Digital/analog conversion apparatus

Abstract

A digital/analog conversion apparatus not causing harmonic distortion at the outputs of a row of 1-bit digital/analog converters and capable of effectively suppressing occurrence of harmonic distortion because of variations among the outputs of the 1-bit digital/analog converters, being configured as described below. More specifically, first, a digital input is converted into a digital signal having p values at a sampling frequency raised by a digital filter and a noise shaper. A decoder assigns the output of the noise shaper to a row of (p−1) 1-bit signals so that the position of value “1” is circulated, and designates the position of an inhibit bit in the row of 1-bit signals. When the assignment of value “1” is circulated to the inhibit bit position, the assignment advances to avoid the inhibit bit, and the position of the inhibit bit is moved so as to be circulated to the next bit. The row of 1-bit signals is then converted into analog signals by a row of (p−1) uniform 1-bit digital/analog converters, and the analog signals are integrated by an analog adder.