Table II – Clock Cycles
Clock
1
2
3
4
5-15
16
Operation
Reference zero sampling
Auto-zero comparison
Auto-calibrate comparison
Input sample
11-bit SAR conversion
Data transfer
Figure 3 – Ladder Force/Sense Circuit
AGND
+
V
RHF
V
RHS
The 16-phase clock, which is derived from the input clock,
synchronizes these events. The timing signals for adjacent
ADC sections are shifted by one clock cycle so that the
analog input is sampled on every cycle of the input clock
by exactly one ADC section. After 16 clock periods, the
timing cycle repeats. The latency from analog input
sample to the corresponding digital output is 12 clock
cycles.
• Since only 16 comparators are used, a huge power
savings is realized.
• The auto-zero operation is done using a closed loop
system that uses multiple samples of the comparator’s
response to a reference zero.
• The auto-calibrate operation, which calibrates the gain
of the MSB reference and the LSB reference, is also
done with a closed loop system. Multiple samples of the
gain error are integrated to produce a calibration volt-
age for each ADC section.
• Capacitive displacement currents, which can induce
sampling error, are minimized since only one compara-
tor samples the input during a clock cycle.
• The total input capacitance is very low since sections of
the converter that are not sampling the signal are iso-
lated from the input by transmission gates.
VOLTAGE REFERENCE
The SPT7863 requires the use of a single external voltage
reference for driving the high side of the reference ladder.
It must be within the range of 3 V to 5 V. The lower side of
the ladder is typically tied to AGND (0.0 V), but can be run
up to 2.0 V with a second reference. The analog input volt-
age range will track the total voltage difference measured
between the ladder sense lines, V
RHS
and V
RLS
.
Force and sense taps are provided to ensure accurate
and stable setting of the upper and lower ladder sense line
voltages across part-to-part and temperature variations.
By using the configuration shown in figure 3, offset and
gain errors of less than ±2 LSB can be obtained.
In cases where wider variations in offset and gain can be
tolerated, V
REF
can be tied directly to V
RHF
, and AGND can
be tied directly to V
RLF
as shown in figure 4. Decouple
force and sense lines to AGND with a .01 µF capacitor
V
RLS
+
V
RLF
V
IN
All capacitors are 0.01 µF
Figure 4 – Reference Ladder
+4.0 V
External
Reference
V
RHS
(+3.91 V)
90 mV
R/2
R
R
R
R
R=30
W
(typ)
All capacitors are 0.01 µF
R
R
V
RLS
(0.075 V)
V
RLF
(AGND)
0.0 V
75 mV
R/2
(chip cap preferred) to minimize high-frequency noise in-
jection. If this simplified configuration is used, the following
considerations should be taken into account.
The reference ladder circuit shown in figure 4 is a simpli-
fied representation of the actual reference ladder with
force and sense taps shown. Due to the actual internal
structure of the ladder, the voltage drop from V
RHF
to V
RHS
is not equivalent to the voltage drop from V
RLF
to V
RLS
.
SPT7863
7
8/21/01
CADEKA [ CADEKA MICROCIRCUITS LLC. ]
