Subsampling Mismatch Noise Cancellation for High-Speed Continuous-Time DACs

Abstract

Clock skew and component mismatches in continuous-time DACs introduce two types of error: static error and dynamic error. Both types of error typically limit the performance of practical, high-resolution, and continuous-time DACs, but most prior calibration techniques primarily reduce only static error. An exception is a recently published mismatch noise cancellation (MNC) technique that adaptively measures and cancels both types of error over the DAC's first Nyquist band. However, a disadvantage of the technique is that it requires an oversampling ADC that operates at several times the DAC's Nyquist rate to prevent convergence error that would otherwise be caused by aliasing. This paper presents a sub-sampling version of the MNC technique that avoids this limitation at the expense of a lower calibration convergence rate. As proven in the paper, the subsampling MNC technique allows aliasing to occur, but in such a way that convergence error is avoided.