APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONVERTING A MULTI-BIT SIGNAL TO A SERIAL PULSE STREAM

摘要

A circuit for converting an n-bit number to a serial stream of single-bit pulses includes circuitry for generating n different sets of pulses; each set of pulses corresponding to a bit of the n-bit binary number; the number of pulses in a set of pulses corresponding to a bit "j" being equal to 2<(j-1) >pulses, where "j" is an integer which varies from one (1) for the LSB to n for the MSB. The circuit also includes n switches each switch having an input port, an output port and a control port. Each different bit is applied to the control port of a switch and the set of pulses corresponding to the bit is applied to the control port of that switch. The output ports of the n switches are coupled to a common point for combining the signals at the output ports and producing a serial stream of single-bit pulses at the common point which is equivalent to the n-bit binary number. A shift register capable of storing 2<n>-1 pulses may be connected to the common point and digital to analog circuitry may be connected to the output of the shift register for producing an analog voltage.