Low Power Double Sampled Delta Sigma Modulator For Broadband Applications

High speed and high resolution analog-to-digital converter is a key building block for broadband wireless communications, high definition video applications, medical images and so on. By leveraging the down scaling of the latest CMOS technology and the noise shaping properties, delta-sigma ADCs are able to achieve wide-band operation and high accuracy simultaneously. At first in this thesis, two novel techniques which can be applied to high performance delta-sigma ADC design are proposed. The first one is a modulator architectural innovation that is able to effectively solve the feedback timing constraints in a double-sampled delta-sigma modulator. The second one is a transistor level improvement to reduce the hardware consumption in a standard Date Weighted Averaging (DWA) realization. Next, charge-pump (CP) based switched-capacitor (SC) integrator is discussed. A cross-coupling technique is proposed to eliminate parasitic capacitor effect in a CP based SC integrator. Also design methodologies are introduced to incorporate a modified CP based SC integrator into a low-distortion delta-sigma modulator. A second-order delta-sigma modulator was designed and simulated to verify the proposed modulator topology. Finally, design of a double-sampled broadband 12-bit delta-sigma modulator is presented. To achieve very low power consumption, this modulator utilizes the following two key design techniques: 1. Double sampled integrator to increase the effective over-sampling ratio. 2. Capacitor reset technique allows the use of only one feedback DAC at the front end of the modulator to completely eliminate the quantization noise folding back. A 2+2 cascaded topology with 3-bit internal quantizer is used in this delta-sigma modulator to adequately suppress the quantization noise while guarantee the loop stability. This delta-sigma modulator was fabricated in a 90nm digital CMOS process and achieves an SNDR of 70dB within a 5MHz signal bandwidth. The modulator occupies a silicon area of 0.5mm2 and consumes 10mW with a supply voltage of 1.2V.

Oversampled Delta-Sigma Modulators: Analysis, Applications, and Novel Topologies presents theorems and their mathematical proofs for the exact analysis of the quantization noise in delta-sigma modulators. Extensive mathematical equations are included throughout the book to analyze both single-stage and multi-stage architectures. It has been proved that appropriately set initial conditions generate tone free output, provided that the modulator order is at least three. These results are applied to the design of a Fractional-N PLL frequency synthesizer to produce spurious free RF waveforms. Furthermore, the book also presents time-interleaved topologies to increase the conversion bandwidth of delta-sigma modulators. The topologies have been generalized for any interleaving number and modulator order. The book is full of design and analysis techniques and contains sufficient detail that enables readers with little background in the subject to easily follow the material in it.

This book presents the study, design, modulation, optimization and implementation of low power, passive DT-ΣΔMs for use in audio applications. The high gain and bandwidth amplifier normally used for integration in ΣΔ modulation, is replaced by passive, switched-capacitor branches working under the Ultra Incomplete Settling (UIS) condition, leading to a reduction of the consumed power. The authors describe a design process that uses high level models and an optimization process based in genetic algorithms to achieve the desired performance.

Oversampling techniques based on sigma-delta modulation are widely used to implement the analog/digital interfaces in CMOS VLSI technologies. This approach is relatively insensitive to imperfections in the manufacturing process and offers numerous advantages for the realization of high-resolution analog-to-digital (A/D) converters in the low-voltage environment that is increasingly demanded by advanced VLSI technologies and by portable electronic systems. In The Design of Low-Voltage, Low-Power Sigma-Delta Modulators, an analysis of power dissipation in sigma-delta modulators is presented, and a low-voltage implementation of a digital-audio performance A/D converter based on the results of this analysis is described. Although significant power savings can typically be achieved in digital circuits by reducing the power supply voltage, the power dissipation in analog circuits actually tends to increase with decreasing supply voltages. Oversampling architectures are a potentially power-efficient means of implementing high-resolution A/D converters because they reduce the number and complexity of the analog circuits in comparison with Nyquist-rate converters. In fact, it is shown that the power dissipation of a sigma-delta modulator can approach that of a single integrator with the resolution and bandwidth required for a given application. In this research the influence of various parameters on the power dissipation of the modulator has been evaluated and strategies for the design of a power-efficient implementation have been identified. The Design of Low-Voltage, Low-Power Sigma-Delta Modulators begins with an overview of A/D conversion, emphasizing sigma-delta modulators. It includes a detailed analysis of noise in sigma-delta modulators, analyzes power dissipation in integrator circuits, and addresses practical issues in the circuit design and testing of a high-resolution modulator. The Design of Low-Voltage, Low-Power Sigma-Delta Modulators will be of interest to practicing engineers and researchers in the areas of mixed-signal and analog integrated circuit design.

