The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 05, 1976
Filed:
Jun. 06, 1975
Tim W Henry, Tempe, AZ (US);
Motorola, Inc., Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
A series current steering high speed analog-to-digital converter. The converter includes means for providing n number of weighted current sources and drains of having 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, - - - 1/2.sup.n of a reference current, I.sub.r, wherein n represents an integer number, n diodes bridge circuits connected in series, n comparators coupled to corresponding bridging arms of the bridge circuits. The current sources and drains, the bridge circuits and the comparators are operatively coupled to form n sections in series to steer the currents therethrough so that the first section compares the amplitude of the input current with 1/2 of the reference current and generates the most significant bit, the second section compares the absolute valve of the difference between the input current and the 1/2 to 1/4 of the reference current for generating the second most significant bit, and so on, till the n bit digital word output is formed from the input current. Advantageously, the present series current steering analog-to-digital converter eliminates the need for sample and hold circuitry and increases the speed of the conversion by an order of magnitude compared to conventional steering circuit and can be rendered in a monolithic analog-to-digital converter structure.