Feedforward delta-sigma modulator

• US 9,035,814 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Original Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Inventors: Chang, Che-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lam T
• Application Number:
  US14/332,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20150022387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: 341143-160
• US Class Current: 341/143
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 3/00 Conversion of analogue values to or from differential modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 3/30 Delta-sigma modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 3/37 Compensation or reduction of delay or phase error
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 3/426 the quantiser being a successive approximation type analogue/digital converter
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 3/446 by a particular choice of poles or zeroes in the z-plane, e.g. by positioning zeroes outside the unit circle, i.e. causing the modulator to operate in a chaotic regime

Abstract

A feedforward delta-sigma modulator includes a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter, N integrators, a first adder, a second adder, and an optimization zero generation unit, where N is a positive integer. An output terminal of each integrator of the N integrators is coupled to the successive approximation analog-to-digital converter. The digital-to-analog converter is coupled between the first adder and the successive approximation analog-to-digital converter. The first adder is coupled to an input terminal of a first integrator of the N integrator. The second adder is coupled to an input terminal of a K^th integrator of the N integrators, where K is a positive integer. The optimization zero generation unit is coupled between an output terminal of a (K+1)^th integrator of the N integrators and the second adder.

Claims

1. A feedforward delta-sigma modulator, comprising:

a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter comprising N+1 input terminals, and an output terminal for outputting a digital signal, wherein an input terminal of the N+1 input terminals is used for receiving an analog input signal, and N is a positive integer;

a digital-to-analog converter coupled to the output terminal of the successive approximation analog-to-digital converter for receiving the digital signal, and generating an analog feedback signal accordingly;

N integrators, wherein an output terminal of each integrator of the N integrators is coupled to a corresponding input terminal of the N+1 input terminals;

a first adder coupled to the digital-to-analog converter for summing the analog input signal and the analog feedback signal to a first integrator of the N integrators;

a second adder coupled to an input terminal of a K^th integrator of the N integrators, wherein an output terminal of the K^th integrator is coupled to an input terminal of a (K+1)^th integrator of the N integrators, and K is a positive integer less than N; and

an optimization zero generation unit coupled between the second adder and an output terminal of the (K+1)^th integrator.

2. The feedforward delta-sigma modulator of claim 1, wherein the successive approximation analog-to-digital converter comprises:

N+1 switch units;

N+1 sampling capacitors, wherein a first switch unit of the N+1 switch units is coupled to the input terminal of the first adder and a first sampling capacitor of the N+1 sampling capacitors, and each switch unit of other switch units of the N+1 switch units is coupled between an output terminal of each integrator of the N integrators and a corresponding sampling capacitor of the N+1 sampling capacitors;

a reference capacitor, wherein capacitances of the N+1 sampling capacitors are proportional to a capacitance of the reference capacitor;

a reference voltage generation unit for generating a plurality of reference voltages;

a reference voltage switching unit comprising a plurality of switches, the reference voltage switching unit being coupled to the reference voltage generation unit, the reference capacitor, and a common mode terminal, wherein the plurality of switches are used for determining a first terminal of the reference capacitor to receive a common mode voltage of the common mode terminal or a reference voltage of the plurality of reference voltages;

a comparator comprising a first input terminal coupled to the N+1 sampling capacitors and the reference capacitor, a second input terminal coupled to the common mode terminal, a third input terminal for receiving a strobe signal, and an output terminal for outputting a comparison signal;

a common mode switch comprising a first terminal coupled to the N+1 sampling capacitors and the reference capacitor, and a second terminal coupled to the common mode terminal; and

a successive approximation logic control unit comprising a first input terminal for receiving a clock, a second input terminal for receiving the comparison signal, a first output terminal for outputting the strobe signal, a second output terminal for outputting a control signal, and a third output terminal for outputting the digital signal.

3. The feedforward delta-sigma modulator of claim 2, wherein when the first switch unit receives a sampling signal, a first terminal of the first sampling capacitor samples the analog input signal, when the switch unit receives the sampling signal, a first terminal of the corresponding sampling capacitor samples an output voltage of the output terminal of the integrator, and during the sampling signal, the successive approximation logic control unit controls the reference voltage switching unit to switch the reference capacitor to receive a corresponding reference voltage of the plurality of reference voltages according to the control signal, wherein the corresponding reference voltage corresponds to a previous digital signal outputted by the successive approximation logic control unit.

4. The feedforward delta-sigma modulator of claim 2, wherein when the switch unit receives a holding signal, a first terminal of the corresponding sampling capacitor receives the common mode voltage, when the first switch unit receives the holding signal, a first terminal of the first sampling capacitor receives the common mode voltage, and the successive approximation logic control unit controls the reference voltage switching unit to switch the first terminal of the reference capacitor to receive the common mode voltage according to the control signal at a beginning of the holding signal.

5. The feedforward delta-sigma modulator of claim 4, wherein when the first terminal of the corresponding sampling capacitor receives the common mode voltage, the corresponding sampling capacitor transmits an output voltage of the output terminal of the integrator to a second terminal of the corresponding sampling capacitor, and when the first terminal of the first sampling capacitor receives the common mode voltage, the first sampling capacitor transmits the analog input signal to a second terminal of the first sampling capacitor.

6. The feedforward delta-sigma modulator of claim 4, wherein during the holding signal and after the first terminal of the reference capacitor receives the common mode voltage, the successive approximation logic control unit controls the reference voltage switching unit to make the reference capacitor receive a corresponding reference voltage of the plurality of reference voltages according to the control signal.

7. The feedforward delta-sigma modulator of claim 2, wherein during a sampling signal, the common mode switch is turned ON, and second terminals of the N+1 sampling capacitors and a second terminal of the reference capacitor is coupled to the common mode terminal.