Stochastic analog-to-digital conversion

This paper suggests a stochastic approach to data conversion. It is applicable to serial, parallel, two-step as well as delta-sigma ADCs and DACs. In the serial implementation of this scheme, a sample-and-hold circuit, a noise source and a comparator are combined with an accumulate-and-dump digital stage to perform serial multibit A/D conversion. In the parallel ADC, M nominally identical primitive converter cells with the same input signal, x(t), but with different and uncorrelated random dither signals, d_i(t) (i = 1, 2, ..., M), are combined to perform the data conversion. Possible combination of the two methodologies is also outlined.