Digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with enhanced dynamic element matching (DEM) and calibration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9762256-B2
Application number	US-201615130617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2016
Priority date	Apr 16, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for digital-to-analog converters (DACs) with enhanced dynamic element matching (DEM) and calibration. DEM may be adapted based on assessment of one or more conditions that may affect the DACs or DEM functions thereof. The one or more condition may comprise amount of signal backoff. The adaption may comprise switching the DEM function (as a whole, or partially—e.g., individual DEM elements) on or off based on the assess conditions. The DACs may incorporate use of calibration. The DEM and/or the calibration may be applied to only a portion of the DAC, such as a particular segment (e.g., a middle segment comprising bits between the MSBs and the LSBs).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing dynamic element matching in a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), during digital-to-analog conversion, comprising:
determining one or more parameters associated with said DAC and/or a signal being converted via said DAC;
assessing based on the one or more parameters, one or more conditions affecting the dynamic element matching, wherein the one or more conditions comprise signal backoff;
determining that adjustments to the dynamic element matching are needed based on comparing of an amount of signal backoff to one or more pre-set thresholds; and
dynamically adjusting the dynamic element matching based on said assessing of said one or more conditions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting comprises switching the dynamic element matching on or off.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said switching comprises switching the dynamic element matching in whole and switching only one or more individual dynamic element matching elements.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameters comprise measured power for said signal being converted via said DAC; and further comprising:
assessing said amount of backing off based on said measured power for said signal being converted via said DAC.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising determining said measured power for said signal being converted via said DAC based on radio signal strength indication (RSSI) measurements.

6. A system comprising:
a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that is operable to apply digital-to-analog conversions, wherein the DAC is configurable to apply dynamic element matching; and
one or more circuits that are operable to:
determine one or more parameters associated with said DAC and/or a signal being converted via said DAC;
assess based on the one or more parameters, one or more conditions affecting the dynamic element matching; and, wherein the one or more conditions comprise signal backoff;
determine adjustments to the dynamic element matching are needed based on comparing of an amount of signal backoff to one or more pre-set thresholds; and
dynamically adjust dynamic element matching based on said assessing of said one or more conditions.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the adjusting comprises switching the dynamic element matching on or off.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein said switching comprises switching the dynamic element matching in whole and switching only one or more individual dynamic element matching elements.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more parameters comprise measured power for said signal being converted via said DAC; and wherein the one or more circuits are operable to:
assess said amount of backing off based on said measured power for said signal being converted via said DAC.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more circuits are operable to determine said measured power for said signal being converted via said DAC based on radio signal strength indication (RSSI) measurements.

Assignees

• Maxlinear Inc

Inventors

• Chandra Gaurav
• Zeng Tao
• Swaroop Shantha Murthy Prem

Classifications

• H03M1/66

  Digital/analogue converters ({H03M1/001 – } H03M1/10 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03M1/1038

  by storing corrected or correction values in one or more digital look-up tables (H03M1/1057 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03M1/066 Primary

  by continuously permuting the elements used, i.e. dynamic element matching · CPC title