Abstract:
A read and analog-to-digital data conversion channel comprising preamplifying circuits (Pre-Amp), automatic gain control circuits (VGA), harmonics filters (MRA), equalizing low pass filters (LPF), a time interleaved analog-to-digital converter (INTERLEAVED ATOD) including a pair of identical analog/digital converters (ATOD_EVEN, ATOD_ODD) functioning in parallel and at a half clock frequency, subdividing the signal path into two parallel paths through said two identical converters, one for even bits and the other for odd bits, and a digital post-processing block (DIGITAL Post Processing) fed by two output streams of said time interleaved converter (INTERLEAVED ATOD) and outputting a reconstructed data stream (DATA) and controlling said circuits, through dedicated digital-to-analog converters (DAC_VGA, DAC_MRA, DAC_FC, DAC_BOOST), means for compensating the offset of the digital-to-analog converters contained in said pair of identical analog-to-digital converters (ATOD_EVEN, ATOD_ODD) of said time interleaved converter (INTERLEAVED ATOD), controlled by said post-processing block (DIGITAL Post Processing) through a digital-to-analog converter, further comprises two distinct offset compensating circuits, each composed of an offset compensating stage (OFFSET_EVEN_STAGE, OFFSET_ODD_STAGE) independently controlled by said digital post-processing block through a dedicated digital-to-analog converter (DAC_OFF_E, DAC_OFF_O), preventing appearance of spurious patterns in frequency domain.
Abstract:
A flash analog-to-digital converter comprising a bank of comparators (COMPi) with a differential output, generating a thermometric code and a bank of three-input (A,B,C) logic NOR gates (NORj) for correcting errors in said thermometric code, has enhanced immunity to noise and reduced imprecisions, especially at high conversion rates upon occurence of metastability within the comparators, by providing for a passive interface constituted by a plurality of voltage dividers (Ra-Rb), each connected between the noninverted output (out_p) of a respective comparator (COMPi) and the inverted output (out_n) of the comparator of higher order (COMPi+1) of said bank; a corresponding logic NOR gate (NORj) of said bank having a first input (A) coupled to the inverted output (out_n) of said respective comparator (COMPi-1), a second input (B) coupled to the noninverted output (out_p) of said comparator (COMPi) of higher order and a third input (C) coupled to an intermediate tap of said voltage divider (Ra-Rb).
Abstract:
A low pass filter with programmable equalization comprising at least a biquadratic cell (BIQUAD) and a converter of the input voltage (Vin) in a current ( iz ), proportional to the derivative of the input voltage, that is injected on a node of the biquadratic cell (BIQUAD) in order to introduce two real and opposed zeroes in the transfer function of the filter, is composed of two structurally similar circuits, functionally connected in cascade, each circuit being composed of a biquadratic cell and an input stage having two outputs injecting through a first current output (A) said current ( iz ) on an input capacitor (C1) of the respective biquadratic cell, by a direct coupling in a first of said two circuits and in an inverted manner in the second of said two circuits; a second voltage output (B) being coupled to an input of the respective biquadratic cell.
Abstract:
A BiCMOS ECL/CMOS interface circuit for converting a high frequency pseudo-ECL signal with a voltage swing in the order of few hundreds of millivolts into a CMOS signal with a voltage swing substantially equal to the supply voltage, comprising a differential input stage composed of a pair of NPN bipolar junction transistors (Q1, Q2) in a common emitter configuration, a bias current generator (IBIAS) functionally coupled between the common emitter node of said NPN transistors and ground and means driven by a respective transistor of said input pair (Q1, Q2) driving the control node of a respective output CMOS stage (M5-M7, M6-M8), is provided with first and second common-collector stages each constituted by an NPN bipolar junction transistor(Q3, Q4) and driven by a respective transistor of said pair of NPN transistors (Q1, Q2); and with a pair of identical PMOS transistors (M1, M2) with gates connected in common to a bias voltage (POL), each PMOS transistor (M1, M2) having a source coupled to the emitter of a respective transistor (Q3, Q4) of said common-collector stages and a drain connected to a load current generator (I) and to said control node of a respective output CMOS stage (M5-M7, M6-M8), for reducing current absorption without impairing performance.
Abstract:
A phase locked ring comprising a phase comparator, a charge pumping circuit, a loop filter and a voltage controlled oscillator, where the loop filter comprises two input terminals connected with two symmetric branches of the charge pumping circuit, each symmetric branch comprising a constant current generator and a pulsed current generator. Feedback paths are provided to control constant current generators through the voltage available on both loop filter terminals. According to the present invention, pulsed current generators (I7, I8) are separated from the respective loop filter terminals (N1 , N2) by circuit breaking switching means (S1, S2), said circuit breaking switching means (S1, S2) being controlled by phase signals (UP, DOWN) outputted from the phase comparator (2).