Sigma-delta analog to digital converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10938407-B2
Application number	US-202016798385-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2020
Priority date	Mar 5, 2019
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is disclosed. The sigma delta ADC has an analog input and a digital output. A sigma-delta modulator input is coupled to the analog input and a sigma-delta modulator output. A first filter having a first filter input is coupled to the sigma-delta modulator output and a first filter output. A second filter having a second filter input is coupled to the sigma-delta modulator output and a second filter output. The sigma-delta ADC operates in a first and second mode. In a first mode, the first filter output is coupled to the digital output. In a second mode, the second filter output is coupled to the digital output.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter, ADC, comprising:
an analog input;
a digital output;
a sigma-delta modulator having a sigma-delta modulator input and a sigma-delta modulator output,
wherein the sigma-delta modulator input is coupled to the analog input;
a first filter having a first filter input and a first filter output,
wherein the first filter input is coupled to the sigma-delta modulator output;
a second filter having a second filter input and a second filter output,
wherein the second filter input is coupled to the sigma-delta modulator output;
wherein the ADC is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode,
wherein in the first mode the first filter output is coupled to the digital output and
wherein in the second mode the second filter output is coupled to the digital output.

2. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 1
wherein the second filter has a higher accuracy than the first filter.

3. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 1 ,
wherein the power consumption of the ADC is higher in the second mode than the first mode.

4. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 1 ,
wherein in the first mode, the ADC is configured to operate in a burst mode.

5. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 1
wherein in the second mode, the ADC is configured to be continuously enabled.

6. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 1
wherein the first filter and second filter are configured as decimators.

7. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 1
wherein the first filter comprises a counter and
wherein in the first mode, the counter is configured to count the number of bits received within a predetermined time period and to output a value of the number of bits received to the first filter output.

8. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 7 further comprising
a timer coupled to the sigma-delta modulator and the counter,
wherein the timer is configured in the first mode to generate a reset signal after a predetermined time; and
wherein the counter is configured in response to receiving the reset signal to output the current count value to the digital output and to reset the count to zero and the sigma-delta modulator is configured to reset in response to receiving the reset signal.

9. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 8
further comprising a register coupled to the timer,
wherein in the first mode, the timer is further configured to generate a reset signal after a time interval determined from a value in the register.

10. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 7 further comprising
a multiplexer having
a first multiplexer input coupled to the first filter output,
a second multiplexer input coupled to the second filter output,
a control input coupled to a mode control input; and
a multiplexer output coupled to the digital output.

11. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 10
wherein the mode control input is coupled to the timer.

12. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 1
wherein the sigma-delta modulator comprises an integrator configured in the first mode to be reset after a predetermined time interval.

13. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 12
wherein the sigma-delta modulator comprises
a series arrangement of a summing module, the integrator and a comparator between the sigma-delta modulator input and the sigma-delta modulator output; and
a digital to analog converter, DAC, having an input coupled to the sigma-delta modulator output and an output coupled to an inverting input of the summing module,

and
wherein the sigma-delta modulator input is coupled to a non-inverting input of the summing module.

14. A voice activity detector comprising the sigma-delta ADC of claim 1 ,
wherein the sigma-delta ADC is configured to change from the first mode to the second mode in response to the detection of an audio signal.

15. The voice activity detector of claim 14 comprising
a voice activation module having an input coupled to the digital output and an output configured to generate a mode control signal
wherein the sigma-delta ADC is configured to receive the mode control signal and to set the operation mode to either the first mode or the second mode dependent on the mode control signal.

16. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 1
wherein the first filter and second filter are configured as decimators and
wherein the first filter comprises a counter and
wherein in the first mode, the counter is configured to count the number of bits received within a predetermined time period and to output a value of the number of bits received to the output.

17. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 16
further comprising a timer coupled to the sigma-delta modulator and the counter,
wherein the timer is configured to in the first mode to generate a reset signal after a predetermined time; and
wherein the counter is configured in response to receiving the reset signal to output the current count value to the digital output and to reset the count to zero and the sigma-delta modulator is configured to reset in response to receiving the reset signal and
wherein the sigma-delta modulator further comprises an integrator configured in the first mode to be reset after a predetermined time interval.

18. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 17
wherein the integrator comprises a capacitor in the feedback path and is configured to be reset by shorting the capacitor.

19. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 18 further comprising
a timer coupled to the sigma-delta modulator and the counter,
wherein the timer is configured to in the first mode to generate a reset signal after a predetermined time; and
wherein the counter is configured in response to receiving the reset signal to output the current count value to the digital output and to reset the count to zero and the sigma-delta modulator is configured to reset in response to receiving the reset signal and
a multiplexer having a first multiplexer input coupled to the first filter output, a second multiplexer input coupled to the second filter output, a control input coupled to a mode control input; and a multiplexer output coupled to the digital output.

20. The sigma-delta ADC of claim 19
wherein in the first mode, the ADC is configured to operate in a burst mode and wherein in the second mode, the ADC is configured to be continuously enabled.

21. A sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter, ADC, comprising:
an analog input;
a digital output;
a sigma-delta modulator having a sigma-delta modulator input and a sigma-delta modulator output;
wherein the sigma-delta modulator input is coupled to the analog input;
a first filter having a first filter input and a first filter output;
wherein the first filter input is coupled to the sigma-delta modulator output;
a second filter having a second filter input and a second filter output;
wherein the second filter input is coupled to the sigma-delta modulator output;
wherein the ADC is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode;
wherein in the first mode the first filter output is coupled to the digital output;
wherein in the second mode the second filter output is coupled to the digital output;
wherein the first filter comprises a counter; and
wherein in the first mode, the counter is configured to count the number of bits received within a predetermined time period and to output a value of the number of bits received to the first filter output.

22. A sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter, ADC, comprising:
an analog input;
a digital output;
a sigma-delta modulator having a sigma-delta

Assignees

• Nxp Bv

Inventors

• Albinet Xavier

Classifications

• H03M3/462

  Details relating to the decimation process (decimation filters in general H03H17/0416, H03H17/0621) · CPC title

• G10L25/78

  Detection of presence or absence of voice signals (switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10) · CPC title

• H03M3/392 Primary

  Arrangements for selecting among plural operation modes, e.g. for multi-standard operation · CPC title

• H03M1/00

  Analogue/digital conversion; Digital/analogue conversion (conversion of analogue values to or from differential modulation H03M3/00) · CPC title

• H03G5/025

  Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands · CPC title