An empirical and statistical comparison of state-of-the-art sigma-delta modulators

This paper examines and compares the state of the art in ΣΔ Modulators from an empirical but systematic perspective. Statistical data extracted from more than 300 cutting-edge integrated circuits have been exhaustively analyzed to identify trends, design challenges, as well as the most efficient solutions proposed for different application scenarios in the frontiers of the ΣΔ modulation technique. The results of this study are presented as design guidelines in order to help designers to select the optimum ΣΔ architecture and circuit implementation for a given set of specifications.