US Patent 7486216 Multi-bit pipeline analog-to-digital converter capable of altering operating mode

Provided is a multi-bit pipeline analog-to-digital converter (ADC) capable of altering an operating mode. The ADC includes: a sample-and-hold amplifier (SHA) for sampling and holding an input analog voltage; an n+1 number of B-bit flash ADCs for receiving an analog signal and converting the analog signal into a digital signal to output the digital signal; an n number of B-bit multiplying digital-to-analog converters (MDACs) for converting a difference between the digital signal output from the B-bit flash ADC and the front-stage output signal into an analog signal to output the analog signal to the next stage; and a mode control circuit for generating n-bit control signals to control the B-bit flash ADC and the B-bit MDAC according to required resolution and operating frequency. In the multi-bit pipeline ADC, an operating mode is altered by controlling the number of stages in a pipeline and a signal path according to required resolution and operating frequency, so that power consumption can be minimized under the corresponding operating condition and signals can be processed in a variety of ways.