Voltage Window Sampling for Higher ADC Resolution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) face challenges in maximizing resolution due to the scaling of input voltage using voltage dividers, which results in irrelevant waveform portions being sampled, leading to wasted resolution and reduced control over the input signal.
Innovation Solution
The use of windowing components to modulate the input voltage signal within a voltage window, allowing only relevant portions of the waveform to be sampled, thereby increasing the ADC's resolution and providing greater control over the input signal magnitude.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If voltage dividers are used to scale input voltage to ADC, then the input voltage can be reduced to match ADC range, but irrelevant waveform portions are sampled causing wasted resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamic control by using a switch to selectively connect different portions of the input waveform to the ADC based on timing signals. This dynamic switching allows the system to adaptively sample only relevant portions of the waveform (when the signal is within the ADC's voltage range) while ignoring irrelevant portions, thereby eliminating wasted resolution and maximizing effective ADC utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by generating timing signals in advance that predict when the input waveform will be within the ADC's acceptable voltage range. This allows the switch to be pre-configured to connect the ADC to the input signal only during relevant time intervals, ensuring that the ADC is actively sampling useful data before the actual conversion occurs, thus preventing resolution waste.
2Ease of operation
If voltage dividers are used to scale input voltage, then voltage magnitude can be controlled, but control over input signal is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the static voltage divider approach with a dynamic switching mechanism controlled by timing signals. This allows the system to maintain full control over the input signal by selectively connecting the ADC to relevant portions of the waveform without attenuating the signal through a voltage divider, thereby preserving both ease of operation and measurement precision.
3Reliability
If all portions of input waveform are sampled, then complete signal coverage is achieved, but ADC resolution is wasted on irrelevant portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates only the relevant portions of the input waveform that fall within the ADC's acceptable voltage range by using timing signals to control a switch. This extraction process separates useful signal data from irrelevant portions, ensuring that the ADC samples only meaningful data points, thereby maintaining reliable signal coverage while maximizing effective resolution by eliminating waste on out-of-range portions.
Data Source
AI summary
An example apparatus includes a windowing component. The windowing component may set a first voltage level as an upper bound for a voltage window and set a second voltage level as a lower bound for the voltage window. The windowing component may modulate an input signal to have a maximum magnitude less than the upper bound for the voltage window and a minimum magnitude greater than the lower bound for the voltage window.