Patent ID: 6236348
Filing Date: 2001-05-22
Classification: H03M

Abstract:
Analogue/digital converter characterized in that the analog/digital converter comprises a signal folding circuit comprising:means for producing n pairs of voltages (VA.sub.k, V'A.sub.k) varying monotonically with Vin, the voltages of a pair of rank k crossing over when Vin has a reference value equal to V.sub.k and varying linearly around this crossover point, the voltages V.sub.k being regularly distributed,at least two current routing circuits, each of which possesses at least three pairs of inputs and at least two outputs called the direct output and the inverse output,a routing circuit of rank i having the following characteristics:the routing circuit receives at least the voltage pairs of rank k-1, k and k+1, the circuits of different rank receiving different sets of voltage pairs,the routing circuit comprises a current source supplying a group of branches arranged as a tree-like structure with at least two stages, the last of which comprises at least four branches, each branch of a stage supplying two branches of the next stage, the apportioning of the current in each branchoff being dependent on the voltage pairs of rank k-1, k and k+1, and the direct and inverse outputs of this circuit being tapped respectively from two different branches of the last stage,the direct outputs of the various routing circuits being linked together so as to add together the currents which flow through them and providing a first folded signal and the inverse outputs also being linked together and providing a second folded signal SRb complementary to the first.