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VCO Based ADC

A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) based analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is a time based architecture with a first-order noise-shaping property, which can be implemented using a VCO and digital circuits. This review paper analyzes the performance of VCO-based ADCs in the presence of non idealities such as jitter, nonlinearity, mismatch, and the metastability of D flip-flops

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244 views

VCO Based ADC

A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) based analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is a time based architecture with a first-order noise-shaping property, which can be implemented using a VCO and digital circuits. This review paper analyzes the performance of VCO-based ADCs in the presence of non idealities such as jitter, nonlinearity, mismatch, and the metastability of D flip-flops

Uploaded by

Blake Payrice
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ANALYSIS OF VOLTAGE-CONTROLLED OSCILLATOR

BASED ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER

Avil Michael Rodrigues


Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering
Don Bosco Institute of Technology
Kurla,Mumbai-400070
[email protected]

Abstract
A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) based analog-todigital converter (ADC) is a time based architecture with a
first-order noise-shaping property, which can be
implemented using a VCO and digital circuits. This review
paper analyzes the performance of VCO-based ADCs in the
presence of non idealities such as jitter, nonlinearity,
mismatch, and the metastability of D flip-flops
KeywordsADC based VCO

INTRODUCTION
In present world ADCs are of great importance. ADC is a
device that converts analog (continuous signal) to digital
signal (discrete time signal). Hence, an ADC is an
electronic device that converts an analog input voltage or
analog current to a digital form whose magnitude is directly
proportional to the input voltage or current.
Resolution of the converter is in binary form which
indicates the number of discrete value it can produce along
the range of analog values. The resolution is expressed in
bits. For eg: - ADC with resolution 8 bits can produce 256
levels. These values can be ranged from 0 to 255 or -128 to
127 depending upon the application used. Resolution can
be defined electrically which is expressed in volts. Most of
the ADCs are of linear type. Here linear means for
linear input we get linear output. Like all the devices ADCs
are not 100 percent accurate, it has also some sources of
error like quantization error and non-linearity which are
intrinsic to ADC conversion. The commercial ADCs are
usually integrated circuits. The converters are of 6 to 24
bits of resolution which produce 1 mega-sample per
second. Thermal noise generated by passive components
(like resistor etc.) affects the high resolution output. For
application in audio and at room temperatures, the noise
should be less than 1 microvolt. The most expensive part of

Pramod Harishankar Singh


Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering
Don Bosco Institute of Technology
Kurla,Mumbai-400070
[email protected]

an ADC is pin which makes the package larger in size. So


make it smaller or to reduce its size microprocessors are
used.

Applications of ADC
ADCs are used in music recording applications. Since
music production is done on the computer where analog
signals are used. Another use of ADC is digital signal
processing.
The design of ADC based on voltage-domain is difficult
because of low input or supply voltage with upcoming
technology. An ADC based on VCO generates a time based
signal whose frequency is directly proportional to the
analog input voltage. The frequency is then quantized by
counting the edges of the output of VCO during a sampling
period. Since the VCO produces a continuous phase output,
the quantization noise of the previous sample affects the
present sample, and hence, an inherent first-order
quantization noise-shaping property can be achieved.

Different Types of ADC


There are four different and most popular A/D converters:
1. Direct Conversion ADCs
2. Successive-approximation ADCs
3. Integrating type or Dual slope ADCs
4. Sigma Delta ADCs

ADC CONVERTER USING VCO


The VCO based ADC produces a single phase output
whose frequency is varied proportionally to the average
control voltage input. During a sampling clock period, the
number of rising edges of the VCO output is recorded by
means of a counter. A sampling register reads out the
counter value at the end of every sampling period and
resets the counter to zero. By this repetitive process the
output bit stream gives quantized value of analog sampled

signal .As the single phase VCO based ADC has limited
resolution, multiphase VCO based ADCs are implemented.
Another disadvantage of single phase VCO based ADC is
that the reset operation of counter takes time (delay), hence
the resolution is limited even more .If a rising edge occurs
near close proximity to reset signal, then it may go
undetected. Hence the noise shaping property is affected
adversely .
The output phase of the VCO represents the average analog
input during the sampling period and can be represented by
following equation,

Where Kvco = voltage-to-frequency gain, Ts1, Ts2 =


sampling times and ffr = the free-running frequency of the
VCO when V in= 0.

