Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Self-Injection-Locked Integrated Analog-to-Digital Converter

Objective

The Internet-of-Things (IoT) will soon represent the main target application of ICs, involving thousands of autonomous devices forming a large communication network for the purpose of exchanging/processing information about the physical world. From a hardware standpoint, the RF wireless transceivers of IoT devices demand the highest possible energy efficiency and a small area to enable inexpensive large-scale integration. Since analog/RF building blocks must be integrated with the mainstream digital technology, new circuit topologies and techniques must be adopted. The time-mode signaling, recently exploited in all-digital PLLs, data converters (the so called time-mode or VCO-based ADCs), opamps and filters, allows the performance of “analog” circuits to improve with the technology scaling. The proposed research focuses on a novel architecture of time-mode ADC, attempting to mitigate the fundamental limitations of such class of converters (i.e. the highly nonlinear VCO) by exploiting advanced RF techniques, thus giving rise to a hybrid time/frequency-mode operation. Studies have shown that by injection-locking an oscillator to its own delayed resonating waveform (self-injection-locking, SIL), the oscillating frequency can be made reasonably linear versus only two well-controlled parameters (i.e. the amplitude and phase of the self-injected signal). The SIL technique will be exploited to achieve a known, predictable relationship between the oscillating frequency and a certain analog quantity (i.e. the input signal). Accordingly, the proposed research attempts to mathematically overcome, and not to compensate accordingly, the nonlinear characteristic of an oscillator. By adding a simple digital frequency detector, SILICON has potential to devise a new class of data converters, the SIL-ADCs. It will also provide the applicant with cutting edge training from academic & industry leaders in the field which will be implemented using a personalised career development plan.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2016

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 175 866,00
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 175 866,00
My booklet 0 0