Hadamard transformation based frequency response mismatch calibration for a 4-channel TIADC

Abstract

The time-interleaved analog-to-digital converter (TIADC) is one of the most effective solutions for improving the sampling rate of acquisition systems. However, the frequency response mismatch between channels can seriously degrade the performance of the system. In this paper, we propose a calibration method for frequency response mismatches in 4-channel TIADC systems. Following the construction of a four-channel TIADC model using a four-order Hadamard matrix, the error signals were extracted using three time-invariant filters and subsequently subtracted from the output to complete the calibration. It uses the Hadamard transform instead of the complex exponential modulator used in conventional time-varying filter methods, which can further simplify the signal processing without the necessity of complicated calculations. We have employed a stimulated four-channel TIADC system to validate the effectiveness of the proposed calibration technique. Moreover, in a commercial 12.5 GSPS four-channel TIADC system, it is also demonstrated that this approach is effective in improving the spurious-free dynamic range of the system.