AD652
CLOCK IN
D FLOP
R
IN
COMPARATOR
C
INT
LATCH
V
IN
ONE
SHOT
CK
Q
G
Q
Q
D
D
AND
INTEGRATOR
C
OS
5V
H
L
1mA
–V
S
INTEGRATOR
OUTPUT
THRESHOLD
CLOCK
COMPARATOR
OUT
AND
OUT
D FLOP
OUT
LATCH
OUT
FREQ
OUT
tOS
tOS
Figure 4. Block Diagram and System Waveforms
Figure 4 shows that the period between output pulses is
constrained to be an exact multiple of the clock period.
Consider an input current of exactly one quarter the value of
the reference current. In order to achieve a charge balance, the
output frequency equals the clock frequency divided by four:
one clock period for reset and three clock periods of integrate.
This is shown in Figure 5. If the input current is increased by a
very small amount, the output frequency should also increase
by a very small amount. Initially, however, no output change is
observed for a very small increase in the input current. The
output frequency continues to run at one quarter of the clock,
delivering an average of 250 µA to the summing junction. Since
the input current is slightly larger than this, charge accumulates
in the integrator and the sawtooth signal starts to drift down-
ward. As the integrator sawtooth drifts down, the comparator
threshold is crossed earlier and earlier in each successive cycle,
until finally, a whole cycle is lost. When the cycle is lost, the
integrate phase lasts for two periods of the clock instead of the
usual three periods. Thus, among a long string of divide-by-
fours, an occasional divide-by-three occurs; the average of the
output frequency is very close to one quarter of the clock, but
the instantaneous frequency can be very different.
INTEGRATOR
OUT
THRESHOLD
CLOCK
Figure 5. Integrator Output for IIN = 250 µA
Because of this, it is very difficult to observe the waveform on
an oscilloscope. During all of this time, the signal at the output
of the integrator is a sawtooth wave with an envelope that is also
a sawtooth. See Figure 6.
200µs/BOX
C
INT
100µs/BOX
FREQ OUT
10µs/BOX
CLOCK IN
10µs/BOX
Figure 6. Integrator Output for IIN Slightly Greater than 250 µs
Rev. C | Page 7 of 28
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