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EP0605883A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Digital-analog converter, offset adjustor and portable communication terminal unit

Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1993-12-28
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-12-28
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Abstract

Abstract The numbers of current sources and switches necessary for a plurality of unit D/A converters using equal reference currents are drastically reduced to accordingly reduce the parasitic capacities to be coupled to current output lines, by converting a plurality of digital signals of a predetermined bit, which are divided from an input digital signal, into an analog current by the action of the unit D/A converters and by converting the analog current in a manner to correspond to the weights of the corresponding input digital signals, thereby to synthesize the currents. The fixed digital signal corresponding to a DC signal providing a reference in the signals to have their offsets canceled is inputted to the D/A converter, and the offsets of a plurality of analog output signals in positive and opposite phases obtained by branching the output of the D/A converter are individually detected. After this, the DC offset values of the individual analog outputs are used as offset adjusting negative feedback signals for a desired value so that one of them is the digital signal to be fed back to the input portion of the D/A converter whereas the other of them is the analog signal to be fed to a path portion obtained by branching the output of the D/A converter.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kazuo Yamakido
  • 👤 Yoichiro Kobayashi
  • 👤 Masanori Otsuka
  • 👤 Takao Okazaki
  • 👤 Yukihito Ishihara
  • 👤 Norimitsu Nishikawa
  • 👤 Yuko Tamba

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 19:04
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03M; H03M1/00; H03M1/06; H03M1/08; H03M1/66; H03M1/68; H03M1/687; H03M1/10; H03M1/1009; H03M1/1014; H03M1/1019; H03M1/1023; H03M1/74; H03M1/742; H03M1/745; H03M1/747

