A Model-Based Approach Digital Pre-Distortion Method for Current-Steering Digital-to-Analog Converters

This paper presents a novel static digital pre-distortion (DPD) method for a current-steering digital-to-analog converter (CS-DAC). The proposed method utilizes the knowledge of the current cell array architecture to calculate the static mismatch currents of the cells. The mismatch values are stored...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on circuits and systems. I, Regular papers Regular papers, 2022-11, Vol.69 (11), p.4583-4595
Main Authors: Valet, Patrick, Schwingshackl, David, Gaier, Ulrich, Tonello, Andrea M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Calibration
Circuit design
Codes
Computer architecture
Current sources
current-steering
DAC
Digital pre-distortion
Digital to analog converters
digital-analog conversion
Error correction
Harmonic distortion
Integrated circuit modeling
Mathematical models
MATLAB
Microprocessors
Programmable current sources
signal processing
Steering
Switches
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Summary:This paper presents a novel static digital pre-distortion (DPD) method for a current-steering digital-to-analog converter (CS-DAC). The proposed method utilizes the knowledge of the current cell array architecture to calculate the static mismatch currents of the cells. The mismatch values are stored in memory and added to the original input code to generate the new pre-distorted input word. The converter corrects the static error with its own current cells without incorporating an additional calibration DAC (CALDAC) or programmable current sources. This results in a reduction in area, power and simulation run times because of the simpler circuit design. An Overflow-Cell-Selection (OCS) is introduced as a novel solution to further enhance the static linearity of the converter. It also can be implemented as a software solution for already existing DAC designs which do not have an integrated DPD and lab/measurement equipment (e.g., arbitrary wave generator (AWG)). This poses as a strong differentiation factor compared to other state-of-the-art static DPD methods. The evaluation of the proposed DPD is done via simulations in MATLAB and on- chip measurements with a 14-bit CS-DAC in 16 nm. Single tone measurements show a performance gain of the total harmonic distortion (THD) of 12 dB.
ISSN:1549-8328
1558-0806
DOI:10.1109/TCSI.2022.3198233