Patent ID: 6181268
Filing Date: 2001-01-30
Classification: H03M

Abstract:
A successive approximation A/D converter for successively converting an analog signal to an N-bit digital signal on a bit by bit basis, where N is a positive integer, said successive approximation A/D converter comprising:converting means for performing, at least for lowest M bits of the N-bit digital signal, where M is a positive integer less than N, successive A/D conversions of the analog signal by comparing a voltage of the analog signal with a reference voltage, and by updating, using a result of the comparison, a previous N-bit digital signal obtained as a result of a previous A/D conversion, thereby outputting a current N-bit digital signal;generating means for generating the reference voltage corresponding to the previous N-bit digital signal; andoperation means for incrementing the current N-bit digital signal output from said converting means if the lowest M bits of the current N-bit digital signal are all ""1"", and for decrementing the current N-bit digital signal output from said converting means if the lowest M bits of the current N-bit digital signal are all ""0"".