Thoroughly revised and expanded to help readers systematically increase their knowledge and insight about Sigma-Delta Modulators Sigma-Delta Modulators (SDMs) have become one of the best choices for the implementation of analog/digital interfaces of electronic systems integrated in CMOS technologies. Compared to other kinds of Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs), Σ∆Ms cover one of the widest conversion regions of the resolution-versus-bandwidth plane, being the most efficient solution to digitize signals in an increasingly number of applications, which span from high-resolution low-bandwidth digital audio, sensor interfaces, and instrumentation, to ultra-low power biomedical systems and medium-resolution broadband wireless communications. Following the spirit of its first edition, Sigma-Delta Converters: Practical Design Guide, 2nd Edition takes a comprehensive look at SDMs, their diverse types of architectures, circuit techniques, analysis synthesis methods, and CAD tools, as well as their practical design considerations. It compiles and updates the current research reported on the topic, and explains the multiple trade-offs involved in the whole design flow of Sigma-Delta Modulators—from specifications to chip implementation and characterization. The book follows a top-down approach in order to provide readers with the necessary understanding about recent advances, trends, and challenges in state-of-the-art Σ∆Ms. It makes more emphasis on two key points, which were not treated so deeply in the first edition: It includes a more detailed explanation of Σ∆Ms implemented using Continuous-Time (CT) circuits, going from system-level synthesis to practical circuit limitations. It provides more practical case studies and applications, as well as a deeper description of the synthesis methodologies and CAD tools employed in the design of Σ∆ converters. Sigma-Delta Converters: Practical Design Guide, 2nd Edition serves as an excellent textbook for undergraduate and graduate students in electrical engineering as well as design engineers working on SD data-converters, who are looking for a uniform and self-contained reference in this hot topic. With this goal in mind, and based on the feedback received from readers, the contents have been revised and structured to make this new edition a unique monograph written in a didactical, pedagogical, and intuitive style.

Delta-sigma analog-to-digital converters traditionally have been used for low speed, high resolution applications such as measurements, sensors, voice and audio systems. Through continued device scaling in CMOS technology and architectural and circuit level design innovations, they have even become popular for wideband, high dynamic range applications such as wired and wireless communication systems. Therefore, power efficient wideband low power delta-sigma data converters that bridges analog and digital have become mandatory for popular mobile applications today. In this dissertation, two architectural innovations and a development and realization of a state-of-the-art delta-sigma analog to digital converter with effective design techniques in both architectural and circuit levels are presented. The first one is timing-relaxed double noise coupling which effectively provides 2nd order noise shaping in the noise transfer function and overcomes stringent timing requirement for quantization and DEM. The second one presented is a noise shaping SAR quantizer, which provides one order of noise shaping in the noise transfer function. It uses a charge redistribution SAR quantizer and is applied to a timing-relaxed lowdistortion delta-sigma modulator which is suitable for adopting SAR quantizer. Finally a cascade switched capacitor delta-sigma analog-to-digital converter suitable for WLAN applications is presented. It uses a noise folding free double sampling technique and an improved low-distortion architecture with an embedded-adder integrator. The prototype chip is fabricated with a double poly, 4 metal, 0.18[micro]m CMOS process. The measurement result achieves 73.8 dB SNDR over 10 MHz bandwidth. The figure of merit defined by FoM = P/(2 x BW x 2[superscript ENOB]) is 0.27 pJ/conv-step. The measurement results indicate that the proposed design ideas are effective and useful for wideband, low power delta-sigma analog-to-digital converters with low oversampling ratio.

