Patent ID: 6445328
Filing Date: 2002-09-03
Classification: H03M

Abstract:
An apparatus for digitizing an analog signal and optimizing the dynamic range of the digitized signal comprising:(I) a low gain amplifier for receiving and amplifying the analog signal; (II) a high gain amplifier for receiving and amplifying the analog signal; (III) a first analog-to-digital converter connected to the output of the low gain amplifier for converting the low gain amplified analog signal to low gain digital data; (IV) a second analog-to-digital converter connected to the output of the high gain amplifier for converting the high gain amplified analog signal to high gain digital data; and (V) means for (A) detecting whether or not the high gain digital data is clipped; (B) selecting and storing in a memory the high gain digital data when the high gain digital signal is not clipped; (C) detecting whether or not the low gain digital data is greater than or equal to positive half scale dr less than or equal to negative half scale when the high gain digital data is clipped; (D) selecting and storing in the memory the low gain digital data when the high gain digital data is clipped; (E) depending on the result of the detecting steps, adaptively, reformatting the stored data when the memory is full to produce an output word with maximum dynamic range.