Patent ID: 7183962

Claim:
An analog to digital converter having a resolution of N bits, N being an integer greater than 1, comprising: N asynchronous comparators, wherein each one of the N comparators receives a common analog input signal at a corresponding first input, wherein each one of the N comparators provides an asynchronous output representing one bit of an N-bit digital conversion of the common analog input signal, wherein a pth one of the N comparators receives a pth reference voltage as a second input, wherein p=1, and wherein each of i′ ones of the N comparators receives an i′th reference voltage at a respective second input in accordance with at least one respective output of j ones of the N comparators, wherein p<i′≦N and wherein p≦j<i′, wherein i′ and j are each integers and where the common analog input signal is asynchronous with respect to each output of the N comparators.