SAR ADC algorithm with redundancy

This paper describes a redundant algorithm for a highly reliable Successive Approximation Register (SAR) ADC where mistakes of comparator decision can be digitally-corrected. We generalize a conventional non-binary search algorithm which requires more conversion steps in the SAR ADC than the binary search algorithm, and clarify which decision errors can be digitally-corrected with the derived redundant algorithm. We also shows that the sampling speed of the SAR ADC using the proposed algorithm can be faster when the incomplete settling effects of the DAC inside the SAR ADC are taken into account.