MCP3901 datasheet(22/62 Pages) MICROCHIP

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MCP3901

DS22192D-page 22

4.13

MCP3901 Delta-Sigma

Architecture

The MCP3901 incorporates two Delta-Sigma ADCs

with a multi-bit architecture. A Delta-Sigma ADC is an

oversampling converter that incorporates a built-in

modulator, which is digitizing the quantity of charge

integrated by the modulator loop (see Figure 5-1). The

quantizer

the

block

that

performing

the

Analog-to-Digital conversion. The quantizer is typically

1 bit, or a simple comparator which helps to maintain

the linearity performance of the ADC (the DAC

structure, is in this case, inherently linear).

Multi-bit quantizers help to lower the quantization error

(the error fed back in the loop can be very large with

1-bit quantizers) without changing the order of the

modulator or the OSR, which leads to better SNR

figures. Typically, however, the linearity of such

architectures is more difficult to achieve, since the DAC

is no more simple to realize, and its linearity limits the

THD of such ADCs.

The MCP3901’s 5-level quantizer is a Flash ADC,

composed of 4 comparators arranged with equally

spaced thresholds and a thermometer coding. The

MCP3901 also includes proprietary 5-level DAC

architecture that is inherently linear for improved THD

figures.

4.14

Idle Tones

A Delta-Sigma Converter is an integrating converter. It

also has a finite quantization step (LSB) which can be

detected by its quantizer. A DC input voltage that is

below the quantization step should only provide an all

zeros result, since the input is not large enough to be

detected. As an integrating device, any Delta-Sigma

will show, in this case, Idle tones. This means that the

output will have spurs in the frequency content that are

depending on the ratio between quantization step

voltage and the input voltage. These spurs are the

result of the integrated sub-quantization step inputs

that will eventually cross the quantization steps after a

long enough integration. This will induce an AC

frequency at the output of the ADC and can be shown

in the ADC output spectrum.

These Idle tones are residues that are inherent to the

quantization process and the fact that the converter is

integrating at all times without being reset. They are

residues of the finite resolution of the conversion

process. They are very difficult to attenuate and they are

heavily signal dependent. They can degrade both the

SFDR and THD of the converter, even for DC inputs.

They can be localized in the baseband of the converter,

and thus, difficult to filter from the actual input signal.

For power metering applications, Idle tones can be very

disturbing because energy can be detected even at the

50 or 60 Hz frequency, depending on the DC offset of

the ADCs, while no power is really present at the

inputs. The only practical way to suppress or attenuate

the Idle tones phenomenon is to apply dithering to the

ADC. The Idle tone amplitudes are a function of the

order of the modulator, the OSR and the number of

levels in the quantizer of the modulator. A higher order,

a higher OSR or a higher number of levels for the

quantizer will attenuate the Idle tones amplitude.

4.15

Dithering

In order to suppress or attenuate the Idle tones present

in any Delta-Sigma ADCs, dithering can be applied to

the ADC. Dithering is the process of adding an error to

the ADC feedback loop in order to “decorrelate” the

outputs and “break” the Idle tones behavior. Usually, a

random or pseudo-random generator adds an analog

or digital error to the feedback loop of the Delta-Sigma

ADC in order to ensure that no tonal behavior can

happen at its outputs. This error is filtered by the

feedback loop, and typically, has a zero average value

so that the converter static transfer function is not

disturbed by the dithering process. However, the

dithering process slightly increases the noise floor (it

adds noise to the part) while reducing its tonal behavior,

and thus, improving SFDR and THD (see Figure 2-10

and Figure 2-14). The dithering process scrambles the

Idle tones into baseband white noise and ensures that

dynamic specs (SNR, SINAD, THD, SFDR) are less

signal dependent. The MCP3901 incorporates a

proprietary dithering algorithm on both ADCs in order to

remove Idle tones and improve THD, which is crucial

for power metering applications.

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