Patent ID: 7859443

Claim:
A sigma-delta converter comprising: a sigma-delta modulator with a signal processing block that comprises a signal input, a feedback input and a signal output and is configured to derive a modulated signal in dependence on the respective signals at the signal input and at the feedback input, and with a quantizer that comprises a quantization input that is coupled to the signal output and a quantization output that is coupled to the feedback input, wherein the quantizer is configured to derive a first quantized signal from the modulated signal by means of quantization with a first number of stages and to output this first quantized signal at the quantization output; and a stage adaptation element that is coupled to the quantization output on the input side and to a converter output on the output side and is configured to derive a second quantized signal with a second number of stages that is smaller than the first number of stages from the first quantized signal.