SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATION TYPE AD CONVERTER AND SENSOR DEVICE

• US 20190268013A1
• Filed: 01/23/2019
• Published: 08/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: FURUBAYASHI, Yuki, OSHIMA, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 10,461,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/02 Regulating voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45526 the FBC comprising a resistor-capacitor combination and being coupled between the LC and the IC
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45475 using IC blocks as the active amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45959 Controlling the input circuit of the differential amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/121 Interleaved, i.e. using multiple converters or converter parts for one channel
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/1295 Clamping, i.e. adjusting the DC level of the input signal to a predetermined value
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/46 with digital/analogue converter for supplying reference values to converter
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/68 with conversions of different sensitivity, i.e. one conversion relating to the more significant digital bits and another conversion to the less significant bits

Abstract

A successive approximation type AD converter includes an in-phase voltage detection and supply circuit that supplies an in-phase voltage obtained by impedance voltage division of a first input analog signal and a second input analog signal to a first capacitance DA converter and a second capacitance DA converter. The first capacitance DA converter samples the first input analog signal with reference to the in-phase voltage, and the second capacitance DA converter samples the second input analog signal with reference to the in-phase voltage. After the sampling period ends, a comparator compares the output of the first capacitance DA converter and the output of the second capacitance DA converter, output voltages of the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter are changed by the control signal of a successive approximation logic unit on the basis of a comparison result, and comparison processing is repeated.

Claims

1. A successive approximation type AD converter comprising:

a first capacitance DA converter that samples a first input analog signal and outputs a voltage corresponding to a sampled value;

a second capacitance DA converter that samples a second input analog signal and outputs a voltage corresponding to a sampled value;

a comparator that compares an output of the first capacitance DA converter and an output of the second capacitance DA converter;

a successive approximation logic unit that supplies a control signal to the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter on the basis of a comparison result of the comparator; and

an in-phase voltage detection and supply circuit that, in a sampling period, supplies an in-phase voltage obtained by impedance voltage division of the first input analog signal and the second input analog signal to the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter,

wherein the first capacitance DA converter samples the first input analog signal with reference to the in-phase voltage in the sampling period, the second capacitance DA converter samples the second input analog signal with reference to the in-phase voltage,

after the sampling period ends, the comparator compares the output of the first capacitance DA converter and the output of the second capacitance DA converter, output voltages of the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter are changed by the control signal of the successive approximation logic unit on the basis of a comparison result, comparison processing is repeated, and thereby, a digital signal of a successive approximation result is output.

2. The successive approximation type AD converter according to claim 1, wherein

the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter comprise

a plurality of capacitance elements weighted with a constant coefficient, and

a switch array that connects each of the capacitance elements and reference voltages according to a control signal of the successive approximation logic unit.

3. The successive approximation type AD converter according to claim 2, wherein

the reference voltages to be supplied to the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter are a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage lower than the first reference voltage.

4. The successive approximation type AD converter according to claim 1, wherein

the impedance voltage division is performed by using two resistance elements connected between the first input analog signal and the second input analog signal.

5. The successive approximation type AD converter according to claim 1, wherein

the first analog input signal and the second analog input signal are signals having an in-phase component and a differential component.

6. The successive approximation type AD converter according to claim 1, wherein the impedance voltage division is performed by using two capacitance elements connected between the first input analog signal and the second input analog signal.

7. The successive approximation type AD converter according to claim 1, further comprising

a switch that switches between the in-phase voltage detection and supply circuit and a common voltage, wherein a common voltage can be supplied to the first DA converter and the second DA converter.

8. The successive approximation type AD converter according to claim 1, wherein

the in-phase voltage detection and supply circuit includes the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter, and performs impedance voltage division by using a capacitance element of the first capacitance DA converter and a capacitance element of the second capacitance DA converter.

9. The successive approximation type AD converter according to claim 8, wherein

the capacitance element of the first capacitance DA converter and the capacitance element of the second capacitance DA converter are charged and discharged at least one time using a DC potential.

10. The successive approximation type AD converter according to claim 8, wherein

the capacitance element of the first capacitance DA converter and the capacitance element of the second capacitance DA converter are charged and discharged at least one time using a ground potential.

11. The successive approximation type AD converter according to claim 1, wherein

the capacitance elements are further connected to each of output sides of the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter, and a resistance DA converter is connected to the capacitance elements.

12. A successive approximation type AD converter of differential input, the successive approximation type AD converter comprising:

a first capacitance DA converter;

a second capacitance DA converter;

a comparator;

a successive approximation logic unit; and

an in-phase voltage detection and supply circuit,

wherein the in-phase voltage detection and supply circuit performs impedance voltage division with respect to a first input analog signal and a second input analog signal in a sampling period to connect the result to a first terminals of the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter, the first input analog signal and the second input analog signal are connected to second terminals of the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter and sampling is performed,

after the sampling period ends, the comparator compares the output of the first capacitance DA converter and the output of the second capacitance DA converter, output values of the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter are changed by the control signal of the successive approximation logic unit on the basis of a comparison result, successive approximation processing is repeated, and thereby, a digital value is output.

13. A sensor device comprising a sensor that outputs a differential detection signal, and a successive approximation type AD converter in which the differential detection signal of the sensor is input, wherein the successive approximation type AD converter comprises:

a first capacitance DA converter that samples a first input analog signal and outputs a voltage corresponding to a sampled value;

a second capacitance DA converter that samples a second input analog signal and outputs a voltage corresponding to a sampled value;

a comparator that compares an output of the first capacitance DA converter and an output of the second capacitance DA converter;

a successive approximation logic unit that supplies a control signal to the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter on the basis of a comparison result of the comparator; and

an in-phase voltage detection and supply circuit that, in a sampling period, supplies an in-phase voltage obtained by impedance voltage division of the first input analog signal and the second input analog signal to the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter,

the first capacitance DA converter samples the first input analog signal with reference to the in-phase voltage in the sampling period, the second capacitance DA converter samples the second input analog signal with reference to the in-phase voltage,

after the sampling period ends, the comparator compares the output of the first capacitance DA converter and the output of the second capacitance DA converter, output voltages of the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter are changed by the control signal of the successive approximation logic unit on the basis of a comparison result, comparison processing is repeated, and thereby, a digital signal of a successive approximation result is output.

14. The sensor device according to claim 13, wherein

the sensor is a capacitance MEMS sensor, and

the sensor device further comprises a C/V conversion amplifier between the capacitance type MEMS sensor and the successive approximation type AD converter.

15. The sensor device according to claim 13, wherein

a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage lower than the first reference voltage are supplied to the first capacitance DA converter and the second capacitance DA converter, and

a difference between the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage is varied according to amplitude of the differential detection signal.