Design theory for high-order incremental converters

A/D converters used in instrumentation and measurements often require high absolute accuracy, including high linearity and negligible DC offset. The incremental (or integrating) converter provides a solution for such measurement applications, as it has all the advantages of the ΔΣ (Delta-Sigma) converter, yet is capable of offset-free and accurate conversion. In this conference paper, theoretical and practical aspects of higher-order incremental converters are discussed. Operating principles, topologies and specialized digital filter design methods are addressed. The theoretical results are verified by showing design examples and simulation results.