Time-interleaved A/D converter device

• US 7,466,251 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Uchino, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN PIERRE, PEGUY
• Application Number:
  US11/819,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20080001806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 341/120, 341/118, 341/155, 375/354, 375/355
• US Class Current: 341/120
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/0624 by synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/1215 using time-division multiplexing

Abstract

Disclosed is a time-interleaved A/D converter device that including first and second digital filters that respectively perform filter processing on output signals of first and second A/D converter circuits driven by first and second clocks, respectively, an interpolator that receives an output signal of the first digital filter and derives an interpolation value corresponding to a case where an input signal is sampled using the second clock signal free of a clock skew and having a predetermined phase relationship with respect to the first clock signal, a phase comparison circuit that receives the output of the first digital filter, an output of the second digital filter, and an interpolation signal from the interpolator, and outputs a first signal indicating a phase advance or a phase delay of the second signal responsive to a gradient of the input signal and a second signal indicating whether the output signal of the second digital filter matches the interpolation signal or not, a digital filter that receives the first and second signals output from the phase comparison circuit, and outputs zero when the second signal indicates a match and outputs a polarity of a value obtained b by selecting a positive value or a negative value according to the delay or advance indicated by the first signal and averaging selected values when the second signal indicates a mismatch, and a variable delay circuit that receives an output of the digital filter and changes a delay time of the second clock signal.

Claims

1. A time-interleaved A/D converter device comprising:

first and second A/D converter circuits arranged in parallel with each other, said first and second A/D converter circuits receiving first and second clock signals having a predetermined phase relationship therebetween, respectively, and operating a time-interleaved manner; and

a phase adjustment circuit provided corresponding to said first and second A/D converter circuits;

said phase adjustment circuit including an interpolator that derives an interpolation value corresponding to a case where an input signal is sampled using a second clock signal which is free of a clock skew and has the predetermined phase relationship with respect to the first clock signal, based on an output sequence of said first A/D converter circuit that samples the input signal using the first clock signal;

said phase adjustment circuit controlling a phase of the second clock signal so that an actual output of said second A/D converter circuit becomes close to the interpolation value or matches the interpolation value, based on the actual output of said second A/D converter circuit and the interpolation value.

6. The time-interleaved A/D converter device according to claim 1, wherein said phase adjustment circuit comprises:

first and second digital filters that receive an output of said first A/D converter circuit and the output of said second A/D converter circuit, respectively;

said interpolator receiving an output signal of said first digital filter, deriving as said interpolation value a sampled value of an input signal at a sampling time corresponding to the ideal second clock signal, using sets of sampling times of the first clock signal and sampled values of the input signal at the sampling times of the first clock signal, and outputting an interpolation signal;

said phase adjustment circuit further comprising;

a phase comparison circuit that receives the output signal of said first digital filter, an output signal of said second digital filter, and the interpolation signal output from said interpolator, and outputs a first signal indicating a phase advance or a phase delay of the second clock signal responsive to a gradient of the input signal and a second signal indicating whether the output signal of said second digital filter matches the interpolation signal or not, the gradient of the input signal being derived from the output signals of said first and second digital filters, the phase delay or the phase advance being obtained from the output signal of said second digital filter and the interpolation signal;

a delay control signal generation circuit that receives the first and second signals output from said phase comparison circuit, outputs zero when the second signal indicates a match, and outputs a polarity of a value obtained by selecting a positive value or a negative value according to the delay or the advance indicated by the first signal and averaging selected values when the second signal indicates a mismatch; and

a variable delay circuit that receives an output of said delay control signal generation circuit, and causes the delay of the second clock signal to be maintained without alteration, or variably controls a length of the delay.

7. The time-interleaved A/D converter device according to claim 6, wherein said delay control signal generation circuit comprises:

a first selector that selects the positive value or the negative value according to the first signal;

a filter that averages outputs of said selector;

a circuit that extracts a sign of an output of said filter; and

a second selector that performs selection between the sign of the output of said filter and zero according to a value of the second signal.

2. A time-interleaved A/D converter device comprising:

first and second A/D converter circuits arranged in parallel with each other, said first and second A/D converter circuits receiving first and second clock signals having a predetermined phase relationship, therebetween, respectively; and

a phase adjustment circuit that receives outputs of said first and second A/D converter circuits, and using the first and second clock signals as a reference signal and a signal to be adjusted, respectively, adjusts a phase of the second clock signal, based on the first clock signal;

said phase adjustment circuit comprising;

an interpolator that derives as an interpolation value a sampled value of an input signal at a sampling time corresponding to the second clock signal having a predetermined phase difference with respect to the first clock signal, using sets of sampling times of the first clock signal and sampled values of an input signal at the sampling times of the first clock signal, based on an output sequence of said first A/D converter circuit; and

a variable delay circuit that variably controls a delay of the second clock signal, based on an output of said second A/D converter circuit and the interpolation value.

