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:
Dec. 18, 2001
Filed:
Jan. 20, 2000
Eric H. Naviasky, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Michael M. Hufford, Catonsville, MD (US);
Jeremy Lubkin, Baltimore, MD (US);
Cadence Design Systems, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A multi-bit analog-to-digital converter architecture, which during normal operation behaves like a single-bit converter, thus sharing the high linearity and low distortion properties of the simpler system. When a high input signal is applied, a second bit is triggered and the system behaves like a more complex multi-bit system, providing system stability where a single-bit comparator would overload and the system would become unstable. During normal operation, a single-bit converter is sufficient to stabilize the system. When the input is a large, sustained signal (relative to the full scale of the converter) this single-bit approach is not sufficient to maintain system stability. Thus, if the input to the analog-to-digital converter is close to its maximum or minimum range (implying a large positive or negative input signal) a second bit is triggered, providing stable linearity where the signal-to-noise ratio of a conventional sigma-delta converter would rapidly drop off.