Multi-Lane ADC Calibration for Phase, Gain, and Bandwidth Mismatch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-lane analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) face impairments such as unwanted phase offsets, bandwidth mismatches, and gain mismatches between lanes, leading to inaccurate digital representations of analog inputs.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a multi-lane ADC with a compensation module that estimates and adjusts phase offsets, gain mismatches, and bandwidth mismatches by using uncorrelated reference signals to calibrate and correct these impairments during the conversion process, ensuring accurate digital representation of analog inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple parallel lanes are used to increase sampling rate, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to phase offsets, bandwidth mismatches, and gain mismatches between lanes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes operational parameters (phase, gain, bandwidth) of each lane dynamically to compensate for mismatches. The calibration module adjusts these parameters based on measured errors, allowing the system to maintain high sampling rates while correcting precision degradation through parameter optimization rather than hardware redesign
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the calibration module continuously measures phase offsets, bandwidth mismatches, and gain mismatches between lanes, then uses this information to adjust lane parameters. This closed-loop feedback system maintains manufacturing precision despite the high-speed parallel operation that would otherwise cause accuracy degradation
2Manufacturing precision
If calibration processes are added to correct lane mismatches, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The calibration module performs self-calibration by automatically measuring its own lane mismatches and adjusting parameters without external intervention. This self-service approach reduces the need for complex external calibration equipment and manual adjustment mechanisms, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while still achieving high manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration module is designed to handle multiple types of mismatches (phase, gain, bandwidth) simultaneously using a unified calibration architecture. This multi-functional design avoids the need for separate calibration circuits for each mismatch type, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high precision across all correction functions
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-lane analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is disclosed that is capable of compensating for one or more of its impairments such that its digital output accurately represents its analog input. The multi-lane ADC can compensate for unwanted phase offsets between multiple phases of a sampling clock used by the multi-lane ADC, unwanted bandwidth mismatches between lanes in the multi-lane ADC, and/or unwanted gain mismatches between the lanes in the multi-lane ADC to provide some examples.