Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Digital based calibration technique for continuous-time bandpass sigma-delta analog-to-digital converters

  • MIXED SIGNAL LETTER
  • Published:
Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, a calibration technique for Noise Transfer Function (NTF) optimization of Continuous-Time Bandpass Sigma Delta (CT BP ΣΔ) modulators is presented. The proposed technique employs a test tone applied at the input of the quantizer to evaluate the noise transfer function of the Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) using the capabilities of the Digital Signal Processing (DSP) platform usually available in mixed-mode systems. Once the ADC output bit stream is captured, necessary information to generate the control signals to tune the ADC parameters for best Signal-to-Quantization Noise Ratio (SQNR) performance is extracted via an LMS software-based algorithm. Simulation results show that notch frequency of the NTF due to process variations and temperature tolerances can be tuned using the proposed methodology. The proposed global calibration approach can be used during the system start-up and the idle system time. The proposed approach uses a single in-band calibration tone, but it can be expanded using out-of band test tones for background calibration schemes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

References

  1. Cherry, J. A., & Snelgrove, W. M. (2000). Continuous time ΔΣ modulators for high speed A/D conversion—theory, practice and fundamental performance limits (1st ed.). Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Thandri, B. K., & Silva-Martinez, J. (2007). A 63 dB 75 mW bandpass ΣΔ RF ADC at 950 MHz using 3.8 GHz clock in 0.25 μm SiGe BiCMOS technology. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 42, 269–279. doi:10.1109/JSSC.2006.889389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Chavatzis, T., Gagnon, E., Repeta, M., & Voinigescu, S. P. (2007). A low noise 40 Gs/s continuous time bandpass ΣΔ ADC centered at 2 GHz for direct sampling receivers. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 42, 1065–1075. doi:10.1109/JSSC.2007.894794.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Silva-Martinez, J., Steyaert, M., & Sansen, W. (1992). A 10.7-MHz 68-dB SNR CMOS continuous-time filter with on-chip automatic tuning. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 27, 1843–1853. doi:10.1109/4.173114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Schreier, R., & Temes, G. (2005). Understanding delta-sigma data converters. Piscataway, NJ: IEEE Press; Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

  6. Rosu, A., Dong, B., & Ismail, M. (2006, November/December). Putting the “flex” in flexible mobile wireless radios. IEEE Circuits and Devices Magazine, pp. 24–30.

  7. Huang, H., & Lee, E. F. K. (2001, Sep). A 1.2 V direct background digital tuned continuous-time bandpass sigma-delta modulator. In Proc. of 27th European Solid-State Circuits Conference, ESSCIRC 2001, pp. 526–529.

  8. Schreier, R., Nazmy, A., Shibata, H., Paterson, D., Rose, S., Mehr, I., et al. (2006). A 375-mW quadrature bandpass ΔΣ ADC with 8.5-MHz BW and 90-dB DR at 44 MHz. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 41, 2632–2640. doi:10.1109/JSSC.2006.884340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Maurino, R., & Mole, P. (2000). A 200-MHz IF 11-bit fourth-order bandpass ΣΔ ADC in SiGe. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 35, 959–2640. doi:10.1109/4.848204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. B. K. Thandri

    Present address: PulsewaveRF, Austin, TX, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3128, USA

    F. Silva-Rivas, C.-Y. Lu, P. Kode, B. K. Thandri & J. Silva-Martinez

Authors
  1. F. Silva-Rivas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C.-Y. Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Kode
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. B. K. Thandri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. J. Silva-Martinez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Silva-Martinez.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Silva-Rivas, F., Lu, CY., Kode, P. et al. Digital based calibration technique for continuous-time bandpass sigma-delta analog-to-digital converters. Analog Integr Circ Sig Process 59, 91–95 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10470-008-9240-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10470-008-9240-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation