Data Conversion Within Energy Constrained Environments

Abstract

Within scientific research, engineering, and consumer electronics, there is a multitude of new discrete sensor-interfaced devices. Maintaining high accuracy in signal quantization while staying within the strict power-budget of these devices is a very challenging problem. Traditional paths to solving this problem include researching more energy-efficient digital topologies as well as digital scaling. This work offers an alternative path to lower-energy expenditure in the quantization stage-content-dependent sampling of a signal. Instead of sampling at a constant rate, this work explores techniques which allow sampling based upon features of the signal itself through the use of application-dependent analog processing. This work presents an asynchronous sampling paradigm, based off the use of floating-gate-enabled analog circuitry. The basis of this work is developed through the mathematical models necessary for asynchronous sampling, as well the SPICE-compatible models necessary for simulating floating-gate enabled analog circuitry. These base techniques and circuitry are then extended to systems and applications utilizing novel analog-to-digital converter topologies capable of leveraging the non-constant sampling rates for significant sample and power savings. iii Dedication Marriage is a promise, a potential, made in the hearts of two people who love, which takes a lifetime to fulfill.-Edmund O'Neil Dedicated to Erica and the lifetime we will spend fulfilling that promise. First, thank you to my family for all of the love and support over the years. I'm lucky to have such a large family, and even luckier to feel so close with all of them.