Figure of Characteristics of VCO based ADC.

Experimental Problems Regarding Design


of
VCO based ADC
Resolution of VCO based ADC

I.

Figure showing VCO-based ADC including a decimation


filter
The output of the VCO is fed to a phase quantizer whose
digital output corresponds to the analog input signal. The
phase quantizer can be implemented using a counter which
detects the rising edges of the VCO output, thereby
quantizing the output phase by 2. The digital output of the
phase quantizer is further processed by a mapping circuit
.The circuit stores the characteristics of the VCO and
generates the digital code.

Since the full scale of the ADC input is determined by the


maximum frequency difference of the VCO output
The resolution of the dual-slope integrating ADC is
determined primarily by the time for run-down period and
by the frequency of the controller's clock. The required
resolution (in number of bits) shows minimum length of the
run-down period for a full-scale input (VIN =Vref).

II.

Sampling Clock Jitter

Jitter can be explained as deviation or displacement of


some part of the pulse in a high-frequency digital signal.
This deviation or displacement can be in terms of phase
timing, amplitude or the width of the signal pulse. The
major causes of jitter are electromagnetic interference and
interference with other signals. Jitter can be easily seen like
the flickering of the monitor, introduction of other
undesired noises and loss of transmitted data.

III.

Non Ideal Effects

Non-idealities such as jitter, VCO phase noise, Nonlinearity


of VCO Tuning Characteristics, Mismatch of VCO delay
cells and metastability of D- flip flops degrades the
performance of the VCO-based ADC VCO PHASE NOISE

The short term random frequency fluctuation in a signal is


used for describing phase noise. Frequency stability is a
measure of the degree by which an oscillator maintains the
same value of the frequency over a particular time. This can
be done in various different ways.

metastability, phase noise and tuning characteristics were


also analyzed and discussed.

The phase noise generated by VCO is determined by the Q


factor of resonator and varactor diode, the supply power
noise and external tuning voltage noise.
The noise contribution made by last two can be minimized
by careful choice of the power supplies. Hence, the phase
noise of the VCO is therefore determined primarily by the
overall Q factor of the circuit. In order to design a circuit
with high Q factor, the tuning bandwidth must be made to a
lower value. Hence, a VCO designed for low phase noise
performance will have a smaller tuning range.

IV.

Ways To Minimize Noise

Power supply voltage and tuning voltage returns must be


connected to printed circuit board (it is used for mechanical
support and electrically connect electronic component
using conductive pathways). The VCO ground plane must
be same as that of printed circuit board and hence all VCO
pins are connected directly to the board ground plane.
Adequate radio frequency grounding is required.
Decoupling capacitor chips are connected between the
supply voltage and the ground.

References
1)

http://www.maxim-ic.com/appnotes/index.mvp/id/634

2)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrating_ADC

3)

http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/What-Is-AVoltage-Controlled-Oscillator-vco/1466863

4)

http://www.articlesbase.com/electronicsarticles/what-is-a-voltage-controlled-oscillatorvco3085260.html

5)

http://www.electronicsmanufacturers.com/info/electroniccomponents/voltage-controlled- oscillatorvco.html

6)

http://voltagecontrolledoscillator.net/

7)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltagecontrolled_oscillator

Low noise power supplies should be used like DC batteries


which gives an overall good performance.

8) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_to_Digital

Output must be correctly terminated with load impedance.

9) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_synthesizer

Connections to the tuning port must be as short as possible


and it must be well shielded, screened and decoupled to
prevent the VCO from external noise sources.

Conclusion
The study of dual slope ADCs or also known as the
integrating was done. The model was studied under
various input voltage by keeping the same reference
voltage. The voltage controlled oscillator model and its
output waveform was studied. Hence, a VCO based ADC is
a time based architecture which offers an inherent noise
shaping property, high sampling rate and digital
implementation. In this paper the non linearties like jitter,

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