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.

Date of Patent:
Jul. 19, 2016

Filed:

Sep. 29, 2015
Applicant:

Analog Devices, Inc., Norwood, MA (US);

Inventor:

Khiem Quang Nguyen, Tewksbury, MA (US);

Assignee:

Analog Devices, Inc., Norwood, MA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H03M 1/00 (2006.01); H03M 1/74 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H03M 1/002 (2013.01); H03M 1/742 (2013.01);
Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved switching techniques for controlling three-level DAC cells employing a return-to-hold scheme. Disclosed techniques include switching a DAC cell off for at least the duration of a time period between two hold periods while a digital value of zero is being converted. Because the DAC cell is switched off between two hold periods, the current source drain voltage is not disturbed during the critical transient times when D flip-flop outputs change, which happens during the hold periods, in response to change of digital values to be converted. In this manner, power consumption may be reduced while preserving the high performance properties of a three-level return-to-hold DAC.


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