Lecturer: Danilo Manstretta  

Course name: Filters and Data Converters
Course code: 503271
Degree course: Ingegneria Elettronica
Disciplinary field of science: ING-INF/01
L'insegnamento è caratterizzante per: Ingegneria Elettronica
University credits: CFU 6
Course website: http://www-3.unipv.it/microlab/drupal-5.3/?q=node/317

Specific course objectives

Course programme

The course is structured in two parts: the first part is dedicated to the design of the main types of analog integrated filters, the second part provides an introduction to the design of the main architecture of D / A and A / D converters.
Lectures are complemented by the laboratories, which address the analysis and design issues, at the architectural and circuit-level, with the help of CAD tools. The various projects carried out in laboratories covering the area of the A / D converters and different types of integrated filters, such as SC, and RC active gm-C.

Introduction to filters
Types of filters. Normalization and de-normalizing scaling in frequency and impedance. Frequency transformation.
Transfer function approximation: Butterworth, Chebyshev and elliptic transfer characteristics. Network functions (Butterworth, Chebyshev and Elliptic)
Passive networks synthesis: loss-less networks, canonical realizations. Single-terminated and double-terminated LC-type networks.
Filters sensitivity.

Analog Integrated Filters
Main types of analog integrated filters (RC active, GMC and SC), building blocks and design flows.

• Active RC type filters.
  Active RC biquadratic cell.
  Higher order active RC active filters.
  Tutorial on the design of an active RC filter with the use of Cadence
• Transconductance-based Filters (gm-C):
  First order Gm-c filter
  Gm-C biquadratic cell.
  Major limitations: gain and finite bandwidth, etc..
  Systems for automatic cut-off frequency control
  Tutorial on designing a filter type gm-C with the use of Cadence
• Switched-Capacitor Filters:
  Concept of SC filters.
  Flesher and Laker biquadratic cell
  Tutorial on designing a filter type Switched Capacitor.

Introduction to A / D and D / A Converters
Main architecture of D / A converters and A / D, metrics for measuring performance, building blocks and techniques for improving performance.

• Introduction to the main architecture of D / A converters: performance measures, operating principles, structures on the scale of resistors, the current division and the division of charge
• Introduction to the main architecture of A / D converters: performance measures, flash and two-step flash architectures, folding and interpolating structures, pipeline structures, successive approximation converters (SAR), interleaved converters, sigma-delta converters
• Basic building blocks: amplifiers, comparators, S / H circuits
• Tutorial on the design of the analog part of a Delta-Sigma and / or PIPELINE ADC

Course entry requirements

The course assumes knowledge of the operating characteristics of solid state electronic devices (especially the MOS transistor) and models that describe them in addition to the basic analysis and design of elementary electronic circuits (Electronics I and Electronics Design courses) and of the main topologies of operational amplifiers (Analog Integrated Systems course).

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 30
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 42

Suggested reading materials

During the course the instructor will provide students with the presentations used during lectures.

Kendall Su. Analog Filters, Second Edition.. Kluwer Academic Publisher Group, The netherland.

B. Razavi. Principles of Data Conversion System Design. IEEE Press.

M. Gustavson, J. J. Wikner, N.N. Tan. CMOS Data Converters for Communications. Kluwer Academic Publisher.

Haideh Khorramabadi . Slides from "EE247 - Analog-Digital Interfaces in VLSI Technology ". Available from Dept. EECS - UC Berkeley: http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~ee247/..

Testing and exams

The final evaluation consists of a written test followed by oral discussion. As an alternative students can carry out an individual project. In this case the final evaulation consists of an oral preentation followed by an oral discussion.