Patent ID: 6218976
Filing Date: 2001-04-17
Classification: H03M

Abstract:
A process for analog-to-digital conversion employing a successive approximation principle for the conversion of an analog signal value to a digital signal value, the process comprising:defining for each search interval at least three areas, wherein the at least three areas cover the entire search interval and wherein each area overlaps at least one other area creating a redundant part;defining each of the at least three areas into a new smaller search interval until a last search interval reaches a pre-set value,defining a reference level within each redundant part, so that N areas in a search interval give N-1 reference levels,defining at least one reference level in each search interval to coincide with at least one other reference level, wherein the coinciding reference level belongs to two search intervals formed by areas in a nearest larger search interval,comparing an unknown sampled value to all reference levels in a search interval, wherein at least two areas in said search interval are eliminated, andcomparing in the continuing successive approximation process, the unknown sampled value to all reference values in the new smaller search interval, where each choice of comparative reference level is independent of the result in the nearest preceding step, until said unknown sampled value can be determined with a pre-set accuracy.