AD-Converter.docVIP

A/D-Converter Digital processing systems need analog interfaces. The very point where the analog world reaches the digital processing is at the Analog-to-Digital converter circuit block. As such, the A-to-D converter is an inevitable building block in every digital signal processing system. This makes the A-to-D a useful vehicle to identify the advantages and limitations of new technology nodes for future system integration.The main specification points of an A-to-D converter are: The width of its output bus, i.e. the “number of bits” of the converter. This number of bits also defines the maximum ratio of signal level to noise level (a ratio called “dynamic range”, often expressed on a logarithmic scale in decibel [dB]). the number of samples it can deliver per unit time (each sample the “number of bits” wide) the power consumption required for reaching these performance points. To gain insight in the potential of future technology nodes for this building block, it is useful to map the improvement of A-to-D converter specifications over time. The combination of process technology improvement and design improvement can be visualized in a Figure-of-Merit for Analog-to-Digital conversion. This metric is introduced in three steps: The energy required per conversion-step is a useful metric to compare different conversion architectures for different applications. By definition: within this formula: acronym Definition formula units ENOB0 the effective number of bits at low signal frequency; (approximation: 1bit extra is equivalent to an increase of 6dB in dynamic range)  SINAD Signal/noise-and-distortion ratio in dB (=“dynamic range” of the converter) [dB] fsample (maximum) sampling rate of the converter [Hz],[Msample/s] ERBW Input signal frequency at which the AD converter has lost 3dB of its dynamic range [Hz] Note: the multiplier 2( in the “min({fsample},{ERBW})” minimum-function is used to link the signal frequency to the sampling rate. According t