Circuit for Stabilizing a Digital-to-Analog Converter Reference Voltage

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a circuit for stabilizing a digital-to-analog converter reference voltage. One example embodiment is a circuit for stabilizing a voltage on a reference node. The circuit includes a digital-to-analog converter that includes an array of capacitors and arranged for: receiving an input voltage via an input node, receiving a voltage via a reference node and a digital-to-analog code via a controller node, and outputting a digital-to-analog output voltage. The circuit also includes a capacitive network on the reference node comprising a fixed capacitor arranged to be pre-charged to an external reference voltage and a variable capacitor arranged to be pre-charged to an external auxiliary voltage. Further, the circuit includes a measurement block. In addition, the circuit includes a calibration block arranged for determining an updated setting of the variable capacitor based on the digital-to-analog code and the measured voltage on the reference node.

Claims

1. A circuit for stabilizing a voltage on a reference node, comprising: a digital-to-analog converter comprising an array of capacitors and arranged for: receiving an input voltage (V.sub.in) via an input node; receiving a voltage (V.sub.ref,DAC) via a reference node and a digital-to-analog code (code.sub.DAC) via a controller node, wherein the digital-to-analog code indicates which capacitors of the array of capacitors to which the voltage (V.sub.ref,DAC) is to be applied; and outputting a digital-to-analog output voltage (V.sub.out); a capacitive network on the reference node comprising a fixed capacitor (C.sub.ref) arranged to be pre-charged to an external reference voltage (V.sub.ref) and a variable capacitor (C.sub.aux) arranged to be pre-charged to an external auxiliary voltage (V.sub.aux) and afterwards to be connected to the reference node; a measurement block arranged for measuring the voltage on the reference node; and a calibration block arranged for receiving the digital-to-analog code and the measured voltage on the reference node and for determining an updated setting of the variable capacitor based on the digital-to-analog code and the measured voltage on the reference node.

2. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the measurement block comprises a comparator arranged to compare the voltage (V.sub.ref,DAC) on the reference node with an external target reference voltage (V.sub.ref,target).

3. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the measurement block comprises a comparator with a programmable offset.

4. The circuit according to claim 3, wherein the programmable offset is set equal to a difference between a target reference voltage (V.sub.ref,target) on the reference node and the external reference voltage.

5. The circuit according to claim 3, arranged for updating the programmable offset when the variable capacitor (C.sub.aux) reaches a threshold value.

6. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the capacitive network further comprises a variable reset capacitor (C.sub.aux,rst) on the reference node arranged for being pre-charged to a second external auxiliary voltage (V.sub.aux,rst) and for being connected to the reference node when the digital-to-analog converter resets.

7. The circuit according to claim 1, further comprising an additional quantizer for determining the digital-to-analog code.

8. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the measurement block comprises an analog-to-digital converter.

9. The circuit according to claim 1, further comprising storage for storing the updated setting.

10. An analog-to-digital converter, comprising a circuit for stabilizing a voltage on a reference node, wherein the circuit comprises: a digital-to-analog converter comprising an array of capacitors and arranged for: receiving an input voltage (V.sub.in) via an input node; receiving a voltage (V.sub.ref,DAC) via a reference node and a digital-to-analog code (code.sub.DAC) via a controller node, wherein the digital-to-analog code indicates which capacitors of the array of capacitors to which the voltage (V.sub.ref,DAC) is to be applied; and outputting a digital-to-analog output voltage (V.sub.out); a capacitive network on the reference node comprising a fixed capacitor (C.sub.ref) arranged to be pre-charged to an external reference voltage (V.sub.ref) and a variable capacitor (C.sub.aux) arranged to be pre-charged to an external auxiliary voltage (V.sub.aux) and afterwards to be connected to the reference node; a measurement block arranged for measuring the voltage on the reference node; and a calibration block arranged for receiving the digital-to-analog code and the measured voltage on the reference node and for determining an updated setting of the variable capacitor based on the digital-to-analog code and the measured voltage on the reference node.

11. The analog-to-digital converter, according to claim 10, wherein the measurement block comprises a comparator arranged to compare the voltage (V.sub.ref,DAC) on the reference node with an external target reference voltage (V.sub.ref,target).

12. The analog-to-digital converter, according to claim 10, wherein the measurement block comprises a comparator with a programmable offset.

