Variable Quantization Measurement Unit for Higher ADC Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and time-to-digital converters (TDCs) often have insufficient resolution for precise measurements, and conventional methods like oversampling and dithering are either ineffective for static signals or difficult to implement in the time domain.
Innovation Solution
A measurement unit that includes a converter unit (such as a TDC or ADC) and a processing unit, which changes the quantization step sizes by adjusting control signals between measurements. This allows for different digital values to be obtained, and the processing unit averages these values to cancel out the impact of quantization step sizes, thereby improving measurement resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If oversampling is used to increase converter resolution, then measurement precision is improved for dynamic signals, but it fails completely for static signals because the converter always measures the same values
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the quantization step size variable rather than fixed. The converter intentionally varies its quantization resolution between measurements, which transforms the static measurement process into a dynamic one. This allows the system to generate diverse measurement samples even for static input signals, enabling effective averaging and resolution improvement that works for both static and dynamic signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the quantization step size parameter between measurements. By varying this critical converter parameter, the system generates different digital output values from the same analog input, creating the diversity needed for effective oversampling and averaging. This parameter variation is controlled to ensure that quantization errors do not systematically bias the results.
2Measurement precision
If dithering is used to increase converter resolution for DC signals, then measurement precision is improved, but the implementation becomes complex because noise signal and filter cutoff frequency must be carefully chosen to eliminate noise completely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a simple, easily variable quantization step size instead of complex dithering noise signals. By changing the converter's internal quantization parameter, the system achieves the effect of dithering without needing to generate and carefully filter external noise signals. This approach is simpler to implement and control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/electrical dithering approach (adding physical noise signals and using analog filtering) with a digital/control approach (varying the quantization step size parameter). This substitution eliminates the need for careful coordination between noise signal characteristics and filter cutoff frequencies, significantly reducing implementation complexity.
3Measurement precision
If the quantization step size is fixed in the converter unit, then the converter operation is simple and stable, but the measurement resolution is insufficient for precise measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static quantization step size into a dynamic parameter that varies between measurements. This dynamic approach enables higher effective resolution through averaging while maintaining relatively simple converter hardware. The complexity is managed by controlling the parameter variation rather than adding complex hardware components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic or systematic variation of the quantization step size between measurements. This structured variation ensures that different quantization levels are sampled systematically, allowing effective averaging to recover sub-quantization-resolution information. The periodic nature of the parameter change makes the system manageable and predictable.
Data Source
AI summary
A measurement unit is disclosed and includes a converter unit and a processing unit is configured to provide a measurement result value, based on a first input signal and a second input signal.The converter unit is configured to provide a first digital, quantized values based on the first input signal or derived from the first input signal and the second input signal. The converter unit is further configured to provide second digital, quantized values based on the second input signal. The measurement unit is configured to change the one or more control signals of the converter unit between determination of different first values or a determination of the different second values, wherein different first values and/or different second values are provided using different converter quantization step sizes.