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Analog to Digital Converters

Nyquist-Rate ADCs

Flash ADCs

Sub-Ranging ADCs

Folding ADCs

Pipelined ADCs

Successive Approximation (Algorithmic) ADCs

Integrating (serial) ADCs

Oversampling ADCs

Delta-Sigma based ADCs

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Conversion Principles

Principle Resolution Speed Cost

Serial Conversion

High >12 Bit

Low <1kHz

Low

Successive Approximation

Medium 8-14 Bit

Medium <10MHz

Medium

Parallel Conversion

Low 6-10 Bit

High <100MHz

High

Delta Sigma

High >12 Bit

Low-Medium <1MHz

Low (analog only)

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ADC Architectures

Flash ADCs: High speed, but large area and high power dissipation. Suitable for low-medium resolution (6-10 bit).

Sub-Ranging ADCs: Require exponentially fewer comparators than Flash ADCs. Hence, they consume less silicon area and less power.

Pipelined ADCs: Medium-high resolution with good speed. The trade-offs are latency and power.

Successive Approximation ADCs: Moderate speed with medium-high resolution (8-14 bit). Compact implementation.

Integrating ADCs or Ramp ADCs: Low speed but high resolution. Simple circuitry.

Delta-Sigma based ADCs: Moderate bandwidth due to oversampling, but very high resolution thanks to oversampling and noise shaping.

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Performance Limitations 1

nQuantP 22

3

1

conveq fkTRn

6

1log

2log2

1

conveqN fkTRPTH

2

Thermal Noise Limitation Clock Jitter (Aperture) Limitation

Normalized Noise Powers:

THNQuant PP

2)(2

1JitterconvN tfP

Jitter

Limiting Condition:

JitterNQuant PP

Jitterconv tfn

5.1

1log

2log

1

n-Bit ADC Sinusoidal Input Swing: ±1[V] fmax= ½ fconv

System Definitions

Maximum Resolution:

fin=½fconv

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Performance Limitations 2

Selection of ADC Architecture is driven by Application

Displays

Audio

Sonar

Ultra

Sound

Video

Wireless

Communications

Seismology

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Parallel or Flash ADCs

Conceptual Circuit

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Sub-Ranging ADCs

Half-Flash or Two-Step ADC

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Folding ADCs

Principle Configuration

…

2n1 Sub-Ranges

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Folding Processor

Example: 2-Bit Folding Circuit

(2n-1+1)Io for n-Bit

2Io

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Successive Approx. ADCs

Concept Implementation

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DAC Realization 1

(Voltage Mode)

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DAC Realization 2

Spread Reduction through R-2R Ladder

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DAC Realization 3

Charge-Redistribution Circuit

Pros Insensitive w.r.t. Op-amp Gain Offset (1/f Noise) compensated

Cons Requires non-overlapping Clock High Element Spread Area Output requires S&H

valid only during 2

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DAC Realization 4

Spread Reduction through capacitive Voltage Division

3

0

7

4

)8()4( 2216

1

i i

ii

iirefout bbVV

valid only during 2

Spread=2n/2

Example: 8-Bit ADC

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DAC Realization 5

Charge-Redistribution Circuit with Unity-Gain Amplifier

Pros Voltage divider reduces spread Buffer low output impedance No clock required

Cons Parasitic cap causes gain error High Op-amp common mode input required No amplifier offset compensation

Amplifier Input Cap.

Cp Gain Error: єG=-Cp/16C

16/15C

3

0

7

4

)8()4( 2216

1

i i

ii

iirefout bbVV Spread=½2n/2

Example: 8-Bit ADC

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DAC8 with Unity-Gain Amplifier

Sub-range Output (4 LSBs)

0 0.5u 2u1.5u 2.5u 3.5u 4.5u 5.5u 6.5u3u 4u 5u 6u1u

Amplifier Output

6.5u0 0.5u 2u1.5u 2.5u 3.5u 4.5u 5.5u3u 4u 5u 6u1u

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DAC Realization 6

Current Mode Implementation

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Current Cell & Floor Plan

Unit Current Cell

Symmetrical Current Cell Placement

Current summing RailIout

Cascode Current Source

Switching Devices

Array of 256 CellsR

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DAC Implementation

Layout of 10-Bit Current-Mode DAC (0.5m CMOS)

