An Interleaving Method Used to Boost Dynamic Performance of Current-Steering Type D/A Converters

Introduction

Current-steering digital-to-analog converters (DACs) with excellent dynamic performance are important building blocks in high-performance electronic systems. This invention significantly boosts the DAC?s dynamic performance in applications where the load is resistive and the output voltage varies with the signal. In conventional current-steering DACs, HD3 and IM3 performance are limited by the data-dependent charging and discharging of parasitic capacitors connected to the common-source node of the current-steering switches

Additionally, the DAC?s glitch energy, if it is data-dependent, also limits dynamic performance. Therefore, solving both of these problems will yield a DAC with superior characteristics.

Benefits

• Maximized dynamic performance
• Improved SFDR
• Improved IMD
• Data-independent switching

Market Potential/Applications

Cellular phone base stations, wireless transmitters, HDTV, arbitrary waveform generation, automated test equipment.

For further information please contact

University of Texas,
Austin, USA
Website : www.otc.utexas.edu