SWITCHED CAPACITOR CIRCUIT AND PIPELINE A/D CONVERTER

• US 20100045495A1
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: SANO, Mitsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,924,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/110
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 27/026 associated with an amplifier G11C27/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45138 Two or more differential amplifiers in IC-block form are combined, e.g. measuring amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45514 the FBC comprising one or more switched capacitors, and being coupled between the LC and the IC
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/005 using switched capacitors, e.g. dynamic amplifiers; using switched capacitors as resistors in differential amplifiers H03F3/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45475 using IC blocks as the active amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/164 the steps being performed sequentially in series-connected stages H03M1/161 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/442 using switched capacitors

Abstract

There is provided a switched capacitor circuit and a pipeline A/D converter which are capable of suppressing electric power from being increased by utilizing a level-shift capacitor, even in a case where the switched capacitor circuit and the pipeline A/D converter are configured by utilizing a CLS technique. In the estimate phase, the capacitor Cc1 (level shift capacitor) is connected between the output terminal of the operational amplifier AMP2 and the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier AMP2, so as to sample the output from the operational amplifier AMP2, and also to compensate the phase of the operational amplifier AMP2. Additionally, in the level shift phase, the capacitor Cc1 is connected between the output terminal of the operational amplifier 4 and the output terminal Vb, so as to be used to level-shift the output of the operational amplifier AMP2. Thereby, the load (the capacitance of the capacitors Cc1 and Cc2) on the operational amplifier AMP2 is reduced, thereby reducing the electric power of the switched capacitor circuit 200.

Claims

1. A switched capacitor circuit comprising:

an input terminal to which an analog input signal is inputted;

a plurality of sampling switches;

a plurality of sampling capacitors which are respectively connected to the plurality of sampling switches and which sample and hold the analog input signal by switching the plurality of sampling switches;

a plurality of operational amplifiers which are cascade-connected to each other and which amplify the analog input signal sampled and held by the plurality of sampling capacitors, so as to output the amplified analog input signal;

a Correlated Level Shift (CLS) circuit including a level shift capacitor which samples and level-shifts the analog input signal amplified with the plurality of operational amplifiers, and a plurality of level shift switches which switch connection states between the level shift capacitor and the plurality of operational amplifiers; and

an output terminal which outputs an output signal obtained by level-shifting of the amplified analog input signal,

wherein the level shift capacitor is connected between an input of an operational amplifier arranged in a last stage of the plurality of operational amplifiers, and the output terminal, in a phase of sampling the amplified analog input signal.

2. The switched capacitor circuit according to claim 1, wherein the level shift capacitor functions as a phase compensation capacitor of the operational amplifier in the last stage, in the phase of sampling the amplified analog input signal.

3. The switched capacitor circuit according to claim 1, wherein the level shift capacitor is connected between an output of the operational amplifier in the last stage, and the output terminal, in the phase of level-shifting the amplified analog input signal.

4. The switched capacitor circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a second phase compensation capacitor connected between the input of the operational amplifier in the last stage, and the output terminal.

5. The switched capacitor circuit according to claim 4, wherein the second phase compensation capacitor is connected in parallel to both the CLS circuit and the operational amplifier in the last stage.

6. The switched capacitor circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a parasitic capacitance which functions as a capacitance for phase compensation, between the input of the operational amplifier in the last stage and the output terminal.

7. A pipeline A/D converter comprising:

a plurality of stages, each including the switched capacitor circuit according to claim 1, an A/D converter which converts an analog input signal inputted into the switched capacitor circuit to a digital signal, and a D/A converter which converts the digital signal converted by the A/D converter to an analog signal, the analog input signal being inputted into each of the plurality of stages and the analog input signal being converted into the digital signal and outputted, an analog output signal generated by the analog signal and the analog input signal being outputted to a subsequently connected stage;

a memory that stores the digital signals outputted from the plurality of stages; and

an operation circuit that performs a synthesis operation on the digital signals stored in the memory, and then outputs a digital output signal of a bit string.