Ramp generation circuit and A/D converter

• US 7,710,306 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Mori, Akiko
• Primary Examiner(s): JeanPierre; Peguy
• Application Number:
  US11/937,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20080111591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 341/144, 341/120, 341/118, 327/538
• US Class Current: 341/169
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 4/50 in which a sawtooth voltage is produced across a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/123 Simultaneous, i.e. using one converter per channel but with common control or reference circuits for multiple converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/56 Input signal compared with linear ramp

Abstract

A ramp generation circuit including, a charge supply unit which generates predetermined charges every predetermined time, an integration circuit which accumulates the charges generated from the charge supply unit and converts the charges into a voltage, and, an attenuation unit which outputs, to an output terminal, a voltage obtained by attenuating a noise value of an output voltage from the integration circuit.

Claims

1. A ramp generation circuit comprising:

a charge supply unit which generates predetermined charges every predetermined time;

an integration circuit which accumulates the charges generated from the charge supply unit and converts the charges into a voltage; and

an attenuation unit which outputs, to an output terminal, a voltage obtained by attenuating a noise value of an output voltage from the integration circuit, the attenuation unit can change one of an attenuation factor of the output voltage and a voltage value of the output voltage, and the attenuation unit comprises a variable voltage source whose one terminal is connected to a power supply.

2. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the attenuation unit further comprises:

a first variable resistor whose one terminal is connected to an output of the integration circuit;

a comparison unit whose first input is connected to the other terminal of the variable voltage source, whose second input is connected to the other terminal of the first variable resistor, and whose output is connected to the output terminal; and

a second variable resistor whose one terminal is connected to the other terminal of the first variable resistor, and whose other terminal is connected to the output terminal.

3. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the charge supply unit comprises:

a first switch whose one terminal is connected to the other terminal of the variable voltage source;

a second switch whose one terminal is connected to the other terminal of the first switch, and whose other terminal is connected to an input of the integration circuit; and

a capacitor whose one electrode is connected to the power supply, and whose other electrode is connected to the one terminal of the second switch.

4. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the attenuation unit comprises:

a first variable resistor whose one terminal is connected to an output of the integration circuit;

an operational amplifier whose negative input terminal is connected to the other terminal of the first variable resistor; and

a second variable resistor whose one terminal is connected to the other terminal of the first variable resistor, and whose other terminal is connected to an output terminal of the operational amplifier;

the variable voltage source whose one terminal is connected to a power supply, and whose other terminal is connected to a positive input terminal of the operational amplifier.

5. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the attenuation unit comprises:

a first variable capacitor whose one terminal is connected to an output of the integration circuit;

an operational amplifier whose negative input terminal is connected to the other terminal of the first variable capacitor; and

a second variable capacitor whose one terminal is connected to the other terminal of the first variable capacitor, and whose other terminal is connected to an output terminal of the operational amplifier;

the variable voltage source whose one terminal is connected to a power supply, and whose other terminal is connected to a positive input terminal of the operational amplifier.

6. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the charge supply unit comprises:

a transistor whose control terminal is connected to the other terminal of the variable voltage source, and whose current path has one end connected to the power supply and the other end connected to an input of the integration circuit.

7. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the charge supply unit comprises:

a first variable voltage source whose one terminal is connected to a power supply;

a first transistor whose control terminal is connected to the other terminal of the first variable voltage source, and whose current path has one end connected to an input of the integration circuit;

a second variable voltage source whose one terminal is connected to the power supply; and

a second transistor whose control terminal is connected to the other terminal of the second variable voltage source, and whose current path has one end connected to the power supply and the other end connected to the other end of the current path of the first transistor.

8. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the charge supply unit comprises:

a resistor whose one terminal is connected to the other terminal of the variable voltage source, and whose other terminal is connected to an input of the integration circuit.

9. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the charge supply unit comprises:

a first transistor whose current path has one end connected to a power supply;

a first switch whose one terminal is connected to the other end of the current path of the first transistor, and whose other terminal is connected to an input of the integration circuit;

a second transistor whose current path has one end connected to the power supply; and

a second switch whose one terminal is connected to the other end of the current path of the second transistor, and whose other terminal is connected to the input of the integration circuit.

10. An A/D converter comprising:

a ramp generation unit including a charge supply unit which generates predetermined charges every predetermined time, an integration circuit which accumulates the charges generated from the charge supply unit and converts the charges into a voltage, and an attenuation unit which outputs, to an output terminal, a voltage obtained by attenuating a noise value of an output voltage from the integration circuit; and

a converter unit configured to receive an output voltage from the ramp generation unit as a reference voltage and output a digital signal, the converter unit comprising a comparison unit which outputs the digital signal, the comparison unit having a negative input terminal connected to the input signal holding unit and a positive input terminal that receives the reference voltage.

11. The A/D converter according to claim 10, further comprising a plurality of converter units whose inputs are commonly connected to an output of the ramp generation unit.

12. The A/D converter according to claim 10, wherein the converter unit comprises:

an input signal holding unit which has an input connected to an input signal and holds and outputs the input signal;

and

a latch unit which has an input connected to the digital signal, and hold and outputs the digital signal according to at a outputting timing of the digital signal and a counter signal.

13. The A/D converter according to claim 12, wherein the comparison unit comprises a chopper comparator.

14. The A/D converter according to claim 10, wherein the input signal holding unit comprises:

a first switch whose one terminal is connected to an input terminal to receive the input signal;

a first capacitor whose one electrode is connected to the other terminal of the first switch;

a second switch whose one terminal is connected to the other electrode of the first capacitor;

a second capacitor whose one electrode is connected to the other terminal of the second switch;

a third switch whose one terminal is connected to the other electrode of the second capacitor; and

a third capacitor whose one electrode is connected to the one electrode of the first capacitor, the other electrode is electrically connected to the ramp generation circuit.

15. The A/D converter according to claim 10, wherein the attenuation unit can change one of an attenuation factor of the output voltage and a voltage value of the output voltage.

16. The A/D converter according to claim 10, wherein the attenuation unit comprises:

a variable voltage source whose one terminal is connected to a power supply;

a first variable resistor whose one terminal is connected to an output of the integration circuit;

a comparison unit whose first input is connected to the other terminal of the variable voltage source, whose second input is connected to the other terminal of the first variable resistor, and whose output is connected to the output terminal; and

a second variable resistor whose one terminal is connected to the other terminal of the first variable resistor, and whose other terminal is connected to the output terminal.

17. The A/D converter according to claim 10, wherein the charge supply unit comprises:

a variable voltage source whose one terminal is connected to a power supply;

a first switch whose one terminal is connected to the other terminal of the variable voltage source;

a second switch whose one terminal is connected to the other terminal of the first switch, and whose other terminal is connected to an input of the integration circuit; and

a capacitor whose one electrode is connected to the power supply, and whose other electrode is connected to the one terminal of the second switch.

18. The A/D converter according to claim 10, wherein the attenuation unit comprises:

a first variable resistor whose one terminal is connected to an output of the integration circuit;

an operational amplifier whose negative input terminal is connected to the other terminal of the first variable resistor;

a second variable resistor whose one terminal is connected to the other terminal of the first variable resistor, and whose other terminal is connected to an output terminal of the operational amplifier; and

a variable voltage source whose one terminal is connected to a power supply, and whose other terminal is connected to a positive input terminal of the operational amplifier.

19. The A/D converter according to claim 10, wherein the attenuation unit comprises:

a first variable capacitor whose one terminal is connected to an output of the integration circuit;

an operational amplifier whose negative input terminal is connected to the other terminal of the first variable capacitor;

a second variable capacitor whose one terminal is connected to the other terminal of the first variable capacitor, and whose other terminal is connected to an output terminal of the operational amplifier; and

a variable voltage source whose one terminal is connected to a power supply, and whose other terminal is connected to a positive input terminal of the operational amplifier.