Patent attributes
A method of performing analog-to-digital conversion using a successive approximation (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC). A previous digital output is compared to a range based on the first M bits of the previous digital output. If the previous digital output is within that range, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) of the SAR ADC is preloaded with the first M bits of the previous digital output, prior to commencing bit trials. If the previous digital output is outside of that range, an offset is applied to the first M bits of the previous digital output and the DAC is preloaded based on the M bits and the offset, prior to performing bit trials. This method reduces the possibility of the next input being outside of a further range defined by the preload.