An analog-to-digital converter with Golomb-Rice output codes

An analog-to-digital converter with data compression capabilities is described. By sharing circuits between an integrating converter and a Golomb-Rice encoder it is possible to jointly perform the tasks of quantization and coding. The Golomb-Rice codes are generated during the conversion cycle by employing a shift register and a digital multiplexer. The final codeword is read out serially from the shift register. The converter can also work in a noncompressing mode. This design provides a compact circuit suitable for on-sensor compression. Simulations at the system and transistor level corroborate the validity of the design.