Switched-Capacitor Circuit Phasing for Low Noise and Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing analog signal-processing circuits, particularly switched-capacitor circuits, face challenges in achieving low noise and low power consumption while maintaining accuracy and robustness to environmental variations, as they often compromise between noise reduction and power consumption.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a signal-processing circuit with multiple capacitors that operate in distinct phases to manage charge storage and amplification, utilizing a high degree of settling in one phase for accuracy and a low degree of settling in another phase to minimize noise and power consumption, with specific configurations of capacitors and amplifier circuits to optimize noise cancellation and power efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If power consumption is increased to reduce noise contribution from amplifier circuit, then noise performance is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The signal processing is divided into multiple phases (first phase with high degree of settling, second phase with low degree of settling). During the first phase, the amplifier operates with high settling to ensure accuracy. During the second phase, the amplifier operates with low settling to minimize noise and power consumption. This temporal segmentation allows the system to achieve both high accuracy and low noise/power performance at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit operates in periodic cycles, alternating between a first phase where the amplifier provides high settling (consuming more power but ensuring accuracy) and a second phase where the amplifier provides low settling (consuming less power and generating less noise). This periodic switching allows the system to maintain overall high accuracy while reducing average power consumption and noise contribution.
2Measurement precision
If degree of settling is increased to improve accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but noise and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The settling process is segmented into two distinct phases: a first phase with high degree of settling that ensures accuracy, and a second phase with low degree of settling that minimizes noise. By separating these functions in time rather than requiring continuous high settling, the system achieves the necessary accuracy without the continuous noise penalty.
Solution Approach 2:
The high-degree settling is performed preliminarily during the first phase before the critical measurement and signal processing occurs in the second phase. This preliminary action ensures that the signal is accurately established before the low-noise, low-power phase begins, allowing the subsequent phase to operate with minimal settling and thus minimal noise generation.
Data Source
AI summary
Herein disclosed are multiple embodiments of a signal-processing circuit that may be utilized in various circuits, including conversion circuitry. The signal-processing circuit may receive an input and produce charges on multiple different capacitors during different phases of operation based on the input. The charges stored on two or more of the multiple different capacitors may be utilized for producing an output of the signal-processing circuit, such as by combing the charges stored on two or more of the multiple different capacitors. Utilizing the charges on the multiple different capacitors may provide for a high level of accuracy and robustness to variations of environmental factors, and/or a low noise level and power consumption when producing the output.