New ADC with piecewise linear characteristic: case study-implementation of a smart humidity sensor

In this paper, the architecture of a new analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with a piecewise linear characteristic (PLADC) is proposed. In this device, some discrete points of the characteristic can be modified to fit a requested profile. This converter facility can be utilized to gain remarkable advantages in a wide variety of applications, such as the implementation of a sensor linearization technique. In the paper the internal architecture of a two-stage 11-b flash PLADC prototype is briefly described. A representative demonstrative application, namely, the implementation of a linear digital humidity sensor, is discussed showing the effectiveness and usefulness of this device. The problem of the characterization of this converter is also discussed, reporting some remarks about the implemented solutions