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. 19, 1999
Filed:
Nov. 28, 1997
Brent F Balch, Fort Lauderdale, FL (US);
Stephen W Embling, Pompano Beach, FL (US);
Fadi Ayoub, Deerfield Beach, FL (US);
David Fallin, Coral Springs, FL (US);
Sensormatic Electronics Corporation, Boca Raton, FL (US);
Abstract
An arrangement for improving the operation of an analog to digital converter (A/D), which can form part of an integrated circuit, the A/D converter being coupled to a reference voltage and having a plurality of input pins associated therewith comprises: a resistor divider having a plurality of resistors coupled in series, the resistor divider having an upper node coupled to a source of voltage to be converted, having a lower node coupled to a source of reference potential and having a plurality of intermediate nodes; and, each of the upper intermediate nodes being coupled to a respective one of the input pins of the A/D converter. The A/D converter can have enhanced resolution and/or an extended dynamic range when the voltage level being tested is divided arid the reference voltage is reduced. A corresponding method comprises the steps of: successively scaling down a voltage to be converted to a series of stepped down voltage levels; applying the successively stepped down voltage levels to respective ones of the input pins; and, sequentially scanning and acquiring a plurality of scaled A/D converter values from the input pins.