A SNDR BIST for /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ analogue-to-digital converters

The test of high resolution sigma-delta analogue-to-digital converters (SigmaDelta ADCs) is a costly task due to its high resolution and the large number of samples required. In this paper, we propose a built-in self-test (BIST) technique for the test of SNDR (signal-to-noise plus distortion ratio) in SigmaDelta ADCs. The technique, mostly digital, uses a binary stream as test stimulus and carries out a sine-wave fitting algorithm to analyse the output response. Both the test signal generation and the output response analysis are performed on-chip, taking advantage of the digital resources already present in a SigmaDelta ADC. Simulations results show the capability of this technique to obtain measures of the SNDR for a 16-bit audio SigmaDelta ADC