A comprehensive overview of Sigma-Delta Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) and a practical guide to their design in nano-scale CMOS for optimal performance. This book presents a systematic and comprehensive compilation of sigma-delta converter operating principles, the new advances in architectures and circuits, design methodologies and practical considerations − going from system-level specifications to silicon integration, packaging and measurements, with emphasis on nanometer CMOS implementation. The book emphasizes practical design issues – from high-level behavioural modelling in MATLAB/SIMULINK, to circuit-level implementation in Cadence Design FrameWork II. As well as being a comprehensive reference to the theory, the book is also unique in that it gives special importance on practical issues, giving a detailed description of the different steps that constitute the whole design flow of sigma-delta ADCs. The book begins with an introductory survey of sigma-delta modulators, their fundamentals architectures and synthesis methods covered in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2, the effect of main circuit error mechanisms is analysed, providing the necessary understanding of the main practical issues affecting the performance of sigma-delta modulators. The knowledge derived from the first two chapters is presented in the book as an essential part of the systematic top-down/bottom-up synthesis methodology of sigma-delta modulators described in Chapter 3, where a time-domain behavioural simulator named SIMSIDES is described and applied to the high-level design and verification of sigma-delta ADCs. Chapter 4 moves farther down from system-level to the circuit and physical level, providing a number of design recommendations and practical recipes to complete the design flow of sigma-delta modulators. To conclude the book, Chapter 5 gives an overview of the state-of-the-art sigma-delta ADCs, which are exhaustively analysed in order to extract practical design guidelines and to identify the incoming trends, design challenges as well as practical solutions proposed by cutting-edge designs. Offers a complete survey of sigma-delta modulator architectures from fundamentals to state-of-the art topologies, considering both switched-capacitor and continuous-time circuit implementations Gives a systematic analysis and practical design guide of sigma-delta modulators, from a top-down/bottom-up perspective, including mathematical models and analytical procedures, behavioural modeling in MATLAB/SIMULINK, macromodeling, and circuit-level implementation in Cadence Design FrameWork II, chip prototyping, and experimental characterization. Systematic compilation of cutting-edge sigma-delta modulators Complete description of SIMSIDES, a time-domain behavioural simulator implemented in MATLAB/SIMULINK Plenty of examples, case studies, and simulation test benches, covering the different stages of the design flow of sigma-delta modulators A number of electronic resources, including SIMSIDES, the statistical data used in the state-of-the-art survey, as well as many design examples and test benches are hosted on a companion website Essential reading for Researchers and electronics engineering practitioners interested in the design of high-performance data converters integrated in nanometer CMOS technologies; mixed-signal designers.

This important book deals with the modeling and design of higher-order single-stage delta-sigma modulators. It provides an overview of the architectures, the quantizer models, the design techniques and the implementation issues encountered in the study of the delta-sigma modulators. A number of applications are discussed, with emphasis on use in the design of analog-to-digital converters and in frequency synthesis. The book is education- rather than research-oriented, containing numerical examples and unsolved problems. It is aimed at introducing the final-year undergraduate, the graduate student or the electronic engineer to this field. Contents: Analog to Digital Conversion; ou Modulators OCo Architectures; Single-Bit Single-Stage ou Modulators, Modeling and Design; Implementation of ou Modulators; Practical Limitations of ou Modulators; Stabilization and Suppression of Tones for the Higher-Order Single-Stage ou Modulators; Decimation, Interpolation and Converters; Applications. Readership: Final-year undergraduates; graduate students; electrical, electronic and systems engineers."

Among analog-to-digital converters, the delta-sigma modulator has cornered the market on high to very high resolution converters at moderate speeds, with typical applications such as digital audio and instrumentation. Interest has recently increased in delta-sigma circuits built with a continuous-time loop filter rather than the more common switched-capacitor approach. Continuous-time delta-sigma modulators offer less noisy virtual ground nodes at the input, inherent protection against signal aliasing, and the potential to use a physical rather than an electrical integrator in the first stage for novel applications like accelerometers and magnetic flux sensors. More significantly, they relax settling time restrictions so that modulator clock rates can be raised. This opens the possibility of wideband (1 MHz or more) converters, possibly for use in radio applications at an intermediate frequency so that one or more stages of mixing might be done in the digital domain. Continuous-Time Delta-Sigma Modulators for High-Speed A/D Conversion: Theory, Practice and Fundamental Performance Limits covers all aspects of continuous-time delta-sigma modulator design, with particular emphasis on design for high clock speeds. The authors explain the ideal design of such modulators in terms of the well-understood discrete-time modulator design problem and provide design examples in Matlab. They also cover commonly-encountered non-idealities in continuous-time modulators and how they degrade performance, plus a wealth of material on the main problems (feedback path delays, clock jitter, and quantizer metastability) in very high-speed designs and how to avoid them. They also give a concrete design procedure for a real high-speed circuit which illustrates the tradeoffs in the selection of key parameters. Detailed circuit diagrams, simulation results and test results for an integrated continuous-time 4 GHz band-pass modulator for A/D conversion of 1 GHz analog signals are also presented. Continuous-Time Delta-Sigma Modulators for High-Speed A/D Conversion: Theory, Practice and Fundamental Performance Limits concludes with some promising modulator architectures and a list of the challenges that remain in this exciting field.