.sup.N1 first capacitors connected in parallel, and upper plates of each of the first capacitors are connected together as an output terminal of the parallel capacitor strings, and a lower plate of each of the first capacitors is connected with a first switch, and the first switch switches the lower plate of each of the first capacitors between the differential analog signals and the first preset reference signals.

3. The N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter according to claim 2, wherein the first preset reference signals are divided into two channels, and the two channels of the first preset reference signals are respectively connected to the first switches of the two sets of parallel capacitor strings of a same first capacitor array, and the first preset reference signals are 2.sup.N-bit binary signals.

4. The N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter according to claim 3, wherein a number of high level bits of the first preset reference signals is 2.sup.N-1 or 2.sup.N-11.

5. The N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter according to claim 2, wherein the first switch is a single-pole three-throw switch.

6. The N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter according to claim 1, wherein the post-stage capacitor array comprises two second capacitor array units, and each of the second capacitor array units comprises a number of 2.sup.N second capacitors connected in parallel, and upper plates of each of the second capacitors are connected together as an output of the post-stage capacitor array, and a lower plate of each of the second capacitors is connected with a second switch, wherein a number of 2.sup.N1 second capacitors are connected to and switchable between the differential analog signals and output terminals of the corresponding comparators, and the second switch switches the remaining one of the second capacitors between the differential analog signal and a second preset reference signal.

7. The N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter according to claim 6, wherein the second preset reference signals connected to two second capacitor array units are the same.

8. The N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter according to claim 6, wherein the second switch is a single-pole double-throw switch.

9. An integrated circuit chip, comprising an N-bit hybrid structure analog-to- digital converter, which comprising a pre-stage sampling capacitor array, a post-stage capacitor array and a comparator set, the pre-stage sampling capacitor array comprising a number of 2.sup.N1 sets of first capacitor array units arranged in parallel, each of the first capacitor array units comprising two sets of parallel capacitor strings, input terminals of the parallel capacitor strings being connected to and switchable between differential analog signals and first preset reference signals, output terminals of the parallel capacitor strings being respectively connected to corresponding input terminals of the comparator set, input terminals of the post-stage capacitor array respectively being connected to and switchable between the output terminals of the comparator set and differential analog signals, output terminals of the post-stage capacitor array being configured as an output terminal of the analog-to-digital converter, the comparator set comprising a number of 2.sup.N1 comparator units, the comparator unit comprising two comparators with opposite phase outputs, and two input terminals of each of the comparators being connected to two output terminals of the corresponding first capacitor array unit, output terminals of the comparators being configured as output terminals of the comparator set and being connected to the input terminals of the post-stage capacitor array.

10. The integrated circuit chip according to claim 9, wherein the parallel capacitor string comprises a number of 2.sup.N-1 first capacitors connected in parallel, and upper plates of each of the first capacitor are connected together as an output terminal of the parallel capacitor strings, and a lower plate of each of the first capacitors is connected with a first switch, and the first switch switches the lower plate of each of the first capacitors between the differential analog signals and the first preset reference signals.

11. The integrated circuit chip according to claim 10, wherein the first preset reference signals are divided into two channels, and the two channels of the first preset reference signals are respectively connected to the first switches of the two sets of parallel capacitor strings of a same first capacitor array, and the first preset reference signals are 2.sup.N-bit binary signals.

12. The integrated circuit chip according to claim 11, wherein a number of high level bits of the first preset reference signals is 2.sup.N-1 or 2.sup.N-11.

13. The integrated circuit chip according to claim 10, wherein the first switch is a single-pole three-throw switch.

14. The integrated circuit chip according to claim 9, wherein the post-stage capacitor array comprises two second capacitor array units, and each of the second capacitor array units comprises a number of 2.sup.N second capacitors connected in parallel, and upper plates of each of the second capacitors are connected together as an output of the post-stage capacitor array, and a lower plate of each of the second capacitors is connected with a second switch, wherein a number of 2.sup.N1 second capacitors are connected to and switchable between the differential analog signals and the corresponding output terminals of comparators, and the second switch switches the remaining one of the second capacitors between the differential analog signal and a second preset reference signal.

15. The integrated circuit chip according to claim 14, wherein the second preset reference signals connected to two second capacitor array units are the same.

16. The integrated circuit chip according to claim 14, wherein the second switch is a single-pole double-throw switch.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) To illustrate the technical solutions according to the embodiments of the present application or in the prior art more clearly, the accompanying drawings for describing the embodiments or the prior art are introduced briefly in the following. Apparently, the accompanying drawings in the following description only show only a part rather than all embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by one skilled in the art based on the given embodiments without creative efforts shall fall in the scope of the present application.

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a circuit structure of an N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter according to an embodiment of the present application.