3. The time-interleaved A/D converter device according to claim 2, wherein said phase adjustment circuit comprises:

a phase comparison circuit that receives the outputs of said first and second A/D converter circuits and an output of the interpolation value from said interpolator, generates and outputs a signal indicating a phase advance or a phase delay of the second clock signal responsive to a gradient of the input signal, based on the outputs of said first and second A/D converter circuits, and also supplies a signal indicating whether the output of said second A/D converter circuit matches the interpolation value or not;

a delay control signal generation circuit that causes a current state to be maintained when the output of said second A/D converter circuit matches the interpolation value, and outputs a signal indicating a polarity of a signal obtained by averaging signals from said phase comparison circuit each indicating the phase advance or the phase delay when the output of the second A/D converter circuit does not match the interpolation value; and

said variable delay circuit that causes the delay of the second clock signal to be maintained without alteration or variably controls a length of the delay, based on an output of said delay control signal generation circuit.

4. A time-interleaved A/D converter device comprising:

first through Mth A/D converter circuits arranged in parallel with one another, said first through Mth A/D converter circuits receiving first through Mth clock signals, respectively (wherein M is a predetermined positive integer of a power of two); and

first through (M-1)th phase adjustment circuits that receive outputs of said first through Mth A/D converter circuits, respectively, and using the first clock signal as a reference signal and using the second through Mth clock signals as signals to be adjusted, adjust phases of the second through Mth clock signals, respectively, based on the first clock signal;

said ith phase adjustment circuit (wherein i is one of integers from one to M-1) comprising;

an interpolator that derives as an interpolation value a sampled value at a sampling time corresponding to the ith clock signal having a predetermined phase difference with respect to the first clock signal, using sets of sampling times of the first clock signal and sampled values of an input signal by the first A/D converter circuit at the sampling times, based on an output sequence of the first A/D converter circuit; and

a variable delay circuit that variably controls a delay of the ith clock signal based on an output of said ith A/D converter circuit and the interpolation value.

5. The time-interleaved A/D converter device according to claim 4, wherein said ith (wherein i is one of integers from one to M-1) phase adjustment circuit comprises:

a phase comparison circuit that receives an output of said first A/D converter circuit, the output of said ith A/D converter circuit, and an output of the interpolation value from said interpolator, generates and outputs a signal indicating a phase advance or a phase delay of the ith clock signal responsive to a gradient of the input signal, based on the outputs of said first and ith A/D converter circuits, and also outputs a signal indicating whether the output of said ith A/D converter circuit matches the interpolation value or not;

a control circuit that causes a current state to be maintained when the output of said ith A/D converter circuit matches the interpolation value, and outputs a signal indicating a polarity of a signal obtained by averaging signals from said phase comparison circuit each indicating the phase advance or the phase delay when the output of the ith A/D converter circuit does not match the interpolation value; and

said variable delay circuit that causes the delay of the ith clock signal to be maintained without alteration or variably controls a length of the delay, based on an output of said control circuit.

8. A time-interleaved A/D converter device comprising:

first and second A/D converter circuits that receive an analog signal input in common, said first and second A/D converter circuits being driven by input first and second clock signals, respectively, the first clock signal for said first A/D converter circuit being used as the signal of a reference system and the second clock signal for said second A/D converter circuit being used as a signal to be adjusted;

first and second digital filters that perform filter processing on output signals of said first and second A/D converter circuits, respectively;

an interpolator that receives an output signal of said first digital filter, derives as an interpolation value a sampled value at a sampling time corresponding to the second clock signal having a predetermined phase difference with respect to the first clock signal, using sets of sampling times of the first clock signal and values of the input signal sampled by the first/D converter circuit at the sampling times, and outputs an interpolation signal;

a phase comparison circuit that receives the output signal of said first digital filter, an output signal of said second digital filter, and the interpolation signal output from said interpolator, outputs a first signal indicating a phase advance or a phase delay of the second clock signal responsive to a gradient of the input signal, and a second signal indicating whether the output signal of said second digital filter matches the interpolation signal or not, the phase delay or the phase advance of the second clock signal being obtained by the output signal of said second digital filter and the interpolation signal, the gradient of the input signal being derived from the output signals of said first and second digital filters;

a delay control signal generation circuit that receives the first and second signals output from said phase comparison circuit and outputs zero when the second signal indicates a match, and outputs a polarity of a value obtained by selecting a positive value or a negative value according to the delay or the advance indicated by the first signal and averaging selected values when the second signal indicates a mismatch; and

a variable delay circuit that receives an output of said delay control signal generation circuit, and adjusts a length of the delay.

9. The time-interleaved A/D converter device according to claim 8, wherein said delay control signal generation circuit comprises:

a first selector that selects the positive value or the negative value according to the first signal;

a filter that averages outputs of said first selector;

a circuit that extracts a sign of an output of said filter; and

a second selector that performs selection between the sign of the output of said filter and zero according to a value of the second signal.