This paper explores the noise shaping and noise producing qualities of Delta-Sigma Modulators (DSM) and Pulse-Width Modulators (PWM). DSM has long been dominant in the Delta Sigma Analog-to-Digital Converter (DSADC) as a noise-shaped quantizer and time discretizer, while PWM, with a similar self oscillating structure, has seen use in Class D Power Amplifiers, performing a similar function. It has been shown that the PWM in Class D Amplifiers outperforms the DSM [1], but could this advantage be used in DSADC use-cases? LTSpice simulation and printed circuit board implementation and test are used to present data on four variations of these modulators: The DSM, PWM, the out-of-loop discretized PWM (OOLDP), and the cascaded modulator. A generic form of an Nth order loop filter is presented, where three orders of this generic topology are analyzed in simulation for each modulator, and two orders are used in physical testing.
","abstract_html":"<p>This paper explores the noise shaping and noise producing qualities of Delta-Sigma Modulators (DSM) and Pulse-Width Modulators (PWM). DSM has long been dominant in the Delta Sigma Analog-to-Digital Converter (DSADC) as a noise-shaped quantizer and time discretizer, while PWM, with a similar self oscillating structure, has seen use in Class D Power Amplifiers, performing a similar function. It has been shown that the PWM in Class D Amplifiers outperforms the DSM [1], but could this advantage be used in DSADC use-cases? LTSpice simulation and printed circuit board implementation and test are used to present data on four variations of these modulators: The DSM, PWM, the out-of-loop discretized PWM (OOLDP), and the cascaded modulator. A generic form of an Nth order loop filter is presented, where three orders of this generic topology are analyzed in simulation for each modulator, and two orders are used in physical testing.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Penrod, Logan B"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS in Electrical Engineering","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Electrical Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Vladimir Prodonov","Electrical Engineering","College of Engineering"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2020-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:37Z","subjects":["Delta Sigma Modulator","Pulse Width Modulator","Quantization Noise","Time Discretization","Delta Sigma Analog to Digital Conversion","Class D Amplifier","Controls and Control Theory","Electronic Devices and Semiconductor Manufacturing","Signal Processing","Systems and Communications"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10.15368/theses.2020.167"],"render_values":[{"text":"10.15368/theses.2020.167","href":"https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2020.167","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2278","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Vladimir Prodonov","Electrical Engineering","College of Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Penrod, Logan B"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2020-12-10T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Electrical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS in Electrical Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Delta Sigma Modulator","Pulse Width Modulator","Quantization Noise","Time Discretization","Delta Sigma Analog to Digital Conversion","Class D Amplifier","Controls and Control Theory","Electronic Devices and Semiconductor Manufacturing","Signal Processing","Systems and Communications"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2278","10.15368/theses.2020.167"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This paper explores the noise shaping and noise producing qualities of Delta-Sigma Modulators (DSM) and Pulse-Width Modulators (PWM). DSM has long been dominant in the Delta Sigma Analog-to-Digital Converter (DSADC) as a noise-shaped quantizer and time discretizer, while PWM, with a similar self oscillating structure, has seen use in Class D Power Amplifiers, performing a similar function. It has been shown that the PWM in Class D Amplifiers outperforms the DSM [1], but could this advantage be used in DSADC use-cases? LTSpice simulation and printed circuit board implementation and test are used to present data on four variations of these modulators: The DSM, PWM, the out-of-loop discretized PWM (OOLDP), and the cascaded modulator. A generic form of an Nth order loop filter is presented, where three orders of this generic topology are analyzed in simulation for each modulator, and two orders are used in physical testing.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An Exploratory Study of Pulse Width and Delta Sigma Modulators"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Vladimir Prodonov","Electrical Engineering","College of Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Penrod, Logan B"],"dc:date.available":["2020-12-10T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This paper explores the noise shaping and noise producing qualities of Delta-Sigma Modulators (DSM) and Pulse-Width Modulators (PWM). DSM has long been dominant in the Delta Sigma Analog-to-Digital Converter (DSADC) as a noise-shaped quantizer and time discretizer, while PWM, with a similar self oscillating structure, has seen use in Class D Power Amplifiers, performing a similar function. It has been shown that the PWM in Class D Amplifiers outperforms the DSM [1], but could this advantage be used in DSADC use-cases? LTSpice simulation and printed circuit board implementation and test are used to present data on four variations of these modulators: The DSM, PWM, the out-of-loop discretized PWM (OOLDP), and the cascaded modulator. A generic form of an Nth order loop filter is presented, where three orders of this generic topology are analyzed in simulation for each modulator, and two orders are used in physical testing.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2278","10.15368/theses.2020.167"],"dc:subject":["Delta Sigma Modulator","Pulse Width Modulator","Quantization Noise","Time Discretization","Delta Sigma Analog to Digital Conversion","Class D Amplifier","Controls and Control Theory","Electronic Devices and Semiconductor Manufacturing","Signal Processing","Systems and Communications"],"dc:title":["An Exploratory Study of Pulse Width and Delta Sigma Modulators"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Electrical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS in Electrical Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:37Z"}