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. 12, 1982
Filed:
Jul. 31, 1981
Edwin A Sloane, Los Altos, CA (US);
Fairchild Camera & Instr. Corp., Mountain View, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for exciting the analog input of an analog-to-digital converter and examining the output by means of analysis with histograms to determine the amplitude probability distribution of each digital output value. The amplitude probability density functions corresponding to accurately known excitation signals may then be processed to obtain a description of the transfer characteristic for the analog-to-digital converter to be calibrated. In a particular embodiment, the excitation signals applied to the analog input of the analog-to-digital converter are pairs of signals representing accurately known rising and decaying exponential signals, and particularly exponential signals which are complementary to one another. Histograms of the digital response to the analog excitation signals are then constructed which correspond to amplitude density functions. The histograms may be processed in a manner which produces the transfer characteristic of the converter under test which is independent of the dynamic characteristics of the excitation signals, thus eliminating the need for accurate knowledge of the parameter values of the testing circuit.