Expandable Flash-Type CMOS Analog-to-Digital Converter for Sensor Signal Processing

Abstract

The analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is an important component in various fields of sensor signal processing. This paper presents an expandable flash analog-to-digital converter (E-flash ADC) for sensor signal processing using a comparator, a subtractor, and a multiplexer (MUX). The E-flash ADC was simulated and designed in 0.35-µm standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. For operating the E-flash ADC, input voltage is supplied to the inputs of the comparator and subtractor. When the input voltage is lower than the reference voltage, it is outputted through the MUX in its original form. When it is higher than the reference voltage, the reference voltage is subtracted from the input value and the resulting voltage is outputted through the MUX. Operation of the MUX is determined by the output of the comparator. Further, the output of the comparator is a digital code. The E-flash ADC can be expanded easily.