IP Library Granted Patent US 11,031,949
Granted Patent B2
US 11,031,949 · App. 16/492,711 · Granted Jun 8, 2021

Analog-to-digital converter, sensor arrangement and method for analog-to-digital conversion

Inventors: Jose Manuel García González (Paterna, ES); Rafael Serrano Gotarredona (Valencia, ES)
Assignee: AMS AG
H03M3/34H03M1/462H03M3/464H03M3/496
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,031,949
App. No.
16/492,711
Granted
Jun 8, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

An analog-to-digital converter comprises a first integrator ( 40 ), a first converter input ( 19 ), a first reference voltage input ( 34 ), a capacitor array ( 68 ) comprising capacitor elements ( 171 ), and a rotation frequency control unit ( 37 ) providing a rotation signal (SRO) with at least two different values of a rotation frequency (fR). A first subset of capacitor elements ( 171 ) of the capacitor array ( 68 ) is coupled to the first converter input ( 19 ) and to an input side of the first integrator ( 40 ) in a first phase and is coupled to the first reference voltage input ( 34 ) and to the input side of the first integrator ( 40 ) in a second phase as a function of the rotation signal (SRO).

Claims (69)

1. An analog-to-digital converter,

wherein the analog-to-digital converter is implemented as a sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter and comprises

a first integrator,

a first converter input at which a first converter voltage is tapped,

a first reference voltage input,

a capacitor array comprising capacitor elements, and

a rotation frequency control unit providing a rotation signal with at least two different values of a rotation frequency,

wherein a capacitor element changes its location at the rotation frequency, and

wherein a first subset of capacitor elements of the capacitor array is coupled to the first converter input and to an input side of the first integrator in a first phase and is coupled to the first reference voltage input and to the input side of the first integrator in a second phase as a function of the rotation signal.

2. The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 1 , wherein a value of the rotation frequency of the rotation signal depends on a gain signal.

3. The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 2 , wherein a gain of the first integrator is set by the gain signal.

4. The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 3 , wherein the first integrator comprises a first amplifier and a first integrating capacitor having a number of further capacitor elements and

wherein a subset of the further capacitor elements of the first integrating capacitor is coupled to an input side of the first amplifier and to an output side of the first amplifier and the number of further capacitor elements in the subset is a function of the gain signal.

5. The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 1 ,

wherein the analog-to-digital converter comprises a second integrator coupled to the first integrator and a comparator coupled to the second integrator.

6. The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 5 , wherein the analog-to-digital converter comprises a filter coupled to the comparator that is one of a group consisting of a digital decimation filter, a low pass filter, a band-stop filter and a notch filter.

7. The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 1 ,

wherein the analog-to-digital converter is realized as a differential analog-to-digital converter and comprises

a second converter input and

a second reference voltage input,

wherein the capacitor array couples the second converter input and the second reference voltage input to the input side of the first integrator.

8. A sensor arrangement, comprising

the analog-to-digital converter according to claim 1 and

a sensor that is configured as a resistive sensor and is coupled to the first converter input,

wherein a first converter voltage that is tapped at the first converter input is a function of a parameter measured by the sensor.

9. The sensor arrangement according to claim 8 ,

wherein the sensor arrangement comprises

a first buffer coupled on its input side to the sensor and on its output side to the first converter input and being realized as a chopping buffer, and

a reference buffer coupled on its input side to a reference voltage terminal and on its output side to the first reference voltage input and being realized as a chopping buffer.

10. A method for analog-to-digital conversion,

wherein an analog-to-digital converter is implemented as a sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter and comprises a first integrator a first converter input a first reference voltage input, a capacitor array and a rotation frequency control unit,

wherein the method comprises

providing a first converter voltage that is tapped at the first converter input and a first reference voltage that is tapped at the first reference voltage input via the capacitor array that comprises capacitor elements to the first integrator, and

providing a rotation signal by the rotation frequency control unit with a rotation frequency having a first or alternatively at least a second value,

wherein a capacitor element changes its location at the rotation frequency, and

wherein a first subset of capacitor elements of the capacitor array is coupled to the first converter input and to an input side of the first integrator in a first phase and is coupled to the first reference voltage input and to the input side of the first integrator in a second phase as a function of the rotation signal.

11. The method according to claim 10 ,

wherein a comparator output signal is provided by a comparator that is coupled via a second integrator to the output side of the first integrator.

12. The method according to claim 11 ,

wherein a value of the rotation frequency at which one of the capacitor elements is changing its location is given by the equation:

fR

=

(

k

·

M

+

N

gcd

(

M

,

N

)

)

·

fN

,

wherein k is an integer number, M is the number of capacitor elements of the capacitor array coupled to the first converter input and to an input side of the first integrator in the first phase, N is the number of capacitor elements of the capacitor array coupled to the first reference voltage input and to an input side of the first integrator in the first phase, gcd is the greatest common divisor and fN is a value of a notch frequency of a filter coupled to the output side of the comparator.

13. An analog-to-digital converter, comprising

a first integrator,

a first converter input,

a first reference voltage input,

a capacitor array comprising capacitor elements, and

a rotation frequency control unit providing a rotation signal,

wherein a first subset of capacitor elements of the capacitor array is coupled to the first converter input and to an input side of the first integrator in a first phase and is coupled to the first reference voltage input and to the input side of the first integrator in a second phase as a function of the rotation signal.

14. The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 13 ,

wherein the rotation signal has at least two different values of a rotation frequency.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2021
From: GARCÍA GONZÁLEZ, JOSE MANUEL; GOTARREDONA, RAFAEL SERRANO
To: AMS AG
Reel/Frame 056084/0342 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 17162564 · Mar 23, 2017 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210143835A1 · May 13, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,237,817