A monolithic video A/D converter

The design and measured performance of a fully parallel monolithic 8-bit A/D converter is reported. The required comparators and combining logic were designed and fabricated with a standard high-performance triple-diffused technology. A bipolar comparator circuit giving good performance with high input impedance is described. Circuit operation is reported at sample rates up to 30 megasamples per second (MS/s), with analog input signal power at frequencies up to 6 MHz. Full 8-bit linearity was achieved. An SNR of 42-44 dB was observed at input signal frequencies up to 5.3 MHz.