13. The analog-to-digital converter, according to claim 12, wherein the programmable offset is set equal to a difference between a target reference voltage (V.sub.ref,target) on the reference node and the external reference voltage.

14. The analog-to-digital converter, according to claim 12, wherein the circuit is arranged for updating the programmable offset when the variable capacitor (C.sub.aux) reaches a threshold value.

15. The analog-to-digital converter, according to claim 10, wherein the capacitive network further comprises a variable reset capacitor (C.sub.aux,rst) on the reference node arranged for being pre-charged to a second external auxiliary voltage (V.sub.aux,rst) and for being connected to the reference node when the digital-to-analog converter resets.

16. The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 10, implemented as a successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter, a pipelined analog-to-digital converter, or a pipelined successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter.

17. An analog-to-digital converter, comprising: a multiplexer; and a plurality of circuits for stabilizing a voltage on a reference node, wherein each circuit comprises: a digital-to-analog converter comprising an array of capacitors and arranged for: receiving an input voltage (V.sub.in) via an input node; receiving a voltage (V.sub.ref,DAC) via a reference node and a digital-to-analog code (code.sub.DAC) via a controller node, wherein the digital-to-analog code indicates which capacitors of the array of capacitors to which the voltage (V.sub.ref,DAC) is to be applied; and outputting a digital-to-analog output voltage (V.sub.out); a capacitive network on the reference node comprising a fixed capacitor (C.sub.ref) arranged to be pre-charged to an external reference voltage (V.sub.ref) and a variable capacitor (C.sub.aux) arranged to be pre-charged to an external auxiliary voltage (V.sub.aux) and afterwards to be connected to the reference node; a measurement block arranged for measuring the voltage on the reference node; and a calibration block arranged for receiving the digital-to-analog code and the measured voltage on the reference node and for determining an updated setting of the variable capacitor based on the digital-to-analog code and the measured voltage on the reference node.

18. The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 17, wherein the variable capacitor (C.sub.aux) is common to the plurality of the circuits and connected via the multiplexer.

19. The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 17, wherein the capacitive network further comprises a variable reset capacitor (C.sub.aux,rst) on the reference node arranged for being pre-charged to a second external auxiliary voltage (V.sub.aux,rst) and for being connected to the reference node when the DAC resets, and wherein the variable reset capacitor (C.sub.aux,rst) is common to the plurality of the circuits and connected via the multiplexer.

20. The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 17, wherein the measurement block is common to the plurality of the circuits and connected via the multiplexer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0034] Various embodiments will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements in the various figures.

[0035] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a capacitive DAC with 6 bit resolution to generate a residue voltage, according to example embodiments.

[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates a reference voltage at the output of an on-chip buffer with a switching capacitive DAC without the use of any reference stabilization technique, according to example embodiments.

[0037] FIG. 3 illustrates a reference voltage connected to an output pin when the DAC switches, according to example embodiments.

[0038] FIG. 4 illustrates a DAC provided with a capacitive network to stabilize the reference voltage.

[0039] FIG. 5 illustrates a reference voltage at the DAC input after switching the DAC to generate the residue including a capacitive network like the one shown in FIG. 4 (squares), and the reference voltage after subsequently resetting the DAC to its original state (dots) to be ready for the next sample, according to the example embodiments.

[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates a circuit, according to example embodiments.

[0041] FIG. 7 illustrates a circuit with a comparator or 1-bit ADC used as measurement block, according to example embodiments.

[0042] FIG. 8 illustrates the efficiency of the proposed calibration, according to example embodiments.

[0043] FIG. 9 illustrates an implementation with a comparator with programmable offset as measurement block, according to example embodiments.

[0044] FIG. 10 represents optimized settings for the variable auxiliary capacitor C.sub.aux, according to example embodiments.

[0045] FIG. 11 illustrates the offset tuning of the comparator used as measurement block, according to example embodiments.

[0046] FIG. 12 illustrates the calibration of the variable capacitor in an interleaved ADC system, according to example embodiments.

[0047] FIG. 13 illustrates the use of a variable capacitor C.sub.aux,rst to stabilize the reference voltage after DAC reset, according to example embodiments.

[0048] FIG. 14 illustrates the voltage variation on the reference node with (solid) and without (dotted) C.sub.aux,rst, according to example embodiments.

[0049] FIG. 15 illustrates a circuit with an extra quantizer enabling the use of C.sub.aux only for final residue generation, according to example embodiments.

