The University of Texas System

Silicon Laboratories Inc.

Linxiao Shen

Nan Sun

Thomas Saroshan David

The exemplified disclosure presents a successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter circuit that comprises a two-step (e.g., two-stage) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that operates a 1st-stage successive approximation register (SAR) in the continuous time (CT) domain (also referred to as a '1-st stage CTSAR') that then feeds a sampling operation location in the second stage. Without a front-end sampling circuit in the 1st-stage, the exemplary successive approximation analog-to-digital converter circuit can avoid high sampling noise associated with such sampling operation and thus can be configured with a substantially smaller input capacitor size (e.g., at least 20 times smaller) as compared to conventional Nyquist ADC with a front-end sample-and-hold circuit.

Continuous-time input-stage successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter

The exemplified disclosure presents a highly power efficient amplifier (e.g., front-end inverter and/or amplifier) that achieves significant current reuse (e.g., 6-time for a 3-stack embodiments) by stacking inverters and splitting the capacitor feedback network. In some embodiments, the exemplified technology facilitates N-time current reuse to substantially reduced power consumption. It is observed that the exemplified disclosure facilitates significant current-reuse operation that significantly boost gain gm while providing low noise performance without increasing power usage. In addition, the exemplified technology is implemented such that current reuse and number of transistor has a generally linear relationship and using fewer transistors as compared to known circuits of similar topology.

Inverter stacking amplifier

A data synchronizer including an input stage, a driver stage, and a keeper stage. The input stage latches input data to a data node in response to a first clock signal transition. The driver stage has an input coupled to the data node and has an output coupled to a gain node. The keeper stage latches data asserted on the gain node back to the input stage to maintain data on the data node in response to a second transition of the clock signal. The driver stage has an increased drive strength and a reduced loading capacitance to increase the gain-bandwidth product of the latch loop to reduce metastability. A flip-flop may be configured with input and output latches each including driver stages having increased drive strength and reduced loading capacitance to increase the gain-bandwidth product of each of the latch loops to reduce metastability.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Linxiao Shen