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Analog to digital conversion: technical aspects

Conversion Analogiqoue Numérique: Les Aspects Techniques

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Abstract

An ideal radio communication receiver places the analog to digital conversion just after the antenna. It is an objective in a “software radio” perspective. The available silicon technologies do not provide the performance required by this application. We are able to evaluate the present limits and the gap between these limits and the ideal solution proposed. In this paper, we describe the present possibilities in terms of receiver architectures and we deduce theAdc specifications. Then we analyse differentAdc architectures adapted to this application. The choice is mainly between pipeline and sigma- deltaAdc. We compare them in terms of power consumption and we introduce a factor of merit. The future technologies will have an impact onAdc performance. Superconductor technology applied toAdc may be a solution and it is analysed at the end of this paper.

Résumé

Pour la radio logicielle, la place idéale de la conversion analogique numérique est située juste après l’antenne de réception. Les technologies silicium disponibles ne permettent pas d’atteindre les performances imposées par une telle application. Nous pouvons évaluer les limites actuelles et avoir une idée du chemin qu’il reste à parcourir pour atteindre cette solution idéale. Dans cet article, nous présentons les possibilités offertes aujourd’hui par les architectures de récepteur et nous déduisons les spécifications duCan. Puis les diffé -rentes architectures de convertisseur adaptées à cette application sont analysées. Le choix doit se faire principalement entre les convertisseurs pipeline et sigma- delta. II est intéressant de les comparer en terme de puissance consommée. Connaître l’impact des technologies futures sur les performances de convertisseurs permet de montrer leur évolution dans les années à venir. La technologie des supraconducteurs appliquée à la conversion sera peut- être une solution et est envisagée à la fin de cet article.

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  1. Département Communications et Électronique, École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications, CNRS LTCI URA 820, 46 rue Barrault, 75634, Paris Cedex 13

    Patrick Loumeau, Jean-François Naviner, Hervé Petit, Lirida Naviner & Patricia Desgreys

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  1. Patrick Loumeau
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  2. Jean-François Naviner
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Correspondence to Patrick Loumeau, Jean-François Naviner, Hervé Petit, Lirida Naviner or Patricia Desgreys.

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Loumeau, P., Naviner, JF., Petit, H. et al. Analog to digital conversion: technical aspects. Ann. Télécommun. 57, 338–385 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02995168

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