DSP: Digital Signal Processing Winter Term 2018-2019

Seminar 3: Dual-Slope ADC

1. Dual-Slope Analog-to-Digital Converter

Consider the dual-slope ADC shown in the figure below. The dual-slope ADC belongs to the group
of integrating AD converters.

a) Explain the working principle of the dual-slope ADC. Use the figure above.

 The input voltage Ux is applied to the input of an integrator for a fixed time period t1
(run-up period).
 Then the reference voltage Uref of inverse polarity is applied to the comparator until
integrator output returns to zero (run-down period).
 From the measured run-down time tx the unknown input voltage Ux can be
calculated.
DSP: Digital Signal Processing Winter Term 2018-2019

b) Calculate the output voltage uo(t) of the (inverting) integrator dependent on the input
voltage ui(t).

c) How can the unknown input voltage Ux be calculated from the reverence voltage Uref and the
counter values N1 and Nx?

𝑁𝑥
𝑈𝑥 = −𝑈𝑟𝑒𝑓
𝑁1
DSP: Digital Signal Processing Winter Term 2018-2019

d) The resolution of the measured input voltage depends on the number of counter values N1
and Nx. Calculate a counter value N1 to be able to measure an input voltage Ux = -0.2 · Uref
with an accuracy of 0.1%.

e) The input signal is superimposed by a sinusoid disturb signal of 50 Hz. How does this affect
the measurement? How can it be eliminated? Calculate the counter frequency fref.
DSP: Digital Signal Processing Winter Term 2018-2019

f) How do changes of components R, C and fref affect the accuracy of the dual-slope ADC?
Name advantages and disadvantages of the dual-slope ADC.

 R, C have no effect. See b)

 fref  changes t1 and tx, therefore the noise elimination decreases

Advantages:
 very high resolution – often used in digital multimeters
 accuracy independent from aging / drift
 independent from high frequent noise due to integration

Disadvantages:
 very slow (fmax around 10-100Hz)