Description of drawing labels:

(3) TABLE-US-00001 label name label name 100 pre-stage sample capacitor 110 the first capacitor array array unit 200 comparator set 210 comparator unit 300 post-stage capacitor array 310 the second capacitor array unit

(4) The implementation of the purpose, functional characteristics and advantages of the present application will be further described in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(5) The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is obvious that the embodiments to be described are only a part rather than all of the embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by one skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

(6) It is to be understood that, all of the directional instructions in the exemplary embodiments of the present application (such as top, down, left, right, front, back . . . ) can only be used for explaining relative position relations, moving condition, and so on, of the elements under a special form (referring to figures). If the special form changes, the directional instructions changes accordingly.

(7) In addition, the descriptions, such as the first, second in the present application, are only used for describing purpose, and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting relative importance or impliedly indicating the number of the indicated technical character. Therefore, the feature following the first or second only expressly or impliedly indicates that at least one such feature is included. In addition, the technical solutions of each exemplary embodiment can be combined with each other, however the combination of any of the technical solutions must is only based on that one skilled in the art can achieve the combinations. When the combination of any of the technical solutions occurs contradiction or cannot be implemented, it should consider that the combination of the technical solutions does not existed, and is not contained in the protection scope of the present application.

(8) The present application provides an N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter.

(9) Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a circuit structure of an N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter according to an embodiment of the present application.

(10) In the embodiments of the present application, a four-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter is used as an example for illustration. Other N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converters can be obtained with reference to the four-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter and are not described herein one by one.

(11) Shown in FIG. 1, the four-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter includes a pre-stage sampling capacitor array 100, a post-stage capacitor array 300 and a comparator set 200. The pre-stage sampling capacitor array 100 includes 2.sup.N1=2.sup.41=15 sets of first capacitor array units 110 arranged in parallel, and each of the first capacitor array units 110 includes two sets of parallel capacitor strings. Input terminals of the parallel capacitor strings are connected to and switchable between differential analog signals and first preset reference signals. Output terminals of the parallel capacitor strings are respectively connected to the corresponding input terminals of the comparator set 200. Input terminals of the post-stage capacitor array 300 are respectively connected to and switchable between output signals of the comparator set 200 and differential analog signals. Output terminals of the post-stage capacitor array 300 are configured as an output terminal of the analog-to-digital converter.

(12) The four-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter of the technical solution of the present application samples differential analog signals via the 2.sup.41=15 first capacitor array units 110, and then coarsely discretizes the sampled differential analog signals using the first preset reference signals. The differential analog signals sampled by each of the first capacitor array units 110 are discretized to form a reference voltage scale, thus a total of 2.sup.N1=2.sup.41=15 reference voltage scales are formed, which means that the sampled analog signals are discretized to discrete signals distributed within 2.sup.N=2.sup.4=16 discrete intervals. In this embodiment, preferably, the differential analog signals are used and are divided into two channels of differential analog signals for transmission, which have the same amplitude but opposite phase. Each of the first capacitor array units 110 includes two sets of parallel capacitor strings. One set of the parallel capacitor strings samples one channel of the differential signals and the two channels of the differential signals are transmitted to an input terminal of a comparator unit 210 of the comparator set 200. The output of the comparator unit 210 is used as the result of the coarse pre-stage discretization. This result is set to determine which one of the above-described 2.sup.N=2.sup.4=16 discrete intervals the sampled analog signals fall into. The output of the comparator unit 210 is then transmitted to the post-stage capacitor array 300 for residual quantization, so that a N-bit coarse conversion of the sampled analog signals is completed. The N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter is formed with a pure capacitor array, and the pure capacitor array is friendly to the analog differential signals. The two channels of the analog differential signals share a comparator unit, resulting that the number of comparators is reduced by half as compared to the exemplary resistor-divided FLASH, the power consumption of the entire integrated chip is reduced accordingly, and meanwhile the desensitization to mismatch of the comparators is increased. In addition, since the N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter adopts a pure capacitor array for conversion, there is no additional cost in the hybrids of the pre-stage and the post-stage.

(13) Furthermore, the parallel capacitor string includes a number of 2.sup.N-1 first capacitors connected in parallel. Upper plates of the first capacitors are connected together as the output terminal of the parallel capacitor strings, and a lower plate of each of the first capacitors is connected with a first switch. The first switch switches the lower plate of each of the first capacitor being connected to the differential analog signals or the first preset reference signal. The first preset reference signals are divided into two channels, and the two channels of first preset reference signals are respectively connected to the first switch of the two sets of parallel capacitor strings of a same first capacitor array unit 110. The first preset reference signals are 2.sup.N=2.sup.4=16-bit binary signals. A number of high level bits of the first preset reference signals are 2.sup.N-1=2.sup.4-1=2.sup.3=8 or 2.sup.N-11=2.sup.4-11=2.sup.31=7. The first switch is a single-pole three-throw switch.