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim 140 words
A D/A converter formed over a semiconductor substrate for converting an input digital signal of a plurality of bits having different weights into an analog signal, comprising: a plurality of unit D/A converters using currents having values equal to each other as their reference current for individually receiving the different bits of said input digital signals to output currents having values corresponding to said bits; a current converter coupled to the output of a predetermined one of said plurality of unit D/A converters for converting the currents outputted from said unit D/A converters into values corresponding to the weights owned by the bits fed to said unit D/A converters; and synthesizing means for synthesizing the output current of said current converter and the current which is outputted from the remaining unit D/A converters other than said predetermined unit D/A converter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 31 words
A D/A converter according to claim 1, wherein said synthesizing means includes a node for connecting the output of said current converter and the outputs of said remaining unit D/A converters.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 29 words
A D/A converter according to claim 1, further comprising: a voltage converter coupled to said synthesizing means for converting the synthesized current of said synthesizing means into a voltage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 159 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device including a first circuit for outputting a digital signal and a second circuit for subjecting first and second analog signals having different phases to a predetermined processing, comprising: a converter for converting a digital signal into an analog signal; a branching circuit coupled to the output of said converter for producing said first analog signal and said second analog signal from said analog signal; a first offset adjustor coupled between said first circuit and said converter for arranging a digital signal to be fed to said converter, in accordance with an adjusting digital signal for adjusting the offset of said first analog signal from said digital signal; and a second offset adjustor coupled between said branching circuit and said second circuit for arranging said second analog signal to be fed to said second circuit, in accordance with an adjusting analog signal for adjusting the offset of said second analog signal from said digital signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 64 words
A D/A converter comprising: a plurality of unit D/A converters made individually receptive of a plurality of digital signals of a predetermined bit divided from an input digital signal and using reference currents having equal values; and means for converting analog currents outputted from said unit D/A converters into currents corresponding to the weights of corresponding input digital signals, to synthesize the converted currents.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 125 words
A D/A converter according to claim 5, wherein said plurality of unit D/A converters include a first unit D/A converter made receptive of a digital signal of a predetermined bit including the least significant bit, and an m-th unit D/A converter made receptive of a digital signal of a predetermined bit including the most significant bit, wherein each of said unit D/A converters includes a plurality of current sources composed of identical unit current sources, and wherein said means includes a current converter for converting the analog currents obtained from said first to m-th unit D/A converters into currents corresponding to the weights corresponding to said input digital signals, and nodes coupled in series or in parallel with said D/A converters through said current converter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 74 words
A D/A converter according to claim 6, wherein said first to m-th unit D/A converters are sequentially coupled in series in a forward direction through the corresponding current converters, and wherein said current converters corresponding to said first to (m-1)-th unit D/A converters individually perform current attenuations to establish the weights corresponding to the corresponding input digital signals with respect to the reference current of the unit D/A converter corresponding to the most significance.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 72 words
A D/A converter according to claim 7, wherein said current converters include an operational amplifier, a first resistor connected between the inverted input and the output of said operational amplifier for effecting conversion into an analog voltage, and a second resistor connected with the output of said operational amplifier for effecting conversion into a current signal, so that said current attenuations are set by the ratio of said first and second resistors.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 21 words
A D/A converter according to claim 8, wherein said first resistor and said second resistor are made of an identical material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 74 words
A D/A converter according to claim 6, wherein said first to m-th unit D/A converters are sequentially coupled in series in a forward direction through the corresponding current converters, and wherein said current converters corresponding to said first to (m-1)-th unit D/A converters individually perform current applications to establish the weights corresponding to the corresponding input digital signals with respect to the reference current of the unit D/A converter corresponding to the less significance.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 38 words
A D/A converter according to claim 7, wherein said current converters are of an inverted output type so that the digital signals inputted to said first to m-th unit D/A converters are fed after having been alternately inverted.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 28 words
A D/A converter according to claim 5, wherein said D/A converter is packaged in a portable communication terminal unit and has its output signal transmitted through a post-filter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 108 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device including a D/A converter, comprising: an offset adjustor for adjusting the offsets of a plurality of analog signals obtained by branching the output of said D/A converter and having different phases, wherein said offset adjustor generates a plurality of offset adjusting negative feedback signals, of which at least one is a digital signal to be negatively fed back to a path at the input side of said D/A converter whereas the others are analog signals to be negatively fed back to systems branched midway from the system which has its offset adjusted by the offset adjusting negative feedback signal or said digital signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 94 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of analog signals having different phases are a plurality of analog signals having different phases of about 180 degrees in positive and opposite relations, whereby the offsets of the positive phase analog signals are adjusted by negatively feeding back said digital signal to the input portion of said D/A converter whereas the offsets of the remaining analog signals in the opposite or positive phases are adjusted by negatively feeding back said analog signals to the signal path portions of said branched systems.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 41 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 14, wherein said digital signal is negatively fed back to the input portion of said D/A converter whereas said analog signals are negatively fed back to the output path of said D/A converter.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 205 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 13, wherein said offset adjustor includes: switch means for selecting and outputting the plurality of analog signals to have their offsets adjusted; comparison means for comparing the output of said switch means and the reference potential for detecting the offsets; detection means for detecting the inversion of the output polarity of said comparison means; counting means for performing a series of counting operations till the inversion of the output polarity of said comparison means in the initial state of a counted value is detected by said detection means; a plurality of memory means made receptive of the output of said counting means and individually provided for said offset adjusting negative feedback signals; D/A conversion means for converting the output of the memory means corresponding to the offset adjusting negative feedback signal or the analog means from a digital signal to an analog signal; and timing generating means for performing the section of the analog signal by said switch means and the selection of said memory means for latching the output of said counting means, sequentially for the individual offset adjusting negative feedback signals so that said single comparison means may be used in a timing sharing manner.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 74 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 16, wherein said comparison means includes a differential amplification step for receiving the output of said switch means and the reference voltage for detecting the offsets, and an output step for receiving a single end output from said differential amplification step, and wherein said differential amplification step and said output step have their constant current transistors fed with bias voltages from different bias voltage feed paths.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 175 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 17, wherein said differential amplification step includes: a pair of differential amplification MOS transistors of a first conduction type; a first constant current MOS transistor of the first conduction type connected with the common source of said pair of differential amplification MOS transistors; a MOS transistor of a second conduction type having its gate and drain coupled to the drain of one of said differential MOS transistors; and a MOS transistor of the second conduction type having its gate coupled to the drain said one differential MOS transistor and its drain coupled to the drain of the other of said differential MOS transistors, and wherein said output step includes: an output MOS transistor of the second conduction type having its gate connected with the drain of said other differential MOS transistor; and a second constant current MOS transistor having its drain connected with the drain of said output MOS transistor and fed with a bias voltage through a path different from said first constant current MOS transistor.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 74 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 13, wherein said D/A converter includes: a plurality of unit D/A converters made individually receptive of a plurality of digital signals of a predetermined bit divided from an input digital signal and using reference currents having equal values; and means for converting analog currents outputted from said unit D/A converters into currents corresponding to the weights of corresponding input digital signals, to synthesize the converted currents.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 282 words
A portable communication terminal unit including a transmitting unit or a transmitting/receiving unit having a D/A converter, comprising: an offset adjustor for adjusting the offsets of a plurality of analog signals of different phases produced by branching the output of said D/A converter, wherein said offset adjustor includes: a generator for generating a signal for adjusting the offsets; first memory means for storing that offset adjusting digital signal of said offset adjusting signals generated, which is to be negatively fed back to the input side of said D/A converter; second memory means for storing that digital signal of said offset adjusting signals generated, which corresponds to an offset adjusting analog signal to be negatively fed back to said branched signal path; and a D/A converter made receptive of the digital signal stored in said second memory means, for generating said offset adjusting analog signal; and control means: for activating all the circuits composing said offset adjustor for a predetermined time period after the power is supplied to said portable communication terminal unit and before the generation of the offset adjusting negative feedback signal by said offset adjustor is fixed, and for a predetermined time period after the transmitting unit or the transmitting/receiving unit of said portable communication terminal unit or the circuits contained therein are brought after the power supply from the standby state to the communication prepared state and before the generation of the offset adjusting negative feedback signal by said offset adjustor is fixed; thereafter for activating only said first memory means and said second memory means of said offset adjustor and said D/A converter; and for inactivating all the circuits composing said offset adjustor when in said standby state.

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