Patent ID: 8203474
Filing Date: 2012-06-19
Classification: H03M

Abstract:
1. A pipeline A/D converter having a plurality of stages connected in cascade, each of which performs A/D conversion corresponding to a portion of bits, such that an analog signal input to a first one of the stages is converted to a digital signal sequentially from a most significant bit to a least significant bit through the plurality of stages, each of the stages comprising: an AD conversion portion that generates a digital signal corresponding to a portion of bits by quantizing an input analog signal of the stage; a DA conversion portion comprising a voltage supply portion that selects a reference voltage from reference voltages of a plurality of levels and outputs the selected reference voltage, and a logical operation portion that outputs a signal for controlling selection by the voltage supply portion based on the digital signal generated by the AD conversion portion, thereby outputting the selected reference voltage as an analog reference signal; and a remainder operation portion that generates a remainder analog signal by performing addition/subtraction of the analog reference signal with respect to the input analog signal and amplification by a predetermined factor, and supplies the remainder analog signal to a next one of the stages as an input analog signal, which is configured such that a test can be performed by supplying a test signal in place of the input analog signal, with respect to at least a portion of the stages, the pipeline A/D converter further comprising: a control portion capable of controlling supply of the input analog signal to the remainder operation portion and selection of the reference voltage by the DA conversion portion, according to a normal operation mode and a test mode, respectively, wherein the remainder operation portion comprises an input switch that controls input of the input analog signal, an operational amplifier, a sampling capacitor, one end of which is connected to an input terminal of the operational amplifier and another end of which is connected to the input switch, and a feedback loop capacitor connected between the input terminal and an output terminal of the operational amplifier via a feedback changing switch, and DA conversion portion comprises an auxiliary voltage supply portion that selects and outputs a reference voltage from the reference voltages of the plurality of levels, and an auxiliary capacitor, one end of which is connected to the input terminal of the operational amplifier and another end of which is connected to the auxiliary voltage supply portion, wherein the control portion is capable of selecting one of the output signal of the logical operation portion and the DA conversion control signal, so as to control the reference voltage selection by the voltage supply portion using one of the signals, and performs control, in the test mode, to stop supply of the input analog signal to the remainder operation portion by turning off the input switch and stop the reference voltage selection of the DA conversion portion based on the digital signal as well, while performing reference voltage selection based on the DA conversion control signal for use in testing, thereby supplying a downstream path of the input switch in the remainder operation portion with the test signal composed of predetermined one of the reference voltages, in place of the input analog signal, and the analog reference signal, and wherein when in the test mode, the control portion performs control so as to supply output voltages of the voltage supply portion and the auxiliary voltage supply portion to the remainder operation portion, during a sampling period of the remainder operation portion in the test mode, the control portion performs control to sample the test signal using the sampling capacitor, while controlling the feedback changing switch to be off, and during an amplifying period of the remainder operation portion in the test mode, the control portion performs control to input the selected analog reference signal to the sampling capacitor, while controlling the feedback changing switch to be on, thereby performing a predetermined operation between the sampled test signal and the analog reference signal.