(14) In this embodiment, the number of discrete intervals being 2.sup.N, a total number of the capacitors in each of the first capacitor array unit 110 is 2.sup.N=2.sup.4=16 accordingly. Since the differential signals are divided into two channels of differential inputs, each of the first capacitor array unit 110 is also divided into two sets of parallel capacitor strings, and the number of the first capacitors in each of the parallel capacitor strings is 2.sup.N/2=2.sup.N-1=2.sup.4-1=23=8. The first preset reference signals are also divided into two sets. The total number of bits of the first preset reference signals is 2.sup.N, then the number of bits of the first preset reference signals of each set is 2.sup.N/2=2.sup.N-1=2.sup.4-1=2.sup.3=8. In this embodiment, the high level V.sub.refp is 1 and the low level V.sub.refp is 0.

(15) Firstly, the first switch is controlled to connect the lower plate of each of the first capacitor to the corresponding differential analog signals. When the sampling of the lower plates of the first capacitors are completed, voltages of the lower plates of the first capacitors of the two sets of the parallel capacitor strings are respectively V.sub.in,V.sub.ip. Then, the first switch is controlled to connect the lower plate of each of the first capacitor to the first reference signals. If the lower plate of a first capacitor is connected to the high level V.sub.ref.sub.p, a voltage of the upper plate of the first capacitor is increased by V.sub.refp/2.sup.N-1=V.sub.refp/2.sup.4-1=V.sub.refp/2.sup.3=V.sub.refp/8 based on V.sub.in or V.sub.ip. If the lower plate of a first capacitor is connected to the low level V.sub.refn, a voltage of the upper plate of the first capacitor is V.sub.in or V.sub.ip. An equivalent voltage of the first capacitor array unit 110 is the difference V.sub.ipV.sub.in+V.sub.YV.sub.X between voltages of the upper plates of the first capacitors of the two sets of parallel capacitor strings.

(16) It is assumed that 2.sup.N-1=2.sup.4-1=2.sup.3=8 bits of the first preset signals connected to the lower plate of the first capacitor of one set of the parallel capacitor strings are X.sub.0, X.sub.1, X.sub.2, X.sub.3, X.sub.4, X.sub.5, X.sub.6, X.sub.7, and 2.sup.N-1=2.sup.4-1=2.sup.3=8 bits of the first preset signals of the lower plate of the first capacitor of another set of the parallel capacitor strings are Y.sub.0, Y.sub.1, Y.sub.2, Y.sub.3, Y.sub.4, Y.sub.5, Y.sub.6, Y.sub.7, then the first preset reference signals can be set according to the following table:

(17) TABLE-US-00002 V.sub.y V.sub.x equivalent Serial number X.sub.7~X.sub.0 Y.sub.7~Y.sub.0 reference voltage the first set 00000000 11111110 +*V.sub.refp the second set 00000001 11111110 + 6/8* V.sub.refp the third set 00000001 11111100 +* V.sub.refp the fourth set 00000011 11111100 + 4/8* V.sub.refp the fifth set 00000011 11111000 +* V.sub.refp the sixth set 00000111 11111000 + 2/8* V.sub.refp the seventh set 00000111 11110000 +* V.sub.refp the eighth set 00001111 11110000 0 the ninth set 00001111 11100000 * V.sub.refp the tenth set 00011111 11100000 2/8* V.sub.refp the eleventh set 00011111 11000000 * V.sub.refp the twelfth set 00111111 11000000 4/8* V.sub.refp the thirteenth set 00111111 10000000 * V.sub.refp the fourteenth set 01111111 10000000 6/8* V.sub.refp the fifteenth set 01111111 00000000 * V.sub.refp

(18) According to the above table, a number of 2.sup.N1=2.sup.41=15 reference voltage scales are obtained via the pre-stage capacitor array 100, and a number of 2.sup.N1+1=2.sup.41+1=16 discrete voltage intervals are formed accordingly: [7/8*V.sub.refp], [7/8*V.sub.refp], [6/8*V.sub.refp], [6/8*V.sub.refp, 5/8*V.sub.refp], [5/8*V.sub.refp, 4/8*V.sub.refp], [4/8*V.sub.refp, 3/8*V.sub.refp], [3/8*V.sub.refp, 2/8*V.sub.refp], [2/8*V.sub.refp, 1/8*V.sub.refp], [1/8*V.sub.refp, 0], [0, +1/8*V.sub.refp], [+1/8*V.sub.refp, +2/8*V.sub.refp], [+2/8*V.sub.refp, +3/8*V.sub.refp], [+3/8*V.sub.refp, +4/8*V.sub.refp], [+4/8*V.sub.refp, +5/8*V.sub.refp], [+5/8*V.sub.refp, +6/8*V.sub.refp], [+6/8*V.sub.refp, +7/8*V.sub.refp], [+7/8*V.sub.refp]. After loading the first preset reference signals in the above table on the lower plate of each of the first capacitors, the differential analog signals will be discretized within the above 16 discrete intervals.

