Patent ID: 6288665
Filing Date: 2001-09-11
Classification: H03M

Abstract:
An A/D converter comprising:a reference voltage generating circuit for producing a predetermined number of different reference voltages;a plurality of comparators supplied with an input voltage and the reference voltages respectively, each comparator comparing one of the reference voltages with the input voltage and generating a comparison signal;a switching circuit connected between the reference voltage generating circuit and the plurality of comparators, for selecting the reference voltages provided to the plurality of comparators;an output unit for receiving the comparison signals and generating a predetermined number of comparison output signals the number of which is smaller by more than one of the comparison signals; anda control circuit for controlling the switching circuit selecting the reference voltages such that the output unit generates the predetermined number of comparison output signals based on a combination of the comparison signals, and wherein the comparators which are not concerned with the output signals and the number of which is smaller than the predetermined number are reset, and the reset comparators are changed in a predetermined order.