Time-Interleaved ADC Compensation for Converter Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Time-interleaved analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs) may become non-functional due to component aging, environmental stress, or failure, leading to compromised digital outputs and reduced throughput.
Innovation Solution
A time-interleaved ADC configuration that operates in a compensation mode when one or more ADCs fail, increasing the sampling frequency of remaining functional ADCs and, if necessary, employing data interpolation to maintain overall sampling rate and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple ADCs are arranged in parallel to achieve higher throughput, then the overall sampling rate increases, but the system complexity and vulnerability to individual ADC failures increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic reconfiguration of the time-interleaved ADC system. When an ADC fails, the remaining functional ADCs dynamically adjust their sampling frequencies to compensate for the failure. The system transitions from a static parallel architecture to a dynamic one where operational parameters are adjusted in real-time based on system health status, maintaining throughput while managing complexity through adaptive control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the sampling frequency parameter of the remaining functional ADCs when a failure occurs. By increasing the sampling frequency of operational ADCs, the system compensates for the lost capacity without requiring physical reconfiguration. This parameter-based adaptation allows the system to maintain productivity while avoiding the complexity of hardware reconfiguration.
2Productivity
If the sampling frequency of remaining ADCs is increased to compensate for failures, then the overall sampling rate is maintained, but the individual ADC stress and potential for further failures increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial compensation by increasing the sampling frequency of remaining ADCs only to the extent necessary to maintain the overall throughput, not to the maximum capacity of individual ADCs. This partial action approach balances the need to maintain productivity with the need to avoid excessive stress on individual components, preventing a cascading failure effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by monitoring the operational status of individual ADCs and adjusting the sampling frequencies of remaining functional ADCs accordingly. This closed-loop approach ensures that compensation is applied only when and to the extent needed, preventing unnecessary stress on individual components while maintaining overall system productivity.
3Productivity
If all ADCs operate at maximum sampling frequency to ensure adequate throughput, then the productivity is maximized, but the system has no headroom to compensate for failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares the system in advance by operating ADCs at sub-maximal frequencies during normal conditions, creating headroom before failures occur. This preliminary action ensures that when failures happen, there is available capacity to increase the sampling frequency of remaining ADCs and compensate for the loss, maintaining both productivity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system builds in a cushion of unused sampling capacity by not operating all ADCs at their maximum frequency under normal conditions. This beforehand cushioning provides a buffer that can be activated when failures occur, allowing the system to maintain productivity while having the adaptability to handle failures without compromising performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A time-interleaved analogue-to-digital converter including a first analogue-to-digital converter, a second analogue-to-digital converter, and a third analogue-to-digital converter, each arranged to sample an analogue input and produce a respective digital output based on the sampled analogue input, and also including a signal interleaving portion, arranged to combine the digital outputs from the analogue-to-digital converters to produce a digital output signal. The time-interleaved analogue-to-digital converter is configured for operation both in an operational mode, and in a compensation mode when the third analogue-to-digital converter is non-functional. In the operational mode, the first and second analogue-to-digital converter sample the analogue input respectively at a first frequency and a second frequency. In the compensation mode, the first and second analogue-to-digital converter sample the analogue input respectively at a third frequency and a fourth frequency. The third frequency is higher than the first frequency, and the fourth frequency is higher than the second frequency.