Dual-Resolution ADC Circuit for Change-Triggered Signal Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing analog-to-digital converter (ADC) systems consume excessive power and resources by continuously converting analog signals at high resolution, even when there are no significant changes, leading to inefficient bandwidth usage and increased circuitry.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a circuit with both a lower resolution ADC (LRADC) and a higher resolution ADC (HRADC) where the LRADC monitors analog signals and only triggers the HRADC for conversion when a change is detected, thereby reducing power consumption and optimizing resource usage by converting signals only when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a higher resolution ADC is used for continuous conversion, then measurement precision is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the ADC functionality into two distinct converters: a lower resolution ADC for continuous monitoring and a higher resolution ADC for precise measurement only when needed. This segmentation allows the high-resolution converter to operate intermittently rather than continuously, reducing power consumption while maintaining measurement precision when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The higher resolution ADC operates periodically based on change detection by the lower resolution ADC. Instead of continuous operation, the high-resolution converter is activated only when the lower resolution ADC detects a significant change in the analog signal, creating a periodic action pattern that reduces overall power consumption.
2Measurement precision
If a higher resolution ADC is used for continuous conversion, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the conversion function into two specialized ADCs with different resolution capabilities. The lower resolution ADC handles continuous monitoring, while the higher resolution ADC handles precise measurement. This segmentation allows each converter to be optimized for its specific function, potentially reducing overall circuit complexity compared to a single high-resolution continuous converter.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower resolution ADC performs partial conversion action continuously, sufficient for detection purposes. The higher resolution ADC performs excessive action only when needed, providing more precision than required for monitoring but necessary for accurate measurement. This partial/excessive action approach reduces the burden on the high-resolution converter and simplifies the overall system.
3Measurement precision
If a higher resolution ADC is used for continuous conversion, then bandwidth efficiency is reduced, but measurement precision is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The higher resolution ADC operates periodically rather than continuously, activated only when the lower resolution ADC detects significant changes. This periodic operation increases bandwidth efficiency by allowing the high-resolution converter to handle more conversion requests over time, while still maintaining measurement precision when actually needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower resolution ADC acts as an intermediary that filters and pre-processes the analog signal, detecting significant changes before passing them to the higher resolution ADC. This intermediary function increases bandwidth efficiency by reducing the number of high-resolution conversions needed, while the high-resolution ADC maintains measurement precision for the reduced set of important signals.
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit includes a first external terminal, a first lower resolution analog-to-digital converter (LRADC) coupled to the external terminal and configured to perform a first conversion of an analog signal received at the external terminal to a digital value, and a higher resolution analog-to-digital converter (HRADC). The HRADC is configured to selectively receive the analog signal from the first external terminal based on the digital value. When the digital value outputted by the first LRADC indicates a change in value of the received analog signal, the HRADC is provided with the analog signal and performs a second conversion of the analog signal to a second digital value. The first LRADC has a lower conversion resolution as compared to the HRADC.