A current-mode analog to digital converter array with a common reference-generating circuit

The continuous progress of VLSI technology has provided the possibility of integrating large sensor arrays and signal processors on a single chip. The speed requirements on the data conversion circuits are not necessarily very high but the reduction of size and power consumption is more important. Inherent advantages such as design simplicity and lower power consumption of current-mode techniques are exploited in the Analog to Digital (A/D) converter presented in this paper. A converter array with a common reference-generator that can achieve a high conversion rate at relatively low hardware cost is developed. The A/D converter array integrated with a current-mode data-acquisition system and sensor array can provide a high quality smart sensor