Pruning calibration flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a method of calibrating and manufacturing the same

摘要

A method to perform a pruning calibration of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) commences with a pruning operation in relation to a pool of comparators, which includes redundant comparators, of the ADC to select a subset of selected comparators as operational. The selection of the subset of selected comparators may include selecting comparators with trip voltages appropriate to respective codes of an output of the ADC. Each comparator of the subset is assigned to a respective code of the output of the ADC. Unselected comparators within the ADC are operationally powered down. The pool of comparators includes more comparators than are required to product an N-bit output (i.e. the pool includes redundant comparators). The comparators of ADC are not required to be accurate and trip voltages of the pool of comparators are distributed over an input voltage range of the ADC.