Latest Data Converters Technical Articles

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Introduction to Servo-Loop ADC Testing

Servo-loop testing allows the determination of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) transfer function. This article will describe the basics of servo-loop ADC testing and illustrate several different servo-loop test configurations.

August 20, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

Improving ADC SFDR Using Dithering for Communication System Applications

Learn more about dithering, namely improving the spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that exhibits differential nonlinearity (DNL) errors.

May 21, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

Analyzing a Negative Voltage Charge Pump in LTspice—Source and Load Resistance

Learn about using LTspice simulations to provide important insight into the performance of a switched-capacitor voltage-inverting power supply.

May 14, 2023 by Robert Keim

Can Voltage Be Negative? Understanding Negative Voltage

In addition to explaining the nature of a negative voltage, this article briefly discusses how negative voltages are generated and why they are useful in circuit design.

April 02, 2023 by Robert Keim

Receiving and Sampling Signals in Digital Pulse Amplitude Modulation

The receiver in a digital PAM system must sample and measure the amplitude of a signal that is affected by the frequency response of the transmission channel.

March 05, 2023 by Robert Keim

Reducing Quantization Distortion Via Subtractive and Non-subtractive Dithering

Learn how dithering can suppress both harmonic and non-harmonic spurs and two different types of dithering systems: subtractive and non-subtractive topologies.

February 24, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

Introduction to Double Date Rate (DDR) Memory

Learn about double date rate (DDR) memory key concepts and applications surrounding this digital communication technique, where two data words are transferred during one clock cycle.

February 03, 2023 by Robert Keim

Error Analysis in Analog-to-digital Converter (ADC) Applications

Through four different examples, learn about analog-to-digital converter (ADC) system error analysis.

January 20, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

ADC Resolution vs. Accuracy—Sub-range ADCs, Two-step ADCs, and TUE

Learn about characterizing different analog-to-digital converter (ADC) error sources such as resolution and accuracy.

January 08, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

Understanding ADC Integral Nonlinearity (INL) Error

Learn about the integral nonlinearity (INL) specification and how it relates to analog-to-digital converter (ADC) errors.

December 26, 2022 by Dr. Steve Arar

ADC Nonlinearity—Missing Codes, Monotonicity, and Nonlinearity Effect on SNR

Learn about eliminating missing codes through averaging, analog-to-digital converter (ADC) monotonicity, and the effect of ADC nonlinearity on the system's signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

December 18, 2022 by Dr. Steve Arar

Using the Noise Figure Metric to Analyze Noise in RF Circuits

Concerning noise analysis in RF analog design, learn about the noise figure metric, including key aspects of this specification through examples.

December 16, 2022 by Dr. Steve Arar

What is Dithering? Using Dithering to Eliminate Quantization Distortion

Learn how dithering can be added to a signal to improve the performance of an analog-to-digital conversion system by eliminating quantization error and distortion.

December 04, 2022 by Dr. Steve Arar

How Should Data Converters Be Modeled for System Simulations?

This article launches a series exploring the question of how to model data converters for system simulations.

February 25, 2021 by Wes Brodsky

PCB Layout Techniques for Reducing Harmonic Distortion of a Differential ADC Driver

Summary

February 19, 2021 by Dr. Steve Arar

Reducing Second Harmonic Distortion with Symmetrical PCB Layout

Need a low-distortion ADC interface? In this article, we'll discuss how to reduce 2nd harmonic distortion by using symmetric PCB layout.

January 18, 2021 by Dr. Steve Arar

What Is Dynamic Range?

The concept of dynamic range appears frequently in engineering discussions. But what exactly does this term mean? And how does it apply to electronic circuits and systems?

June 03, 2020 by Robert Keim

Determining Dynamic Range of CCD Image Sensors

This article explains how CCD construction, operating parameters, and external signal-processing circuitry contribute to the maximum variation in luminance that CCD imaging hardware can capture.

May 29, 2020 by Robert Keim

Assessing the ADC SNR and SFDR for Communications Systems

In this article, we will see how we can determine the SFDR for an ADC used in a radio receiver. Also, we’ll examine the ADC SNR requirement for this application.

December 22, 2019 by Dr. Steve Arar

How to Use Your Computer as an Arbitrary Waveform Generator

In this article, we’ll use Scilab to generate numerical signals that can be converted into analog waveforms by a computer’s audio hardware.

October 08, 2018 by Robert Keim