Learn the basics of ADC testing
Martin Rowe, Senior Technical Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 9/1/2006 2:00:00 AM
In our June 2006 cover story, “The world is still analog,” I described how engineers at Analog Devices use evaluation boards to characterize high-speed analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) (Ref. 1). To learn more about the 17 AC tests and eight DC tests that the engineers perform on ADCs, you can turn to a recently published application note, “Understanding High Speed ADC Testing and Evaluation” (Ref. 2).
The figure shows a typical test setup for many of those measurements. If you use digitizing measurement equipment such as oscilloscopes or data-acquisition systems, this note will help you understand ADC specifications. If you design ADCs into embedded systems, you’ll benefit from the explanations of how to evaluate an ADC.
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| A typical characterization setup consists of signal and clock sources, a filter, a power supply, an evaluation board, and a data-capture board. Courtesy of Analog Devices. |
The authors discuss how to set up tests and how to use characterization software that you can download. The software performs FFTs and measures signal-to-noise ratio, signal-to-noise and distortion, spurious-free dynamic range, and other parameters. From the app note, you’ll learn which signal sources to use and when to apply low-pass filters and bandpass filters to your test setup.
| References |
| 1. Rowe, Martin, “The world is still analog,” Test & Measurement World, June 2006. p. 26. 2. Brannon, Brad, and Rob Reeder, “Understanding High Speed ADC Testing and Evaluation,” Analog Devices, Norwood, MA, 2006. www.analog.com. |
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