A low-power stereo 16-bit CMOS D/A converter for digital audio

A low-power 16-bit CMOS D/A (digital/analog) converter for portable digital audio is described. The converter is based on current division. To guarantee monotonicity and a good small-signal reproduction, a dynamic segmentation technique is used. A geometric averaging technique is used to minimize the harmonic distortion of the converter at high signal levels. The dynamic range is 95 dB. The circuit operates in a time-multiplex mode at a sample frequency of 44 kHz in a power supply range of 2.5-5 V and has a power consumption of 15 mW. A 2- mu m CMOS technology is used and the active chip area is 5 mm/sup 2/.<
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