Phase-Offset ADC Beamforming for Higher Resolution Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Analog to digital converters face challenges in increasing resolution and reducing distortion, particularly in oversampling and decimation techniques, which can lead to susceptibility to distortion during downstream processing.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an analog to digital converter circuit with a generalized beamformer that samples analog inputs at different phase offsets, generating multiple digital streams which are then weighted and combined using a weight vector to reduce mean square error, thereby enhancing resolution and minimizing distortion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If oversampling and decimation techniques are used to increase resolution, then the sampling rate is increased beyond Nyquist rate, but the output becomes susceptible to distortion during downstream processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single ADC sampling process into multiple parallel ADCs that sample the same analog input signal simultaneously but with different phase offsets. Each ADC produces a separate digital stream, and these streams are combined through a beamforming process. This segmentation approach increases effective resolution through time diversity while the beamforming combination reduces distortion susceptibility by averaging out phase-related errors across multiple streams.
2Measurement precision
If multiple ADCs sample with different phase offsets and combine digital streams through beamforming, then resolution and distortion reduction are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple digital streams from parallel ADCs into a single combined digital output through a beamforming process. The beamformer weights and combines the digital streams using vector multiplication operations, effectively integrating the information from all phase-offset samples. This merging approach achieves resolution enhancement and distortion reduction while managing complexity through systematic combination rather than separate processing paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The beamforming circuit serves multiple functions simultaneously: it combines digital streams from multiple ADCs, performs weighting to optimize signal quality, reduces distortion through coherent integration, and produces a high-resolution digital output. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity compared to implementing separate circuits for each function.
3Reliability
If multiple digital streams are weighted and combined using vector multiplication, then mean square error is reduced, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex adaptive filtering and optimization algorithms with a fixed beamforming structure that uses predetermined weight vectors. Instead of dynamically adjusting weights through iterative optimization, the system uses fixed weighting coefficients applied through vector multiplication circuits. This substitution reduces computational complexity while maintaining the ability to reduce mean square error through proper weight selection during the design phase.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems, apparatuses and methods for performing analog to digital conversion. For example, an analog to digital converter circuit is discussed that includes an analog input, a number of analog to digital converters and a generalized beamformer. The analog to digital converters are operable to receive the analog input and to yield a number of digital streams. Each of the analog to digital converters samples the analog input with different phase offsets. The generalized beamformer is operable to weight and combine the digital streams to yield a digital output.