A higher order topology for interpolative modulators for oversampling A/D converters

Oversampling interpolative coding has been demonstrated to be an effective technique for high-resolution analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion that is tolerant of process imperfections. A novel topology for constructing stable interpolative modulators of arbitrary order is described. Analysis of this topology shows that with proper design of the modulator coefficients, stability is not a limitation to higher order modulators. Furthermore, complete control over placement of the poles and zeros of the quantization noise response allows treatment of the modulation process as a high-pass filter for quantization noise. Higher order modulators are shown not only to greatly reduce oversampling requirements for high-resolution conversion applications, but also to randomize the quantization noise, avoiding the need for dithering. An experimental fourth-order modulator breadboard demonstrates stability and feasibility, achieving a 90-dB dynamic range over the 20-kHz audio bandwidth with a sampling rate of 2.1 MHz. A generalized simulation software package has been developed to mimic time-domain behavior for oversampling modulators. Circuit design specifications for integrated circuit implementation can be deduced from analysis of simulated data.>