ADC Voltage-Range Comparison Without Delay Correction Circuits
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) face challenges in minimizing delay errors and require correction circuits, which complicates their design and increases power consumption, especially in high-speed semiconductor circuit communication systems.
Innovation Solution
The proposed ADC design eliminates the need for a correction circuit by using an amplifier circuit to generate amplifier signals through addition and subtraction of a reference voltage, a comparison circuit to determine conversion target signals, and a converter circuit to convert these signals into digital signals, ensuring that only signals within a specific voltage range are processed, thus avoiding delay errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a correction circuit is added to minimize delay errors in ADC, then signal accuracy is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the correction circuit from the ADC architecture by redesigning the amplifier circuit to inherently produce signals within the valid voltage range through addition and subtraction of reference voltages, thereby removing the source of delay errors without requiring separate correction mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding a correction circuit to fix delay errors after conversion, the patent inverts the approach by preventing delay errors from occurring in the first place through proactive voltage range control in the amplifier stage, eliminating the need for post-processing correction
2Measurement precision
If a correction circuit is added to minimize delay errors in ADC, then signal accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the power-consuming correction circuit by eliminating the underlying cause of delay errors through voltage range control, resulting in direct power savings without sacrificing signal accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The amplifier circuit performs self-correction by inherently generating signals within the valid voltage range through its internal addition and subtraction operations, eliminating the need for external power-consuming correction mechanisms
3Device complexity
If the ADC structure is simplified by removing the correction circuit, then device complexity is reduced, but robustness against process errors may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by preventing process errors from affecting signal validity in the first place through proactive voltage range control, making the simplified circuit equally or more robust than complex corrected designs
Solution Approach 2:
The amplifier circuit provides beforehand cushioning by pre-controlling the voltage range of amplifier signals through addition and subtraction of reference voltages, creating a buffer against process variations before they can cause delay errors or signal invalidation
Data Source
AI summary
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting an analog signal into a digital signal includes an amplifier circuit configured to receive the analog signal, and to generate a plurality of amplifier signals by amplifying the analog signal; a comparison circuit configured to compare a plurality of voltage levels corresponding to the plurality of amplifier signals with a positive reference voltage level and a negative reference voltage level, and to output conversion target signals based on a result of the comparison; and a converter circuit configured to convert the conversion target signals into a plurality of digital signals.