Current summing Rails

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Modified SA Algorithm 1

Idea: Replace DAC by an Accumulator Consecutively divide Ref by 2

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Modified SA Algorithm 2

First cycle only

Accumulator

Idea: Maintain Comparator Reference (½ FS=Gnd) Double previous Accumulator Output

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SC Implementation

SC Implementation of modified SA ADC

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Timing Diagram

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Offset Compensated Circuit

Offset Compensated SC Implementation

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Building Blocks 1

DC Gain 77 dB

Gain-bandwidth

104 MHz @CL= 1.5 pF

Power 1.3 mW

Output Swing

4 V p-p

Transconductance Amplifier

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Building Blocks 2

Power 0.5 mW

Resolution > 0.5 mV

Settling Time

3 ns

Latched CMOS Comparator

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Layout of 8-Bit ADC

165 m (0.5 m CMOS)

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Spice Simulation (Bsim3)

8-Bit ADC: fclk=10MHz fconv=1.25MHz

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Pipelined ADCs

Pipelined modified SA or Algorithmic ADC

Pros Offset (1/f Noise) compensated Minimum C-spread One conversion every clock period

Cons Matching errors digital correction for n>8 Clock feed-through very critical High amplifier slew rate required

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Integrating or Serial ADCs

Dual Slope ADC Concept

Constant RampProp. to Input Ramp

Using 2N/k samples requires Ref = FS/k reduced Integrator Constant (Element Spread)

N represents digitalequivalent of analog Input

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SC Dual-Slope ADC

10-Bit Dual-Slope ADC

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ADC Testing

Types of Tests

Static Testing

Dynamic Testing

In static testing, the input varies slowly to reveal the actual code transitions. Yields INL, DNL, Gain and Offset Error.

Dynamic testing shows the response of the circuit to rapidly changing signals. This reveals settling errors and other dynamic effects such as inter-modulation products, clock-feed-trough, etc.

Circuit

Under TestOutputInput

Clock

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Performance Metrics 1

Error Types

Offset

Gain

DNL

INL

Missing Codes

IDEAL ADC

Static Errors

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Performance Metrics 2

2log2

)23

(log10

][

10

10max

dBSNDR

ENOB

Noise

Signal

P

PSNR 10log10

Frequency Domain Characterization

Ideal n-Bit ADC:

SNR = 6.02 x n + 1.76 [dB]

HarmNoise

Signal

PP

PSNDR

10log10

fsig

Am

pli

tud

e

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ADC Error Sources

Static Errors Element or Ratio Mismatches Finite Op-amp Gain Op-amp & Comparator Offsets Deviations of Reference

Dynamic Errors Finite (Amplifier) Bandwidth Op-amp & Comparator Slew Rate Clock Feed-through Noise (Resistors, Op-amps, switched Capacitors) Intermodulation Products (Signal and Clock)

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Static Testing

Servo-loop Technique

Comparator, integrator, and ADC under test are in negative feedback loop to determine the analog signal level required for every digital code transition.

Integrator output represents equivalent analog value of digital output.

Transition values are used to generate input/output characteristic of ADC, which reveals static errors like Offset, Gain, DNL and INL.

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Dynamic Testing

Types of Dynamic Tests

Histogram or Code-Density Test

FFT Test

Sine Fitting Test

Test Set-up

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Histogram or Code-Density Test

DNL appears as deviation of bin height from ideal value.

Integral nonlinearity (INL) is cumulative sum (integral) of DNL.

Offset is manifested by a horizontal shift of curve.

Gain error shows as horizontal compression or decompression of curve.

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Histogram Test

Pros and Cons of Histogram Test Histogram test provides information on each code transition.

DNL errors may be concealed due to random noise in circuit.

Input frequency must be selected carefully to avoid missing codes (fclk/fin must be non-integer ratio).

Input Swing is critical (cover full range)

Requires a large number of conversions (o 2n x 1,000).

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Simulated Histogram Test

8-Bit SA ADC with 0.5% Ratio Error and 5mV/V Comparator Offset

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FFT Test

Pros and Cons of FFT Test

Offers quantitative Information on output Noise, Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), Spurious Free Dynamic Range (SFDR) and Harmonic Distortion (SNDR).

FFT test requires fewer conversions than histogram test.

Complete characterization requires multiple tests with various input frequencies.

Does not reveal actual code conversions

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Simulated FFT Test

8-Bit SA ADC with 0.5% Ratio Error and 5mV/V Comparator Offset

SFDR=60 dB

SNDR=49 dB

ENOB=7.85