[0050] FIG. 16 illustrates a shared C.sub.aux in an interleaved ADC, according to example embodiments.

[0051] FIG. 17 illustrates a shared C.sub.aux,rst in an interleaved ADC, according to example embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] Example embodiments will be described with reference to certain drawings, but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims.

[0053] Furthermore, the terms first, second and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking or in any other manner. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

[0054] It is to be noticed that the term comprising, used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the elements listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It is thus to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression a device comprising means A and B should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. It means that with respect to present embodiments, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.

[0055] Reference throughout this specification to one embodiment or an embodiment means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases in one embodiment or in an embodiment in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.

[0056] Similarly it should be appreciated that in the description of example embodiments, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

[0057] Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the disclosure, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[0058] It should be noted that the use of particular terminology when describing certain features or aspects of various embodiments should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being re-defined herein to be restricted to include any specific characteristics of the features or aspects of the embodiments with which that terminology is associated.

[0059] In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

[0060] Example embodiments may include setting the variable capacitor C.sub.aux to a value that takes into account parasitic effects that are hard to predict during design time, e.g. parasitic capacitances, and also taking into account changes, e.g. due to process variations, in the DAC characteristics and in the external voltages being applied.

[0061] Accurate prediction of the charge drawn by the DAC and, hence, a correct setting for the programmable capacitor C.sub.aux is a difficult task. Mismatches, parasitics or variations of the external reference voltages change the ideal value. Furthermore, the variable (in certain embodiments, programmable) capacitor itself suffers from mismatches as well. Making these mismatches small may include large capacitor values resulting in large area, which may not be viable. Furthermore, with the pre-charge voltage V.sub.aux equal to zero, large values for C.sub.aux would result in a large drop from the nominal V.sub.ref to the stabilized reference voltage.

[0062] Various embodiments include a scheme that allows achieving high accuracy in the presence of various parasitic effects like parasitic capacitances, mismatches and voltage variations. FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of the circuit. Compared to the alternative scheme of FIG. 4, a measurement block (40) and a calibration engine (50) are added to the architecture. The measurement block is activated after the DAC (10) has been switched for a particular DAC code and C.sub.aux programmed with a preliminary setting has been connected to the same node. The measurement block measures the resulting voltage on the reference node. The measurement block measures the resulting voltage V.sub.ref,dac on the reference node and returns a digital word V.sub.ref,measured which corresponds to the magnitude of the voltage on the reference node V.sub.ref,dac either in absolute terms or relatively to some target reference voltage. In one embodiment the measurement block is implemented as an A/D converter. Note that this only differs from an implementation with a comparator by the number of bits used to represent the voltage on the reference node, as the comparator can be seen as a 1-bit ADC. In another embodiment this measurement block is arranged for performing a comparison of the voltage on the reference node with a target reference voltage level V.sub.ref,target (FIG. 7). The calibration block (50) comprises logic to process the measurement result to update the DAC code mapping onto a setting for the variable capacitor C.sub.aux. Depending on the measurement result, a register in the calibration block is adapted for that DAC code. This register sums the differences of the voltage on the reference node V.sub.ref,dac with the target reference voltage V.sub.ref,target for that DAC code. When the register reaches a positive or negative threshold, the total error has become too large and the corresponding setting (32) for C.sub.aux for that DAC code is then decreased or increased. The value of the threshold is determined by a trade-off between the speed and noise tolerance of the algorithm: a lower threshold updates the setting for C.sub.aux more often. This calibration runs during normal operation of the DAC. Alternatively, the DAC can be switched offline for each of the available DAC codes and the calibration can be run to find an initial mapping of the DAC code onto setting for C.sub.aux.

[0063] The efficiency of the proposed calibration is illustrated in FIG. 8, where the accuracy increases until saturation, limited by the resolution of C.sub.aux. FIG. 8 shows the DAC accuracy over time expressed using three different figures: the effective number of bits (ENOB), spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) and total harmonic distortion (THD). Over time, the settings for the programmable auxiliary capacitor are updated and the accuracy increases until it settles to a maximum value determined by the resolution of the programmable auxiliary capacitor.