(19) Optionally, the comparator set 200 includes a number of 2.sup.N1 comparator units 210. Each of the comparator units 210 includes two comparators with outputs of opposite phase. Two input terminals of each of the comparators are connected to two outputs of a corresponding first capacitor array unit 110. The outputs of the comparators are used as the output of the comparator set 200, and connected to the input terminals of the post-stage capacitor array 300.

(20) A loading level of a second capacitor in the post-stage capacitor array 300 is controlled according to the result of the comparator. When V.sub.Y>V.sub.X, that is, when V.sub.Y is the high level and the corresponding V.sub.X is the low level, one of the comparators outputs the high level, and the other comparator outputs the low level. When V.sub.Y<V.sub.X, that is, when V.sub.Y is the low level and the corresponding V.sub.X is the high level, one of comparators outputs the low level, and the other comparator outputs the high level. The results of the two sets of comparators are respectively output to two second capacitor array units 310, thus to obtain a residual interval after the coarse discretization.

(21) Optionally, the post-stage capacitor array 300 includes two second capacitor array units 310, and each of the second capacitor array units 310 includes a number of 2.sup.N=2.sup.4=16 second capacitors connected in parallel. Upper plates of each of the second capacitors are connected together as the output of the post-stage capacitor array 300. A lower plate of each of the second capacitors is connected with a second switch. A number of 2.sup.N1=2.sup.41=15 second capacitors of the second capacitors are switched to connect to the differential analog signals or to the outputs of corresponding comparators via the corresponding second switches, the remaining one of the second capacitors is switched to connect to the differential analog signals or to a second preset reference signal via the corresponding second switch. The second preset reference signals connected to the two second capacitor array units 310 are the same. The second switches are single-pole double-throw switches.

(22) In this embodiment, since the output of each of the comparators is only a 2.sup.N1=2.sup.41=15-bit binary signal, a 2.sup.N=2.sup.4=16-bit binary signal can be obtained by loading the second preset reference signal on one of the second capacitors. Since two channels of differential analog signals are used as the second preset reference signal, thus the voltage output of the post-stage capacitor array 300 is the difference between the upper plates of the second capacitors of each of the two second capacitor array units 310. The second preset reference signals are set to be the same, and are offset by subtracting one of the second preset reference signals to the other, thereby not effecting the other 2.sup.N1=2.sup.41=15-bit binary signal.

(23) For example, when V.sub.ipV.sub.in falls into the [+1/8*V.sub.refp, +2/8*V.sub.refp] interval, the output of one of comparators is 000000111111111, and the output of the other comparator is 111111000000000, the 2.sup.N1=2.sup.41=15 switches of one of the second capacitor array units 310 should be connected to the V.sub.refn, V.sub.refn, V.sub.refn, V.sub.refn, V.sub.refn, V.sub.refn, V.sub.refp, V.sub.refp, V.sub.refp, V.sub.refp, V.sub.refp, V.sub.refp, V.sub.refp, V.sub.refp, and V.sub.refp, and the 15 switches of the corresponding another second capacitor array unit 310 should be connected to the V.sub.refp, V.sub.refp, V.sub.refp, V.sub.refp, V.sub.refp, V.sub.refp, V.sub.refn, V.sub.refn,V.sub.refn, V.sub.refn, V.sub.refn, V.sub.refn, V.sub.refn, V.sub.refn, and V.sub.refn. Thus, V.sub.opV.sub.on=(10/16)V.sub.refpV.sub.in[(7/16)V.sub.refpV.sub.ip]=V.sub.ipV.sub.in3/16V.sub.refp, a value of which will fall into the [1/16*V.sub.refp, +1/16*V.sub.refp] interval which is the residual interval of the 4-bit coarse discretization. If V.sub.ipV.sub.in is another value, similarly after a coarse conversion, the residual will fall into the [1/16*V.sub.refp, +1/16*V.sub.refp] interval, and be provided for the next level conversion.

(24) The present application also provides an integrated circuit chip, which includes the N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter. The structure, working principle and technical effects of the N-bit hybrid structure analog-to-digital converter of the integrated circuit chip can refer to the above embodiments, and descriptions relate thereto are omitted.

(25) The foregoing description merely portrays some illustrative embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the patentable scope of the present application. Any equivalent structural or flow transformations that are made taking advantage of the specification and accompanying drawings of the present application and any direct or indirect applications thereof in other related technical fields shall all fall in the scope of protection of the present application.