A re-configurable switched capacitor sigma-delta analog-to-digital conversion architecture1,2 is proposed. The architecture consists of a MASH sigma delta modulator with nth lower-order (first- or second-order) loops cascaded together. Each loop can be powered on or off operating in high or low performance mode, according to application needs. The architecture can be configured to optimize performance and power consumption for specific resolution and applications. The architecture is proven by means of a prototype, implemented as a fourth-order and fabricated in a standard 0.18 um CMOS technology. The outputs of both high performance mode (fourth-order) and medium performance mode (second-order, first loop ON) are measured to demonstrate the configurability. The FFT demonstrates that the noise shaping for the fourth-order modulator is better than that of the second-order modulator with steeper noise shaping slope.
Design of a low-light-level image sensor with on-chip sigma-delta analog-to-digital conversion
