Circuitry for providing non-uniform analog-to-digital ("A/D") signal
conversion for wideband signals is provided. The circuitry of the
invention is optimized for wideband signals because it does not sacrifice
the small-scale resolution of high-probability signal amplitudes while
preventing the clipping of low-probability signal amplitudes. The
circuitry includes a nonlinear amplifier and an A/D converter that may be
uniform or non-uniform. The digital output of the A/D converter may be
further processed by circuitry that has an output function that is the
inverse of that of the nonlinear amplifier, so as to maintain linear A/D
conversion.