Thermometer Code Rotation for Higher-Accuracy Data Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Analog-to-digital converters face performance limitations due to errors in electronic components, particularly in voltage sources, which affect the accuracy of data conversion and require compensation techniques like dynamic element matching to shift errors into higher frequencies.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a rotation mechanism for thermometer codes in data converters, where the connections between input values and conversion elements are dynamically rearranged based on a rotation pointer, effectively shifting errors from lower to higher frequencies and averaging them out, thereby improving conversion accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If dynamic element matching is used to shift errors into higher frequencies, then conversion accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic element matching by rotating the thermometer code connections between comparators and conversion elements based on a rotation pointer that changes over time. This dynamic reconfiguration shifts component errors into higher frequencies, improving conversion accuracy while managing device complexity through systematic rotation patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation mechanism operates periodically, cycling through different connection configurations of the thermometer code to conversion elements. This periodic rotation systematically distributes errors across different frequency ranges, achieving error shaping without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms.
2Measurement precision
If rotation mechanism is implemented to randomize errors, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation pointer dynamically adjusts the connection mapping between thermometer code inputs and conversion elements, creating a time-varying system that randomizes error distribution. This dynamic approach improves measurement precision by transforming systematic errors into randomized noise that can be filtered more effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the connection parameters (which conversion element receives which thermometer code input) over time according to the rotation pointer. This parameter variation achieves error randomization and improves measurement precision without requiring multiple complete sets of conversion elements.
3Reliability
If thermometer code rotation is applied to shift errors to higher frequencies, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation mechanism creates a time-varying connection structure that prevents any single conversion element from consistently experiencing the same errors. This dynamic redistribution of error sources improves system reliability by ensuring that no single component failure mode dominates the overall error budget.
Solution Approach 2:
The periodic rotation of thermometer code connections ensures that all conversion elements are systematically cycled through different operational states. This periodic action distributes wear and error accumulation evenly across all components, improving long-term reliability while using a simple rotational pattern rather than complex adaptive algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, an apparatus for data conversion is provided. The apparatus comprises a plurality of inputs whose values together define a thermometer code to be converted to an analog output signal on each of a plurality of successive time increments, a plurality of conversion elements, each configured to convert one of the values at the plurality of inputs into an output signal, a shift circuit having a plurality of outputs connected to the plurality of conversion elements, the shift circuit coupled between the plurality of inputs and the plurality of conversion elements, the shift circuit selectively providing the values at the plurality of inputs to the plurality of conversion elements on the plurality of outputs to apply a rotation on each of the plurality of successive time increments, the rotation being indicated by a rotation pointer, and a pointer circuit coupled to the shift circuit and adapted to generate the rotation pointer on each of the successive time increments based on the values at the plurality of outputs during a preceding time increment, the pointer circuit indicating to the shift circuit which of the values at the plurality of inputs are to be provided to which of the plurality of conversion elements on a current time increment.