Patent ID: 6392575
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: H03M

Abstract:
A parallel converter device comprising:an input terminal for receiving an analog signal; an output terminal; a predetermined number of element converter devices connected to the input terminal and working in parallel for determining digital values from analog values successively sampled, at times periodically repeated with a predetermined sampling period, from an analog signal received on the input terminal, each element device being arranged to provide, after a conversion time period smaller or equal to the sampling period, a digital value representing a sampled analog value to the output terminal, the predetermined number of element converter devices and the sampling period being selected such that at any given moment at least one of the element converter devices is idling and not determining a digital value from an analog value; a selector connected to the element converter devices for selecting, after a conversion period of an element converter device, between one of said element converter devices and the at least one converter device which is idling, to determine a digital value from a next sampled analog value; and a choice generator connected to the selector, the choice generator providing one of a random and a pseudo-random control signal to enable the selector to randomly or pseudo-randomly select between one of said element converter devices that has finished determining a digital value in a previous conversion period and the at least one converter device which is idling, to determine a digital value from a next sampled analog value.