[0064] Another embodiment is shown in FIG. 9. In this embodiment, with a comparator as measurement block (40), an extra input pin to set the target reference level V.sub.ref,target as in FIG. 7 may be avoided. A comparator is used in the measurement block, the offset V.sub.offset (61) of which can be set by applying a digital word (60). When the comparator compares with the external reference voltage V.sub.ref already available in the system, it effectively compares to a target reference level of V.sub.ref,target=V.sub.refV.sub.offset. So, the offset corresponds to the difference between the nominal reference voltage V.sub.ref and the resulting voltage on the reference node of the DAC after switching. This is not a large value, so a traditional comparator with offset tuning can be employed.

[0065] The ideal setting for the programmable auxiliary capacitor C.sub.aux to achieve the highest resolution in the presence of various parasitic effects depends on the target reference level V.sub.ref,target (either set explicitly via an input pin or implicitly by setting the comparator offset V.sub.offset) is illustrated in FIG. 10, showing the best mapping of DAC code b.sub.1 . . . b.sub.N onto setting for C.sub.aux. Each curve shows the ideal setting for C.sub.aux per DAC code for a different target reference level V.sub.ref,target (either explicitly specified as in FIG. 7 or implicitly programmed as in FIG. 9). As the ideal curve in FIG. 10 has an irregular character, the proposed calibration technique may be used in order to achieve high resolution.

[0066] When setting the target reference level via the offset programming of the comparator, the system can be made completely autonomous by also tuning the comparator offset in the background as shown in FIG. 11. More precisely, the value of the digital word in the comparator is set automatically to implicitly define the target reference voltage V.sub.ref,target. The scheme in FIG. 11 comprises logic (70) to determine whether the selected setting for the programmable auxiliary capacitor C.sub.aux is the minimum or maximum setting of the available range and updates the digital word (60) for the offset accordingly. When any setting for C.sub.aux reaches a minimum or maximum value, the offset (61) is increased or decreased, so that the correct C.sub.aux is moved back into the range achievable with the programmable capacitor. For example, when the voltage V.sub.aux is ground, the offset should be increased when any C.sub.aux setting becomes minimal.

[0067] From equation (1) it is clear that the residue voltage is proportional to the voltage on the DAC reference node. In the case of an interleaved ADC, stabilization of the reference voltage to different reference values consequently results in gain mismatches between the channels of the interleaved ADC. Such mismatches result in spurs in the output spectrum limiting the ADC resolution. To solve this, an analog multiplexer (93) is introduced to subsequently select the reference node of the DACs in the interleaved channels as shown in FIG. 12. Also, a demux (91) is added to send the measurement result to the calibration engine of the right channel. By using a common measurement block (40) to measure the voltage on the reference node and updating the settings for C.sub.aux accordingly, this technique ensures there is no gain mismatch anymore between the different channels. In FIG. 12 an embodiment is shown with the measurement block (40) is realized as a comparator with programmable offset (61) with an automatic tuning, an analog mux (93) built with switches to connect the reference nodes of the different channels to one of the comparator inputs, a selector (91) which sends the measurement result to one of the channels, and logic as illustrated in FIG. 9 to update the programmable capacitor setting.

[0068] In one embodiment the proposed circuit further comprises a second variable capacitor C.sub.aux,rst to stabilize the reference voltage over all DAC codes when resetting the DAC to its initial state. This ensures that even when there is insufficient time during precharging for complete settling of the voltage on C.sub.ref to V.sub.ref, the settling error is always the same and, hence, independent of the DAC code. Consequently, no non-linear errors are introduced. FIG. 13 illustrates this embodiment.

[0069] More in particular, an extra programmable capacitor C.sub.aux,rst containing a certain number of units is added on the reference node. Its units are first pre-charged to a voltage V.sub.aux,rst (e.g., ground) and when resetting the DAC, the corresponding number of units is connected to the reference node. In one embodiment the pre-charge voltage V.sub.aux,rst is equal to V.sub.aux. The setting depends on the DAC code and is retrieved from the calibration block together with the setting for C.sub.aux without extra time delay. Also, the reset may happen anyway, so it may not take extra time. During the reset operation, the programmable capacitor C.sub.aux can be disconnected from the reference node or it can remain connected. This choice only has a small influence on the values for C.sub.aux,rst.

[0070] The capacitive network used to stabilize the reference voltage after resetting the DAC contains the extra programmable capacitor (C.sub.aux,rst), a switch to pre-charge this programmable capacitor (44), an input pin V.sub.aux,rst (which may be the same as input pin V.sub.aux or the electrical ground), a switch to connect the programmable capacitor to the DAC reference node during resetting the DAC (45) and a calibration block (50) to map the DAC code b.sub.1 . . . b.sub.N onto the correct setting for the programmable capacitor C.sub.aux,rst.

[0071] FIG. 14 illustrates the effect on the voltage variation on the reference node after reset with and without C.sub.aux,rst as a function of the resolution of the programmable capacitor C.sub.aux,rst. The maximum variation of the reference voltage at the DAC input after resetting the DAC to its original state is shown, after it has generated a voltage residue. Different points correspond to different resolutions of the programmable capacitor C.sub.aux,rst (expressed as the unit size of this capacitor with respect to the unit size of the DAC). The dotted curve with stars gives the maximum variation without the programmable capacitor (hence, independent of its resolution). The solid curve with squares shows how smaller units (hence, higher resolution) for the programmable capacitor reduce the reference voltage variation. Even with a rather coarse programmable C.sub.aux,rst (e.g., a ratio of 1 corresponding to units equal to the units of the main DAC), the variation is greatly reduced.

[0072] FIG. 15 illustrates an embodiment that allows using the auxiliary capacitor to stabilize the reference without the use of it during multiple steps of the algorithm. In order to reduce the time delay as much as possible, the programmable capacitor C.sub.aux is only connected once per conversion to the DAC reference node. This happens during the most critical step of the algorithm, namely the final residue generation assuming the residue is to be further quantized. The DAC code b.sub.1 . . . b.sub.N is then determined with an extra quantizer (8) as shown in FIG. 15. This coarse quantizer may not be highly linear. Instead, the DAC is linearized by applying the technique of the auxiliary capacitor only when generating the final residue, which can be further processed to achieve higher overall resolution. The quantizer (8) can be any type of ADC like a flash, SAR or delta-sigma A/D converter. Since the linearity of the residue is mainly determined by the DAC linearity, this quantizer is non-critical. For example, to achieve 14 bit linearity for a 6-bit DAC, the quantizer may be only 6 bit accurate.

[0073] For high-speed operation the DAC is often used in an interleaved ADC. For this configuration, multiplexers are introduced to reduce the area required for the programmable capacitor.

[0074] FIG. 16 illustrates the technique of the programmable auxiliary capacitor C.sub.aux in an interleaved system. Instead of applying the technique for each channel individually, it contains a single programmable capacitor C.sub.aux, a switch (31) to pre-charge the programmable capacitor, an input pin V.sub.aux to indicate the level to which the programmable capacitor should be pre-charged (which can be equal to the electrical ground), an analog mux (96) built of switches (11) to connect the programmable capacitor to the reference nodes in the different channels, logic or a memory to map the DAC code in each channel onto a setting for the programmable capacitor, and a multiplexer (92) that subsequently selects the setting for the auxiliary DAC per channel.

[0075] FIG. 17 illustrates the use of the programmable auxiliary capacitor C.sub.aux,rst during resetting the DAC in an interleaved system. Instead of applying the technique for each channel individually, it contains a single programmable capacitor C.sub.aux,rst, a switch (44) to pre-charge the programmable auxiliary capacitor, an input pin V.sub.aux,rst to indicate the level to which the programmable capacitor should be pre-charged and which can be equal to pin V.sub.aux used for the programmable capacitor used during normal switching of the DAC, or the electrical ground, an analog mux (97) built of switches to connect the programmable capacitor to the reference nodes in the different channels, logic or a memory to map the DAC code in each channel onto a setting for the programmable capacitor, and a multiplexer (98) that subsequently selects the setting for the auxiliary DAC per channel.

[0076] The proposed scheme offers a variety of benefits. The area is significantly reduced, as there may not be a need for a large reference capacitor. In a time-interleaved ADC the overhead of C.sub.aux and C.sub.aux,rst can be shared among different channels. There is no significant increase in power consumption. The main component of power consumption may occur in the logic to program the capacitors. This purely digital power scales well with technology. Also, the calibration technique is not too complex to significantly increase the power consumption. The DAC itself may not need to be adapted, which makes various embodiments generally applicable and independent of DAC parasitics. The techniques are also compatible with each other. The calibration technique works autonomously without interrupting the normal ADC operation.

[0077] While various embodiments have been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative and not restrictive. The foregoing description details certain embodiments. It will be appreciated, however, that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears in text, the invention may be practiced in many ways. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

[0078] Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims. In the claims, the word comprising does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article a or an does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. A computer program may be stored/distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.